Zales — Local services in Chesapeake

My experience with this Zales has not only been transformative for my view on corporate jewelry stores, but it has also solidified my position as an avid and loyal customer for life.

Backstory: We began casually ring browsing down in Florida around February of 2024. Being a complete novice, I had no idea what I liked. No idea which shapes, sizes, or styles complemented my hands and personal aesthetic the best. No real understanding of diamond color grading or quality. A completely blank canvas with no idea what I was doing, and certainly no idea what to expect out of the process.

From Hamilton to King’s to Brilliant Earth, each encounter was more demoralizing than the last. None of the settings available in the case would fit past the second knuckle on my finger, but if they did, then they weren’t available in yellow gold. And if they were available in yellow gold, then they certainly didn’t have a variety of settings or stones to peruse. Frustrations from each purveyor mounted at the realization that we sought a custom engagement ring for anything under $60k.

“It should be exciting,” my mother would say when she called for progress reports, but up until I moved to Virginia Beach it had proven to be just 100% dreadful.

Then we called Jerome at Zales.

The knowledge, creativity, kindness, and patience he and his team exhibited was a breath of fresh air I didn’t know existed in the bridal space. I was immediately at ease and, more importantly, the excitement slowly but surely began to weave its way back into my heart.

“We’re not giving up until you love it,” Jerome assured us.

And he meant it.

It took several weeks and batches to find the perfect center stone, but he and the team were diligent, thoughtful, and responsive each time we narrowed the search. Once chosen, it was up to my fiancé and Jerome to finalize the design on the ring. I wouldn’t see or hear of a single element until the proposal months later.

It is the single most stunning artifact I have ever laid eyes on; an heirloom the kids aren’t allowed to inherit.

Jerome has moved up these days, but Millie and her colleagues always go above and beyond whenever we visit the store. Everyone we refer here agrees that the staff, the service, and the jewelry are best in the area by leagues.

Thank you guys for making our engagement so completely...

Joshua was the employee that helped me while I was there, there was another female there that cleaned and inspected all my jewelry but I didn’t catch her name. I came in with 5 different types of jewelry: wedding and engagement ring, earrings, necklace and a bracelet. I came in with all my inspection paperwork but didn’t bring my JPP numbers so we had some trouble in the beginning. Joshua was so helpful, we were able to get my husband to send us the numbers so we could send a couple of my jewelry out. It didn’t take long at all, and he assisted me throughout the whole process. He was also very organized, he had a method and each of us got all the receipts we needed, and also gave me advice on writing the JPP numbers on the inspection sheets for next time. With all the paperwork, things could get messy but he had it all down to a science which was so helpful for me and for him. I didn’t even wait long for him to send me the repair emails with pictures. The female employee was just as helpful. She cleaned all my jewelry and gave everything back shiny and clean, and even put my necklace in a small bag so I wouldn’t tangle it again, then went to help another customer. They both were so friendly, sometimes around the holidays you run into some stressful people. There wasn’t any other customers in Zales when I first walked in but at least 5 more walked in after. The lady was super helpful and answered everyone’s questioned then went to assist a couple more. Definitely was a welcoming environment, it was one of those visits that had you smiling and inspired when you walk out. I know these things may be small, but it’s these actions that make the world different. I couldn’t thank or appreciate either of these...

My boyfriend purchased a ring from this store in January and gave it to me this February as a gift for Valentine’s Day. The ring was beautiful and I wore it for five months without any diamonds falling out at all. I went late in May to get the inspection and cleaning. Everything went well and I walked out with my ring, but when I got in my car five minutes later, I realized that a diamond had fallen out of the ring. I had not bumped my hand on anything or even touched the ring- nothing that should warrant a diamond falling out. I had worn my ring for months before this and never had anything happen to it. I couldn’t just walk back in the store because I had to go home and pack for a trip that I left for shortly. I went back today to pick up my ring after having it repaired and was charged $135 for resetting a single tiny diamond chip. I explained how it falling out was not my fault and a how it was little suspicious since it fell out after a cleaning, but the charge was not waved. And the fact that Zales says their jewelry comes with diamond warranty is very misleading. That warranty will cover the diamond but not the labor to put it back in, which is probably much more expensive than my diamond chip. I asked to add a warranty that covers the labor as well, but was told I can only do so within a month after purchasing the ring. Extremely upset with Zales and their...