Chow Tai Fook Jewelry – A Review

Our Rating 4 out of 5.

Compare Chow Tai Fook Jewelry with James Allen.

Chow Tai Fook can boast its place as the largest retailer in Asia and possibly among the largest in the world. It is difficult to travel around Hong Kong without seeing a Chow Tai Fook store. Each of their stores is stocked with a vast collection of diamond engagement rings.

The stores themselves are not overwhelmingly luxurious, although they are pleasant. The diamond quality is way above average, with some brilliant diamonds on offer.

However, as with other physical jewelry retailers, the prices of the diamonds are high compared to online sites such as James Allen or Blue Nile.

A Brief History

Chow Tai Fook was founded in 1929 in Guangzhou, China. Since then, the company has changed location several times, moving to Macau in the 1930s and then to Hong Kong.

The business boomed, and being primarily a jewelry store, it branched out into real estate development, telecommunications, and transportation. It is now a public company traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Being one of the largest jewelry retailers in the world, Chow Tai Fook has over 1000 stores in mainland China and more in Hong Kong. The company also holds the record for the biggest diamond purchase ever—a 255.61-carat diamond sold at $10 million.

What Chow Tai Fook Offer

The stores of Chow Tai Fook are pleasant. Those in more upmarket locations are slightly more luxurious than ones found along Nathan Road and Central, but all are decent. The sales assistants in-store are friendly and have a fair amount of knowledge regarding diamonds, though they do tend to try and upsell, which can be distracting at times.

The diamonds sold at Chow Tai Fook are beautiful and above average compared to other physical retail stores. This is uncommon for such a large jewelry retailer since many cut corners and stock subpar diamonds.

Overall, both the experience and products offered by Chow Tai Fook are good and result in a pleasant visit.

What Makes Chow Tai Fook Stand Out?

Certification: A massive bonus at Chow Tai Fook is they sell diamonds with GIA or AGS certification, which is not the norm with other jewelry stores in Hong Kong. Having one of these certifications adds value to the ring since both are trusted as great grading authorities.

Hearts On Fire: Chow Tai Fook stores Hearts on Fire diamonds that have an overwhelming brilliance. Though coming at a higher premium, these diamonds are a step above the rest when considering radiance, brilliance, and cut.

Accessibility: More than a thousand Chow Tai Fook stores scatter around Asia, granting access to the stores and allowing customers to have easy access to view rings with little traveling needed.

Chow Tai Fook Pricing

Unfortunately, like other physical retailers, Chow Tai Fook has many more overheads to cover. In their case, this is made worse given that they have various locations. Running a physical retail store, especially at this level, costs much more than running a single online site.

This increase in overheads trickles down to high prices on diamonds and engagement rings, which brings the company down a bit because it affects the value of their beautiful diamonds.

When comparing a diamond from Chow Tai Fook to a similar one found at James Allen, you may see a price increase of 35%. Though this might not seem too bad if you are offered a luxurious experience, unfortunately, Chow Tai Fook does not do this well.

Custom Orders

Chow Tai Fook allows custom orders to be created and has a page dedicated to this on the website. There is an option between wedding and corporate customizations, though the wedding plan is most suited to a personalized engagement ring.

Working with designers and craftsmen, customers can complete unique and special diamond engagement rings.

Website Ease of Use

The Chow Tai Fook website is modern and displayed nicely with colorful pictures and beautiful imagery of jewelry. The website is easy to navigate through and has a dedicated section for ideas related to weddings. This allows customers to source everything they might need for their wedding in one place.

There are stunning images available for the different rings on sale, each shown with a decent amount of information and a short description.

Brides or those looking to purchase a diamond engagement ring can find a section dedicated to them, allowing them to skip unnecessary items/pieces and focus on what they need.

Apart from dedicated pages for weddings, the company also specializes in other niche markets, such as cartoons and superhero jewelry, which is always fun to look at.

Customer Service

Customer service at Chow Tai Fook is good, and sales assistants go out of their way to assist customers in-store, helping them choose the perfect piece. It is extended online and through other programs offered.

Chow Tai Fook Membership: Customers can join the Chow Tai Fook Membership program that gives them a unique shopping experience with each visit. It comes with rewards and special events, as well as discounts of up to 15%.

Returns: Customers can return their pieces within a stipulated amount of time for a refund, exchange, or store credit.

Chow Tai Fook Financing Options

Chow Tai Fook has a designated membership club for grooms and brides-to-be. Within these memberships, they will receive great exclusive offers and discounts and will be allowed to pay off their purchases over 12 months. Along with the discounts offered with the membership, it is a great way to save some money.

Why You Should Choose Chow Tai Fook

• Good quality diamonds and settings
• Diamonds are sold with GIA and AGS certifications
• Friendly service in-store
• Many stores located in Hong Kong for easy access

Chow Tai Fook – High Prices and Good Diamonds

The diamonds and settings sold at Chow Tai Fook are nice but hold unjustified price tags. In some circumstances, you can understand paying a higher premium for an unforgettable experience. But while the Chow Tai Fook stores are friendly to visit, they are not worthy of such high prices.

To save some money while still purchasing an incredible engagement ring, shop online at James Allen or Blue Nile who have stunning rings at great prices.

Here is the Official Website:  https://www.chowtaifook.com/en/