Zales (and every other mall jewelry store) will continue making a profit, until the day they offer the stuff for FREE. I have seen 80% off sales, and believe me, they weren't losing money!! :roll:
If you want to find out how bad Zales rips you off, take a small scale and a calculator with you, and ask to see a gold chain. Weigh it, then use your calculator to figure out the value of the gold (weight, converted to troy ounces, times the carat quality of the gold divided by 24, times the going rate for gold on the market). You'll be shocked at how badly you're being ripped off (even on 50% off sales, it's not uncommon to see a 250% or higher markup from the value of the gold to the price being asked for it).
Add to that the fact that (as stated above) their stones are mostly crap, and also marked up horrendously, and you might as well just burn your money. Believe me, there's a reason they suggest you spend 2 months salary on an engagement ring! :roll:
If you know what sort of setting you like, you can buy them online, at a much better price than in a retail store. You can also buy stones online, then just pay someone to set the stone for you, and size the ring if it's not already sized for her finger. Geez, I'd almost rather buy jewelry from ebay than from a mall jeweler!!
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