Shopping for the right piece of jewelry — be it a diamond engagement ring or simple pearl necklace — can be daunting enough. Besides the high cost that may take years to save for, the quality measurements used by jewelers can seem arbitrary and overly complicated.
Adding to the complication is how to pay for the purchase. While your first inclination might be to write a big check or even hit the ATM for some big bills, those are actually the last options you should consider. Instead, by using the right credit card for your jewelry purchase, you will come out ahead in a number of ways:
- Pay no interest for up to 15 months (via 0% APR cards)
- Earn cash back on your purchase amount (via cash-back cards)
- Get free travel by earning air miles and points (via air miles cards)
- Build your credit rating when you pay off the purchase (via cards for fair credit)
I’m sure you read that list and thought, “Well that sounds great. How do I get started?” It’s actually quite simple: we’ve done the research and compiled below the cards that are best to use on jewelry purchases. Simply click on your card of choice to visit its official online application:
1. 0% APR Cards for Jewelry Purchases
If you don’t have the money on hand to pay for the purchase, a 0% intro APR card is the way to go. By charging your jewelry purchase to such a card, you won’t have to pay any interest on the purchase for up to 15 months, giving you plenty of time to pay off the purchase without accruing interest:
- 0% Introductory APR for 21 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 15.49% - 25.49% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee applies to all balance transfers.
- No annual fee.
- No penalty APR. Paying late won't automatically raise your interest rate (APR). Other account pricing and terms apply.
- Access your FICO® Score for free within Online Banking or your Mobile Banking app.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
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Intro (Purchases)
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Intro (Transfers)
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Regular APR
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR for 21 billing cycles for purchases
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0% Intro APR for 21 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
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15.49% - 25.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
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$0
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Excellent/Good
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Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
+See more 0% Intro APR cards »
2. Cash Back Cards for Jewelry Purchases
If you plan on paying off your jewelry purchase right away, you’ll want to consider using a cash back card. Wouldn’t it be nice to get 1% — or even 5% — cash back on such a big purchase? Not to mention, a nice one-time cash bonus just for using the card? With all that extra cash, you might even be able to thrown in those eye-catching gold earrings you thought you couldn’t afford. Here is the best cash-back card to consider:
- INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
- Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
- After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.49% - 28.24%.
- No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
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Intro (Purchases)
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Intro (Transfers)
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Regular APR
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR on Purchases 15 months
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0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers 15 months
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19.49% - 28.24% Variable
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$0
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Good/Excellent
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3. Air Miles Cards for Jewelry Purchases
What’s even better than a shiny new silver bracelet? How about a free trip to Hawaii? Or a few nights at the Ritz? Cards like the following are offering ridiculous air miles and travel points that you can use on any airline and at any hotel:
- UNLIMITED BONUS: Only Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
- Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase - with no annual fee.
- Redeem Miles to pay any part of your monthly bill, including your minimum payment.
- Turn Miles into cash in any amount, any time. Or redeem as a statement credit for travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more with no blackout dates. However you redeem, Miles keep the same value. And Miles never expire.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 16.49% to 27.49% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
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Intro (Purchases)
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Intro (Transfers)
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Regular APR
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
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0% Intro APR for 15 months
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16.49% - 27.49% Variable APR
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$0
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Excellent/Good
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4. “Fair Credit” or “No Credit” Cards
OK, so you may have noticed that the aforementioned cards all require a good-to-excellent credit rating for approval. What if you have a so-so credit rating — are there options for you? Sure there are. This card in particular not only approves those with imperfect credit, but also features a sweet 0% APR deal and significant cash back on your purchase:
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
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Intro (Purchases)
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Intro (Transfers)
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Regular APR
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
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N/A
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29.74% (Variable)
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$0
|
Average, Fair, Limited
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Why Avoid Jewelry Store Charge Cards?
Your sales rep at Kay or Zales will undoubtedly try to convince you to sign up for a store card to finance your purchase. After all, it’s their job to get you to sign up for it, and they may make a nice bonus if you give them all your personal details to apply.
If you’re considering this option, there are five things you’ll want to ask first. In fact, we’ll save you the trouble and answer these questions before you even have to ask them:
- “Will I go 15 months without paying interest?” (Probably not)
- “Will you give me a 1-5% cash bonus on this?” (No)
- “Will I get a free trip to Hawaii out of this?” (No)
- “Can I get approved with bad credit?” (No)
- “Can I use this card anywhere else besides this particular store?” (No)
These days, some store credit cards may offer special financing or purchase rewards, but read the fine print. Your typical retail financing deal will include deferred interest, which means you’ll need to pay off your entire financed amount before the end of the promotional period or you’ll be charged interest on the full amount.
Of course, these answers can all be “yes” if you use a traditional credit card to make your purchase like the ones mentioned above. Not only will traditional credit cards get you big bonuses for your jewelry purchases, but they can get you rewarded for all your other purchases as well.
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Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
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