For nearly a century, Zales Jewelers has been the sparkling heart of countless love stories, making it the perfect destination to find your next cherished piece. Read all about them here.
In this comprehensive review, we’ll explore:
We’ve all heard of Zales. Even if it’s been a hot minute since you last stepped foot inside the mall, there’s a strong possibility that within a few seconds of hearing the word ‘jewelry store’, the name Zales pops into your head. It’s a big brand and, as far as American jewelry stores go, it’s a pretty old brand, too. Sure, it’s best associated with the heyday of the mall, but its sheer size and longstanding reputation means that most of us haven’t forgotten about it entirely just yet.
Plus, in more recent years, Zales has expanded online, so it’s far from fading into history.
Zales was always a crowd favorite for getting jewelry at a reasonable price. A little like Pandora, the brand offered a pretty handy middle ground between downright cheap, and jewelry that was way out of budget. You could stop in there for a Valentine’s Day gift, or something for an upcoming anniversary, Mother’s Day, or holiday, and walk out feeling pretty confident that you’d made a solid choice.
Obviously, picking out an engagement ring – and feeling sure about its ability to sweep your partner off their feet – necessitates a little more than a ‘solid choice’. It’s got to be perfect, in every sense of the word, and fit your budget comfortably without being too safe.
So, is Zales the right port of call for you? Here’s what we think.
Zales was founded way back in 1924, by brothers Morris and William Zale and their business partner, Ben Lipshy, in Wichita Falls, Texas. At the time, one of the most significant draws for Zales was the decision to introduce a credit policy to shoppers. By making an initial deposit of just a penny, and agreeing a monthly repayment fee of a dollar, shoppers who would have been unable to afford the pieces sold at Zales could take advantage of a whole new opportunity – one that proved far more affordable.
Zales grew across Texas and Oklahoma throughout the thirties and forties and, in the fifties, opened its first mall location. The history of the brand offers a fascinating glimpse into the remarkable changes that were occurring in America’s retail sector throughout the twentieth century, as disposable income became far more prevalent – and, accordingly, the opportunities to spend it.
Zales has been involved in a number of mergers and acquisitions – most notably, when it was purchased by Signet Jewelers – the largest jewelry retailer in the world – in the winter of 2014. If the name sounds familiar, that’s probably down to the fact that Signet Jewelers also operates Kay Jewelers and Jared Jewelers. In other words, it’s the brains behind some of the country’s biggest jewelry brands, with hundreds of locations spread across almost every major city and town.
To this day, Zales remain a popular choice for those looking to find good jewelry that won’t run up a massive credit card debt. Their selection varies from fashion jewelry – for instance, Zales stocks collections like Enchanted by Disney – to more upmarket pieces from designers like Vera Wang
Of course, the brand also stocks a large number of engagement rings – both from their own collection and from third-party designers.
Zales is a big store with a lot of locations across the country – more than 780, and that’s not including their outlet stores, which would push the total up to more than 900 – and, as you can imagine, that does lead to a pretty generic vibe across their stores. It’s not totally unintentional, since a brand with the size and reputation of Zales has to have worked on some rigid standards for the layout, décor, customer service and all-around experience a shopper will find.
That’s what most of us like about chains, whether we’re talking restaurants or retail chains: they’re consistent and, whether you’re shopping from your hometown or running in for emergency supplies on vacation, you pretty much know exactly what you’re going to find when you pass the threshold.
This is where stores like Zales thrive.
Yes, the stores are generic. They tend to capture that vibe and style of décor that goes hand in hand with the mall: safe, neutral, and halfway between ‘special’ and ‘ordinary’. That’s not a criticism – it simply comes with the territory for a store that sets the tone for mall-based jewelers everywhere.
First off, the selection. As you would expect, a big brand like Zales has got something for everyone, from glitzy double halos and high CTW clusters to the more traditional solitaires. From the selection we saw, the majority were pretty heavy on the accent stones, and there weren’t all that many unique or contemporary styles to look at – a fact which can make the selection feel a little dated, in light of current trends in favor of shape and classic minimalism.
Nevertheless, there’s something for everybody, and halos aren’t going to go out of style completely any time soon.
As we mentioned earlier on, Zales stocks a number of collections. Vera Wang’s Love collection, which we’ve reviewed here, likely represents a big draw for the company, although we’re not totally sold on Vera Wang’s ring designs. While Zales do offer a custom Vera Wang service, the options struck us as pretty pedestrian (for such a revolutionary bridalwear designer, anyway), and we can’t see any benefit to paying a premium for this brand.
Zales’ own collections offer a pretty solid choice but, again, a large number of their rings are set with diamonds that are not certified by the GIA, or dragged down by a poor grade for clarity. If you head into their store and ask to see nothing but their GIA diamonds, you are likely to find that your options narrow down drastically and that what initially seemed like a great selection is actually pretty restrictive.
First things first, Zales do stock a wide variety of GIA graded diamonds. However, they also stock a number of diamonds that are either certified by the IGI – a lab that is far less reliable, and far less consistent than the GIA – or not certified at all. Zales own diamond collection, Love’s Destiny, is marked as ‘certified’ but no details of the lab, or of an accompanying diamond report, are given.
A lab like the IGI is a poor substitute for GIA or AGS. They grade a lot of diamonds a lot faster than the GIA, making them a convenient choice for big chain stores like Zales. That, coupled with the fact that they’re not only cheaper but also tend to grade diamonds higher than more stringent labs, means that the vendors can get a higher return on their stock than they would have if the GIA had given a more accurate grade.
What is worrying is the fact that so many of the IGI diamonds (and diamonds certified by an unknown entity) have poor clarity in common. Many of the diamonds we saw were I1 or I2 in clarity – and, according to their website, all of the Love’s Destiny diamonds were I1. If you consider the fact that the GIA often grades one or two grades lower than a lab like the IGI, it’s pretty worrying to consider how low quality these diamonds must be.
It’s not ideal, since plenty of shoppers will head into Zales, not understanding the importance of GIA certification, and trusting that what’s in the case in front of them is of a good enough quality.
Very few stores we’ve reviewed offered prices as far-ranging as Zales. Some of the engagement rings we viewed fell below the $500 mark (reduced from $800). As can only be expected, these rings certainly reflected their price and featured a lot of beading and thick metalwork to compensate for smaller diamonds.
The most expensive ring we encountered had been reduced from over $60,000 and, shockingly, we couldn’t find any mention of who certified the diamond. While Zales is likely using cheaper labs or in-house grading to save costs on its smaller diamonds, it’s very surprising that they refrain from providing that vital (or, more accurately, pivotal) piece of information to shoppers with tens of thousands of dollars.
Then again, whether your budget is $5,000 or $50,000, knowing who certified your diamond is of the same level of importance.
It’s tough to judge Zales’ pricing accurately since it’s impossible to do a like-for-like comparison between a GIA diamond and an IGI diamond – and particularly between a GIA diamond, an IGI diamond, and an uncertified diamond. Naturally, this leads to a certain amount of variance in pricing for rings that, on the surface, look relatively similar, and we can imagine this being a little confusing to a shopper with no detailed knowledge of diamond certification or value.
When it came to their GIA graded diamond rings, prices seemed to reflect quality and carat weight pretty closely. Unfortunately, their website shows a pretty limited selection of GIA diamonds, so we can’t speak for the choice you’ll find in your local store.
Zales are pretty well known for running plenty of promotional events throughout the year. At the time of writing, a number of pieces were marked down in the approach to Valentine’s Day, but none of the options we saw seemed worth investigating further, simply because they weren’t listed as being GIA certified.
Zales’ aftercare policies are pretty strong. They offer the usual, in-store services like free cleanings and inspections at any Zales store, but also lifetime Diamond Breakdown Coverage included with the cost of the ring, meaning you can have your diamond replaced if the setting ever fails, or the diamond becomes chipped.
We typically recommend you take your ring in for an inspection and clean once every six months, and that’s a lot easier if you can head into your local Zales whenever you’re already out running errands.
They also offer trade-in value for bridal sets and solitaires. Since lab grown diamonds do not retain value like natural diamonds, this service is only extended to buyers of natural diamond rings.
Zales does offer a from-scratch personalization option for shoppers. These custom design services are a nice touch, and give you the opportunity to see the wing carved in wax before it is made in order to ensure the perfect fit and silhouette.
The biggest downside? Once again, it’s the diamond selection on offer to shoppers. From low clarity to IGI certification, you’re really assigning yourself a difficult task – and it’s unlikely that the savings will be worth it.
While Zales represents one of the biggest and most prevalent jewelry stores in the country, it doesn’t rank anywhere near the top of our list of recommendations. Then again, it’s nowhere near the bottom, either. We’ve got some positives to say, but it’s not a long list.
For a brand that has named itself the store for diamonds, we were left pretty disappointed by the selection. Before we whittled it down to their GIA certified diamonds, we found a lot of questionable options that were severely lacking in terms of clarity – although, in some strange trade-off, many had color grades near the very top of the scale.
It’s a shame that a retailer as big and reputable as Zales relies so heavily on a lab like the IGI, since doing so really offers no advantages to their customers – and, in many ways, can pose some serious disadvantages. Sure, these diamonds are often a little cheaper, but they can also easily be worth less than their lab reports would suggest.
When embarking on the journey to purchase a Zales engagement ring, being well-informed and attentive can significantly enhance your shopping experience and ensure you make a choice that brings joy for years to come. Here are essential tips to keep in mind:
By keeping these tips in mind, you can navigate the selection of Zales engagement rings with confidence, ensuring you make a choice that’s both beautiful and informed.
By familiarizing yourself with these FAQs, you can ensure a smoother and more informed engagement ring shopping experience at Zales.
____
Zales Jewelers – Dover Mall Dover DE |
Zales Jewelers – Christiana Mall Newark DE |
Zales Jewelers – Concord Mall Wilmington DE |
Zales Jewelers – Bangor Mall Bangor ME
Zales Jewelers – Kirkwood Mall Bismarck ND |
Zales Jewelers – West Acres Shopping Center Fargo ND |
Zales Jewelers – 502dakota Square Mall Minot ND |
Zales Jewelers – Gateway Mall Lincoln NE |
Zales Jewelers – South Roads Mall Bellevue NE |
Zales Jewelers – Westroads Mall Omaha NE |
Zales Jewelers – Oak View Mall Omaha NE |
Zales Jewelers – Meadows Mall Las Vegas NV |
Zales Jewelers – Meadowood Mall B103 Reno NV |
Zales Jewelers – Downtown Summerlin Las Vegas NV |
Zales Jewelers – Galleria at Sunset Henderson NV |
Zales Jewelers – 39 Watertown Mall Watertown SD |
Zales Jewelers – 4001 W 41st St Sioux Falls SD |
Zales Jewelers – Rushmore Mall Rapid City SD |