# Is Zale's Jewelry overpriced?



## MOXJO7282 (Aug 20, 2017)

So my wife lost her wedding rings a few years ago. It's our 25th wedding anniversary this week so as my girls were shopping at the Tanger Mall in HHI I went to Zale's and saw a 2 carat ring that was 70% off. I thought it was beautiful but before I buy anything I'm trying to benchmark Zale's pricing because I'm sure I can find the same elsewhere if I try* so just wondering if anyone knows how Zale's is generally priced compared to other jewelers. *


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## mbinpa (Aug 20, 2017)

I can't speak for diamonds but I have found that anything with a particular brand and model for reference can be had online (Amazon, etc.) for far less then Zales.


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## MOXJO7282 (Aug 20, 2017)

I think I answered my own question because from the web it seems there is a consistently bad rating on Zales  and mall jewelers in all the reports and reviews.


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## LisaH (Aug 20, 2017)

After 25 years of marriage, she deserves a ring from Tiffany!


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## Passepartout (Aug 20, 2017)

Retail jewelry has some of the highest markups in retail. In your case, they say 70% off. Off WHAT? Their own retail price that they can set at anything. If it were me, I'd find a local Certified Gemologist, and let them know what you want, and see what bare stones they can get, then choose a setting, either out of a catalog, or one you and your wife design yourselves, and have it made. No one will have one like it, and you will have the satisfaction that you got EXACTLY what you want at a fair price.

DW and I, when we decided to marry, both had some old gold, and one of us had a particularly nice solitaire stone. We had a jewelry maker find a matching (or nearly) stone, then he made matching rings for us. Not too masculine, not too feminine. We get LOTS of comments on our rings. The best part- we didn't pay anywhere close to what a retail corporate jeweler would have charged for copycat rings with stones of unknown quality or provenance.

Jim


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## breezez (Aug 20, 2017)

Zales jewelry or a mall stores are extremely overpriced, that is why they are always 50-70% sales.    Even after these ridiculous sales you will be over paying for inferior quality gems.

Look at places like international diamond exchange for a better price and quality of jewelry.


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## bbodb1 (Aug 20, 2017)

LisaH said:


> After 25 years of merriage, she deserves a ring from Tiffany!


...and what does HE deserve?


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 20, 2017)

Sharing in her happiness and another 25 years of wedded bliss.

Remember the old saying,

*HAPPY WIFE is a HAPPY LIFE.*


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## bbodb1 (Aug 20, 2017)

Have a lovely day, Lisa and Linda!


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## presley (Aug 20, 2017)

Be sure to shop around. Almost all jewelry stores are overpriced with sales going constantly. There are a small number who just sell at their price and have no sales. Ben Bridge is a store like that, but not sure how many locations they have. If you have a local small shop jeweler, you will probably find a better price and be able to have something custom made. 

I recommend buying locally because if a stone gets loose or a prong breaks off, it's easy to go in and have it fixed. Plus, there's benefits to a long term relationship with any retailer.


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## remowidget (Aug 20, 2017)

LisaH said:


> After 25 years of marriage, she deserves a ring from Tiffany!


Have you been into Tiffannys and looked at the prices. Zales is low Mark up in comparison.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk


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## VacationForever (Aug 20, 2017)

As we all know, pricing of diamond has to do with the 4Cs.  The main thing is look at the certificate of the diamond to see what it says.  Price of diamond varies alot depending on the 4Cs, carat only being one of the 4Cs.  You may be able to search wholesale prices on the something similar to the one that you are contemplating to buy to see if the price at Zales or whatever jeweler is reasonable.

We like Simon G ring designs, several jewelers sell them.  We looked at the catalog online and picked a design that we liked, looked for an authorized jeweler, decided on the size and quality of the diamonds (with certificate).  It was ready in a couple of months.

Shopping for ring is fun.  Paying for it is less fun.


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## remowidget (Aug 20, 2017)

Go to Costco or Costco.com if you are looking for good value on good quality.

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## IngridN (Aug 20, 2017)

Before buying a diamond that size, if you're not familiar with the 4 Cs, cut (ideal, good, etc), effluence, etc., I would strongly recommend some study so that you can compare apples to apples. We have a local store that advertises 1 carat diamonds for $1,999...wouldn't touch that stone with a ten foot pole. 

Costco stores as well as online has some well priced rings. Also check out Blue Nile's (https://www.bluenile.com/education/diamonds?gclid=CJPavLef5tUCFYmBfgodizwHFg&click_id=831717407) site. Those two sites, as well as others, will give you a good idea of pricing. Also, if you're looking at GIA ratings vs. the others (http://guide.diamondpriceguru.com/d...s-egl-and-other-diamond-grading-certificates/) , know that the rating standards differ. When comparing color, for example, EGL I think is the big other one used widely in the US, H color is really an I or most likely a J making the diamond less valuable than the same rating by GIA.

It was fun brushing up for me as I was looking to upgrade my stone last year. Am still on the fence about the upgrade...maybe for my 25th! Happy shopping! Oh, I agree with the suggestion of buying stone and setting separately.

Ingrid


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## jme (Aug 20, 2017)

Joe,
I know what you're thinking.
Please don't be in a hurry while you're on vacation, though, and make an impulsive decision on something so important that you'll regret later.
It's worth waiting until you KNOW what you're looking at....and *price* is NOT the criterium you need to consider most!
The QUALITY of the stone is not only important, it's everything.

I wouldn't trust Zales at HH's Tanger Outlet Mall, that's for sure.
What does 70% off tell you up front? (and they would still be making a profit!)

Or any other Zales. They rent space in malls---that alone should be a red flag.
Their practices are not necessarily in YOUR best interest, only in theirs. When you walk out, they don't care, and that goes for 90% of chain retail jewelry stores. Six months prior their employees could have been flipping burgers.

You need to visit a reputable, "been-in-business-a-long-time" independent jeweler who is a member of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). You need to sit down and allow them to show you visually in a microscope the differences in the various diamonds they have. You will be SHOCKED at the difference between a fantastic diamond and a mediocre-to-poor quality diamond. You will see what an "inclusion" looks like, and what a discolored one looks like, and it's ugly!  And when you remove them from under the scope, you literally can't tell---that's what's so scary!!!! To the naked eye, they all look great. But what you see under the scope might curl your hair compared to a really good diamond which SHOULD make you smile.
MOST MALL JEWELERS DON'T EVEN OFFER A MICROSCOPE BECAUSE THEY DON'T OWN ONE, FOR A REASON.

And if you end up buying from an unscrupulous franchise jeweler prior to learning about diamonds, you will NOT like what your wife learns and hears when she does visit a good jeweler, shows him her new ring, and he tells her in honesty that her diamond is lousy, and allows her to view it under the scope! She may never say anything, but it could be very hurtful.

Here on TUG we advise people to slow down and learn things FIRST before they commit to something they'll regret (money, value, etc), so it's no different when you're looking at a "really special" diamond for your wife.
She picked YOU, didn't she?   So you know she also wants the perfect diamond, no?

Joe, truly wish you could take the 2.5 hour drive and run by Augusta on your way home!!!! You would thank me later.
We have something here that is superlative, and that is highly worthy of your trust.

Across the street from the Augusta National Golf Club is one of the most reputable jewelers anywhere in the country, Windsor Jewelers. They have a humungous inventory at all times because of their reputation, and they sell more high-end jewelry, watches, etc than anyone around because their prices are very reasonable. The store has two stories. They've been around for over 4 decades. They have the best stuff, they will show everything to you under the scope and show you why it's good quality, and they will give you a fantastic price that you can trust. I think they keep over 4000 engagement rings on hand, and have several hundred loose diamonds to view.

https://www.windsorfinejewelers.com/

This company is owned by one man, but he has a dozen professionals who work there who have been in the business for a long time. I've known one jeweler all my life who works there ---grew up with him, and his family was in the business three generations with their own store. They were also very reputable and had only fine things. He decided to go to work for this company because ultimately he couldn't compete with the prices. He is highly knowledgeable, and back when I was looking for an engagement ring for my wife, we spent hours and hours looking at various grades of diamonds together under the microscope while he explained everything I was seeing. After sitting down and learning from him I began to know what I wanted and why, BEFORE I made the purchase. His name is Bernard Doris, and his photo can be seen on their website under the heading "Diamonds". He's a consummate expert. He is only one of many at Windsor who have huge customer followings. Trust is everything and they have tons of repeat business. Everyone knows that for the quality, the prices simply cannot be beat. They're not located on 5th Ave, NY, so being in a moderate sized town like Augusta, they must be reasonable in their price points.

Everyone here is thrilled when they get a gift in that special "green Windsor box" because it's symbolic of quality.  The green box is their trademark, and it's definitely special to receive.

Learn a few simple basics about diamonds--- read these short articles :
https://www.gia.edu/diamond-quality-factor
https://www.gemsociety.org/article/choosing-a-diamond/

Come on over to Augusta----you can stay here with us a night or two if you like.
Whatever you might see at Zales, Windsor will blow out of the water.

Good luck.

*Estate Jewelry:* "could be" a great find, but you still don't know what you have in quality until you take that unpurchased piece to a professional for appraisal.
*
Costco update:*
https://www.diamonds.pro/reviews/costco/

http://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=59239&ArticleTitle=Judge+Tells+Costco+to+Pay+Tiffany+$19M




.


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## pedro47 (Aug 20, 2017)

Please shop around example at Costco and maybe at a high end estate sale.


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 20, 2017)

Joe,

Get an outstanding rock ... even if you have to sell a Marriott week or three . Your wife is worth it after 25 years and being the mother of your children.

And for the NEXT 25 years of your life together.... your HAPPY FUTURE YEARS.


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## Trudyt623 (Aug 20, 2017)

I am also researching diamonds rings for my husband to give me for our 26th anniversary next month (wink, wink) and Costco diamonds are as highly rated as Tiffany's and the price is much less.  Costco is the way to go.

Trudy


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## jme (Aug 21, 2017)

*Costco update:*
https://www.diamonds.pro/reviews/costco/

http://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=59239&ArticleTitle=Judge+Tells+Costco+to+Pay+Tiffany+$19M


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## pagosajim (Aug 21, 2017)

IngridN said:


> Before buying a diamond that size, if you're not familiar with the 4 Cs, cut (ideal, good, etc), effluence, etc., I would strongly recommend some study so that you can compare apples to apples. We have a local store that advertises 1 carat diamonds for $1,999...wouldn't touch that stone with a ten foot pole.
> 
> Costco stores as well as online has some well priced rings. Also check out Blue Nile's (https://www.bluenile.com/education/diamonds?gclid=CJPavLef5tUCFYmBfgodizwHFg&click_id=831717407) site. Those two sites, as well as others, will give you a good idea of pricing. Also, if you're looking at GIA ratings vs. the others (http://guide.diamondpriceguru.com/d...s-egl-and-other-diamond-grading-certificates/) , know that the rating standards differ. When comparing color, for example, EGL I think is the big other one used widely in the US, H color is really an I or most likely a J making the diamond less valuable than the same rating by GIA.
> 
> ...



I'll second the online suggestion, and specifically recommend James Allen (jamesallen.com) based on a purchase made last year.  I put a fair amount of work into finding the best quality diamond at the best price.  JA has lots of tools for analysis and very helpful staff in guiding you in your selection.  Ended up with a 1.6 carat solitaire with near perfect cut and color/clarity at very high levels.  Price was under $12k all in (that's with a $1k band that had another .3 carats).  Suffice it to say "she loved it"!

IMHO, Costco provides a decent product at a decent price, but you can do better.


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## MOXJO7282 (Aug 22, 2017)

Thanks everyone for the great input. I realized after speaking with my daughter that I need to seek my wife's style input so I let the cat out of the bag and told her I wanted to finally replace her ring. She said first we need to turn the house inside out because it is in the house somewhere we're almost certain of that and then if we still can't find we'll file a insurance claim as we had it scheduled and then find something that she will love. Back in NY I do have jewerly contact and will see what they can get me that is good quality. Since I'm a true believer in Costco I'll explore what they have to offer and see who is best. I'm inclined to go with small guy if I can.


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