That special day is coming up - Valentine's Day - and that means lots of wonderful jewelry gifts will be purchased over the next week or so. If you are looking for bargains and don't mind shopping at one of the not-so-fashionable discount stores like Sam's or Costco, then you may be able to save a bundle on your next big jewelry purchase:

From the DesMoinesRegister.com: "Unlike the other bulk items you'd buy at costco, the jewelry prices aren't a result of purchasing mass quantities of gemstones.

Mike Minter, general manager for the West Des Moines Costco, said the store's markup on jewelry is significantly less than that in a local jewelry store. [...]

Sam's Club [...] follows a similar practice. The chain's jewelry division vice president, Dee Breazeale of Bentonville, Ark., said buying power comes into play on their finer jewelry pieces. Their prices, too, are significantly lower than an average jewelry store.

"We call ourselves a Tiffany's on concrete," Breazeale said. "We carry extremely high-quality merchandise, but at extremely low prices."

Like Costco, Sam's Club sets stringent quality requirements. Sam's Club carries no piece less than 14 karat gold and diamond clarity is internally flawless. Sam's carries only natural gemstones, meaning you'll find no lab-created gems."

This pendant is from the Sam's Club website. It's a ½ ct. tw. 14kt pink gold pendant, selling for $335.28




If you are looking for something more upscale, here's a 5 ct. tw. diamond bracelet for $3,394.