Compare jewellery stores in New Zealand. Walker & Hall, Pandora, Pascoes, Michael Hill and Lovisa were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Checkout Experience, Customer Service, Product Variety & Range, Store/Website Layout and Value for Money.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Walker & Hall sets the gold standard when it comes to the nation’s favourite jewellery stores, winning Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers | Jewellery Stores Award.
Our review compares jewellery stores on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared jewellery store brands before you go ahead and make a purchase. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest mates which jewellery store they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 786 Kiwis who had made a purchase at a jewellery store over the past two years for their feedback on the jewellery they bought.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their jewellery store from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Walker & HallWalker & Hall continues its long tradition of providing quality jewellery and service by earning a superb set of ratings from its customers in our survey. It’s the only jewellery brand to earn a top 5-Star rating Overall Satisfaction. And it’s a rating it repeats for Customer Service, Checkout Experience and Product Variety & Range. For Value for Money and Store/Website Layout it earns quality 4-Star ratings.
Walker & Hall has eight stores in Auckland, in addition to one each in Tauranga and Wellington, plus its online store. The jeweller offers an extensive range of new and pre-loved jewellery, and sells works by NZ designers including:
As well as expert advice about the right jewellery for you needs and budget, Walker & Hall offers a wide range of services, including: private and virtual consultations, engraving, custom design, ring sizing and jewellery repairs, pearl restringing and jewellery trade-ins.
Walker & Hall also runs its own loyalty program, the Diamond Club, that offers reward points, vouchers and access to exclusive promotions.
Credit options include Q Card, Gem Visa, plus Afterpay and Laybuy.
PandoraPandora earns two 5-Star ratings, for Checkout Experience and Store/Website Layout. Plus it earns three 4-Star ratings from its customers, for Overall Satisfaction, Customer Service and its Product Variety & Range. However, it is let down by its rating for Value for Money. Its 3-Star rating in that category is the lowest achieved by any jewellery store brand in our survey.
Pandora is a global brand that has grown from a small Danish company that initially sold charm bracelets to become the world’s largest jewellery maker.
While its charm bracelets remain popular, the jewellery brand’s range has grown to cover a wide range of necklaces, rings and bracelets.
While Pandora does sell expensive gold products, the majority of the jewellery items within its range fall in the $100-$500 price bracket.
Pandora runs a member club, offering exclusive previews, offers and discounts.
PascoesOf our runner-up brands, Pascoes the Jewellers earns the most 5-Star ratings from its customers. And, importantly, it’s the only jewellery store to earn a top rating in the category of Value for Money. Scoring a 4-Star Overall Satisfaction rating, it has a further 4-Star rating for Store/Website Layout and two more 5-Star ratings, for Customer Service and Checkout Experience.
Pascoes has been part of the Kiwi high street for over 100 years, and has 40 stores nationwide, from Whangarei to Invercargill. The stores stock a wide range of jewellery, watches and engagement and wedding rings, at price points to meet all budgets.
Credit options include Afterpay, and 12-months interest free is available in-store on a Farmers Mastercard (conditions apply).
Michael HillMichael Hill earns a strong set of ratings from its customers. Notably, it’s the only jewellery store brand in our ratings, other than our winner, to not score below a 4-Star rating. It earns 5 Stars for Customer Service, and 4 Stars in every other category.
From just one store in Whangarei in the 1970s, Michael Hill has grown his jewellery business to include over 300 stores across three countries.
Michael Hills sells a range of quality jewellery and exclusive in-house collections encompassing natural and laboratory made gems.
To help you choose the right piece of jewellery, Michael Hill offers instant virtual consultations, which allow you to connect immediately with an in-store specialists via a live voice or video call, or you can book an in-store appointment or virtual consultant at a time that suits.
Michael Hill is a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council, which aims to advance responsible ethical, human rights, social and environmental practices throughout the diamond, gold and platinum jewellery supply chains. The company is also aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Michael Hill offers flexible in-store payment plans for approved customers. Other credit options include Afterpay, Gem Visa, QCard and Zip.
LovisaBudget jewellery store Lovisa stocks a wide-range of fashion jewellery, so it’s no surprise that it earns the best ratings from consumers for its Product Variety & Range (5 Stars) and Value for Money (4 Stars). In all other categories rated it earns solid 3-Star ratings.
Lovisa is a global brand that retails a wide range of cheap and affordable fashion jewellery. It also sells hair and nail accessories.
In New Zealand, all of Lovisa’s stores, apart from one in Hamilton, are located in Auckland.
Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.
GoldmarkGoldmark is a leading Australian jewellery and watch retail brand. It has two standalone stores in Auckland, at Westfield Manukau and Westfield Albany Malls, plus ten kiosks situated within Farmers stores nationwide.
SilvermoonSilvermoon is a quality Kiwi brand that has 60 years’ experience creating fine jewellery. It has 13 stores nationwide. Silvermoon sells its own unique creations, in addition to jewellery from leading designers, including: Ava Rose, Boh Runga, Evolve, Greenstone & Co, Karen Walker, Kirstin Ash, Meadowlark, Najo, Stolen Girlfriends Club, Stow Lockets and Swarovski.
There are many things to consider when choosing the best jewellery store. However, it’s essential to consider certain key factors when choosing which store is right for you.
For those consumers who contribute to our jewellery store awards and research, it’s clear that Customer Service is the most important aspect of their shopping experience. It was rated No.1 by well over a third of respondents (36%), and reflects the personalised and attentive service expected when purchasing a treasured item of jewellery.
Indeed, Customer Service is far more important than Value for Money, rated the top concern by 21%, which places only slightly higher than the Checkout Experience (19%), which also covers the finance and payment options available in-store. The Checkout Experience is an important consideration if you intend to pay for an expensive item by credit card or using a BNPL provider.
Here is the full rundown of what the consumers in our survey said were the main things they considered when rating their jewellery store brands:
This report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce has three decades’ experience as a journalist working for major media companies in the UK and Australasia, including ACP, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.
We asked those in our survey a few more questions about their choice of jeweller:
Believe that for jewellery, you pay for quality: 50%
Purchasing decisions based on cost: 50%
Research purchases online before going into a store: 44%
Own jewellery family heirlooms: 36%
Emotionally attached to jewellery: 34%
Believe jewellery purchases are an investment: 27%
Often spend more than planned: 26%
Stick to a favourite jewellery store: 25%
Prefer costume jewellery to high-end jewellery: 11%
In store: 82%
Online: 18%
Canstar Blue surveyed 2604 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers who had made a purchase from a jewellery store in the past two years. In this case, 786 New Zealanders. Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
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