Is jewelry cheaper in Hawaii?

Visitors often ask whether a ring costs less here than at home. The honest answer has two parts: the tax, which is easy to compare, and the piece itself, which is the part that matters.

The tax you pay on Maui

Hawaii has no sales tax. It has a general excise tax, or GET, which is a tax on the business. Most stores pass it on to the customer, and the receipt shows it as a separate line.

State rate

4% on retail sales.

Maui County

Adds 0.5%, from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2030. That makes 4.5% on Maui.

On the receipt

A Maui store may pass on up to 4.712%. The figure is a little higher than 4.5% because the tax is charged on the total, including the tax passed on.

Compared with home

Most visitors pay more sales tax at home. These are the average combined state and local sales tax rates from the Tax Foundation's midyear 2026 report.

On a ring, the difference is real, but it is a few percent of the price. The piece you choose moves the price far more.

If the piece is shipped to you

If we ship a piece to your home in another state, ask us how tax applies to that sale. Your home state may also expect use tax on things bought out of state; California, for example, asks residents to pay use tax when an out-of-state seller has not charged California tax.

Visitors from abroad

Countries set a duty-free allowance for goods their residents bring home, and jewelry counts toward it. Check your country's customs rules before you travel home, and keep your receipt with you. A flight from Hawaii to the US mainland is domestic, so there is no customs on that leg.

What really sets the price

1. The metal18K gold is 75% gold and 14K is about 58.5%, so the same ring holds more gold in 18K. Jewelry sold simply as platinum is at least 95% platinum.
2. The gold priceThe benchmark gold price is set twice every London business day, so the value of the metal moves all the time.
3. The stonesFor a diamond, the 4Cs: color, clarity, cut and carat. A small change in one grade can change the price more than a change in tax.
4. The design and the workA plain band and a ring set with dozens of small diamonds are different amounts of work.

How to compare fairly

Compare like with like: the same metal and karat, the same stone and the same grades. Our product pages give the metal, the stones and, where we have them, the grades, so you can set a piece against one you have seen at home.

• 1.10 ct Round Diamond Halo Engagement Ring in 14K White Gold
• 9.04 ct Classic Round Diamond Tennis Bracelet in 14K White Gold
• 0.29 ct Diamond Plumeria Pendant in 14K Yellow Gold

See everything in the case

Sources

• Hawaii Department of Taxation: general excise tax and county surcharge
• Tax Foundation: state and local sales tax rates, midyear 2026
• California Department of Tax and Fee Administration: use tax
• World Gold Council: gold jewelry and LBMA gold price
• FTC: buying platinum, gold and silver jewelry