The Robinson family has been married 40 years. He wants to buy his wife a ruby gold ring. Online they advise not to buy from a chain jewelry stores like Kays and Zales . Much better to deal with a private jeweler. His buying limit is only $1,000 Anyone have an experience with jewelry purchasing? Your suggestions

I might not buy a diamond at those stores because of all the variables that go into appraising their worth, but would a ruby, because the dark color of the ruby makes flaws less visible.
Gold is gold, stamped with the carat, so unless a store is slipping fakes in, a risky operation for Zayles and Kays, it's not a worry. Gold being soft, I'd buy 14K. Not GF (gold filled) nor GP (gold plated).
Of course any gem purchase matters for it's resale and insurance value, so even if you can't see flaws, you want to know about them.
Tell him to ask for a written list of each aspect of the ruby's rating, and the weight of the gem apart from the weight of the gold.
Here's a good guide to rubies:
A Buyer’s Guide to Ruby Qualities: Natural AAA vs AA vs A - Diamondere Blog

Also, it's worth bargaining at any jewelry store!
I'd plan a day or even two going from store to store, taking notes, gathering WRITTEN info they write, letting them know you are shopping around, and armed with good knowledge.

I've found some good deals on ebay, especially pawn shops.
Here's $700-1000, US only, yellow gold and ruby, sorted by time ending soonest.
ruby 14K ring | eBay

Thank you. I will pass it on

I will be honest, I have shopped at Zales for 20 or more years, and found them to be a good honest place.

Yes part of the price is from overhead, but then all stores have some overhead.

In the small family stores, if you talk with the actual owner, if sells have been slow, you may get a really great deal.

A 1000 is not a high priced item, in the reality of pricing, So I would not just rule out the larger chain stores, at times, their volume buying also helps in discounts on lower end items.

Very good