Real or fake? One of the most important questions that we often find ourselves asking before purchasing any jewelry item is whether they are authentic or just plated pieces. Sometimes you can make a purposeful decision to purchase fake jewelry pieces while other times you may be the victim of a scam. Questioning the authenticity of your jewelry is also quite important because it determines whether you can wear them regularly or if they will cause you any skin allergies in the long run.
That said, you may have come across Zales jewelry, which is quite popular in the jewelry world. If you have noticed they have a collection of delightful jewelry pieces that may be a great addition to your collection. Considering its popularity, continuous sales, and guaranteed consumer base, you may begin to question whether Zales jewelry is real or fake.
To answer your question, we will explore the history of Zales jewelry and look further into its pros and cons. Without further ado, let us get started!
Is Zales Jewelry Real? Is Zales Gold real?
Generally, jewelry is defined as an ornamental piece whether necklaces, rings, earrings, or bracelets, that are made of materials that are either precious or aren’t precious such as plastic, gold, glass, or silver. The whole idea is that these ornaments are have been set with either authentic or imitation gems, and anyone can wear them for personal adornment.
Based on this explanation, the real question becomes whether the Zales jewelry collection features any real gold items. Well, a portion of Zales jewelry items are crafted from real gold, and they have a few authentic jewels in their structure. Despite this, you should be careful during purchase because most of their jewelry is gold-toned. That said, we can establish that they have a golden color, but not all of them are real gold pieces.
With that in mind, we can deduce that a lot of the pieces from Zales jewelry are ‘gold-plated’ and not solid/real gold. This indicates that their jewelry is made of either an alloy of non-gold metals or another metal. Also, some pieces have fake diamonds, while some are covered with a thin gold layer to mimic the real thing.
On the other hand, some items are gold-filled. Similar to gold0plated items, they are crafted from non-gold metals or an alloy of gold. The main difference is that they are electroplated with gold instead, so the layer may last longer than you would expect.
About Zales Jewelry
Zales jewelry is one of the most popular and longest established jewelry retailers in the United States.
It was established to accommodate anyone who has a tight budget and isn’t looking for a top-quality diamond and prefers the convenience of purchasing jewelry items from a chain store.
It features a wide collection of simplistic jewelry pieces that have been designed to enhance the beauty of all their customers.
It is categorized as Simply Real beauty and simply real value. Whether you are looking for a classic look or simplistic jewelry pieces at a great value, then this may be an ideal brand for you.
The Company History
Zales jewelry uses the rack-them-and-stack-them approach to business. They are identified as the pioneers of this business model in the US jewelry market. They were the first jewelry chain to open indoor shops in a mall.
In 1924, two brothers, Willian and Morris Zale opened the first-ever Zales store in Texas, in a town known as Wichita. They launched a credit plan where the average American customer could afford any appliances, jewelry items, and jewelry electronics that they sold in their store. This approach to business set the standard to which items sold at Zales stores would be.
When they slowly began creating a customer chain, they thought of opening another store. In 1957, they opened a Zales store inside a shopping mall. Their intention at the time was to sell as much jewelry as they can as they could for the lowest price. They felt that the mall was a great place to start considering the massive foot-traffic that every mall had. As they did this, they popularized mass marketing of jewelry within the United States, and other jewelers began to follow suit.
Ever since the Zales Company started, they always looked for ways to ensure that smart marketing and advertising appealed to diverse consumers and used the same model to create a clientele for any other store that they would open in the future. Every branch of the Zales tree has a different focus. The Piercing Pagoda branch is more of a low market jewelry kiosk, whereas Zales, the main branch, focuses on diamond sales and diamond engagement rings. Despite the fact that they mainly sell diamonds, they do not offer any loose diamonds. You can only find pre-set engagement rings in their stores.
You have the option to shop for your favorite diamond rings by shape, metal type, and setting type, but you will never find an option to filter the rings in their collection by the diamond quality.
Is Zales Jewelry Good Quality?
Unfortunately, Zales jewelry items, whether gold, silver, or diamonds, are of a lower quality than those certified by the GIA.
Also, they capitalize on the Popularity of their name and the naivety of their clientele. Before most vendors started selling diamonds online, there were limited options when it came to choosing the best diamonds for your jewelry items.
At the same time, there was very little information, so you wouldn’t carry out much research before your purchase.
You would enter a Zales store, and the salesperson would give you information about the diamond you would want to buy.
The majority of the time, the salesperson would not give you accurate information about the diamond, simply because he or she wants to make a quick sale.
So most of the time, after getting your Zales ring, necklace, or earrings, you will notice that it begins to fade after some time or the diamond is slightly questionable.
Are Zales jewelry overpriced?
If anything, Zales jewelry is quite cheap. Zales claims to charge a lot less than any of its competitors. In as much so, the quality of their jewelry items has been called into question over and over.
Pros and Cons of Zales Jewelry
Pros
- Most Zales jewelry items are budget-friendly picks
If you look closely into the Zales jewelry collection, you will notice that their price tag comfortably accommodates the average person. Unlink any other ordinary costume jewelry pieces, Zales jewelry is coated in precious metals that keep it beautiful and strong. It is also designed using stunning stones that visually resemble the ones that cost thousands. This allows you to enjoy the value of the buck with the simplest yet elegant jewelry items.
- They serve as admirable fashion statements for any special occasion
Generally, statement jewelry is unique and bold and helps you portray who you are through your outward experience. Zales jewelry items are no different. You can wear them to any event- whether a birthday, wedding or dinner.
- You can wear them as everyday jewelry
Some jewelry pieces from the Zales collection are fit for every day. You can always throw on an elegant pair of Zales earrings for any outfit. At the same time, their rings are versatile enough for everyday wear.
Cons
- They can break easily
Because Zales jewelry items aren’t made from the most durable materials, they are susceptible to certain levels of force.
- Some colored jewelry items look somewhat cheap
Some items from the Zales jewelry collection do not look as good as they ought to. Some tend to look as though they are of a lower quality than those that are sold by their competitors.
- They may cause a few skin allergies when the base metal is exposed
Unfortunately, most Zales jewelry pieces are made with Nickel or Copper, and their plating tends to fade with time. When the base metal is exposed, you may get a Nickel allergy if you have sensitive skin, or the jewelry pieces may leave a green tint on your finger, wrist, or neck.
Should you buy Zales Jewelry?
Now, you may be asking whether the fact that Zales jewelry has a diverse collection makes it a good place to shop for an engagement ring, an elegant necklace, or a delightful bracelet. Unfortunately, it is not the best option.
You can look into other jewelry stores to find high-end jewelry items. However, if you are a fan of costume jewelry and are looking for a temporary option, Zales jewelry may be the best place for you to shop.
You can always find yourself a few colorful pieces from their collection or could land yourself a dazzling ‘diamond’ ring.
Conclusion
The quality and authenticity of any jewelry item will always be an important factor to consider when purchasing the best accessories for your jewelry collection.
When you understand these two factors entirely, you can avoid purchasing low quality and counterfeit items.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.