Zales Jewelry

One of the nation’s leaders in fine diamond and gemstone jewelry, Zales Jewelry offers a wide range of stylish pieces in both traditional and contemporary designs as well as numerous services for every customer’s piece of mind.

Zales Jewelry History

One of the most well-known names in retail jewelry, the company began as a small but quality-driven store in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1924. Founded by brothers Morris and William Zale along with Ben Lipshy, the store focused on providing exquisite merchandise in an affordable manner by allowing customers to buy engagement rings and other jewelry on a payment plan. By 1941, the company’s superior customer service and friendly atmosphere led it to expand to a dozen stores in Texas and Oklahoma.

During World War II, the company refocused its energy on additional growth opportunities, eventually acquiring additional jewelry franchise names and creating a powerful corporation that would continue to dominate the industry. In 1957 the first shopping center location opened, and today the stores are familiar sights in malls across the country. In 1998, the outlet stores were launched, offering fine jewelry at an even lower cost due to overstocked and discontinued styles.

Today, Zales Jewelry along with its range of affiliates is a corporation worth more than $2 billion with more than 2,300 associated locations across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This makes the company North America’s largest jewelry retailer, and the location where many couples can find their perfect engagement ring, anniversary ring, eternity rings, or wedding ring sets.

Today’s Jewelry

Not only does Zales offer fine diamond jewelry, bridal sets, and wedding pieces, but each store has a range of other sparkling treasures. Birthstones are popular seasonal items, and each store also carries a variety of designer watches. Specialty pieces include three stone rings, diamond earrings, multi-tone jewelry, right hand rings, and a variety of distinctive and unusual gems such as aquamarine and mystic topaz. A wide selection of gold jewelry is also available, including bracelets, necklaces, and pendants.

Engagement Rings

From classic solitaires to unusual settings and matching bridal sets, a couple can easily find the ring to suit their individual tastes at Zales. Diamond enhancers are available to augment rings, as well as diamond bands and gold wedding bands. Platinum, white gold, and titanium engagement rings are also available. The majority of engagement rings are either round, marquise, princess, or emerald shapes, though more unique shapes can also be found. Sizes generally range from one-fifth to two carats, though more unusual rings are offered occasionally.

The Shopping Experience

Zales boutique.

Throughout the years, Zales Jewelry stores have maintained their friendly, customer-oriented approach. When you enter a store, expect to be greeted with a smile, and knowledgeable salespeople will be happy to assist you in finding the perfect piece of jewelry. If you just want to browse, they will be happy to let you peruse the selection without undue pressure or coercion, and they are able to answer any questions about pieces on display or those that may be currently backordered or coming soon.

Online Shopping

The official website (www.zales.com) is a convenient shopping alternative to visiting a mall or downtown store. Easy navigation and organization helps users find their purchases quickly, and they can choose to shop by product, material, price, type of stone, occasion, or general gift idea. The website also offers a design section for the ultimate in personalized jewelry, as well as a “Jewelry 101” informational guide.

Services

The most popular service offered is the Lifetime Diamond Commitment, available on any covered diamond jewelry. If the stone is damaged or lost, so long as the customer has kept the Commitment valid, the store will replace the diamond at no charge. To keep the service updated, customers must have the jewelry cleaned and inspected every six months – a card is provided to keep an official record of this service. Both the cleaning and inspection are free of charge, and can be performed even if the agreement has lapsed (though it cannot be reinstituted). Other services include:

• Guaranteed trade-in value with a valid sales receipt for bridal sets and solitaires, including earrings and pendants, toward the purchase of a new item at least twice the cost of the exchanged item.
• 30-day refunds on items for any reason, with a 30-day extension after holidays to cover items given as gifts.
• Mounting of loose diamonds in new settings.
• Professional repairs and resizings.

Zales Jewelry Affiliates

In addition to the familiar jewelry stores and outlets, the Zale Corporation also consists of Gordon’s Jewelers, Bailey Banks and Biddle, Peoples Jewellers, and Piercing Pagoda. Regardless of what type of jewelry you are interested in, you are sure to find high quality merchandise at a reasonable price at any of Zales affiliates, with friendly service to help you choose the piece to match your personality, budget, and style preferences.