Boscov's SUPER holiday sale

In a season of superlatives, Boscov's is having a SUPER sale.

That means that in addition to the 50-percent off fine jewelry, you can take an extra 20 percent off your sparkly purchases, as well as apparel, handbags and accessories. The offer is good through Saturday. (If you buy from www.boscovs.com, you'll get free shipping, as well).

So how can retailers top this and other deep, deep discounts? Give the stuff away? Or pay shoppers to take home the merchandise?

Here are a few tantalizing offers: 1/2 carat total weight diamond hoop earrings, regularly $879, reduced to $437 (and $349.60 with coupon); gold hoop earrings, marked down from $80 to $24; cultured pearl set of necklace, bracelet and pearl post earrings, originally $100, on sale for $24.99, less and extra 20 percent.

As my mother would say, you couldn't mine the gems, dive for pearls, hammer the metal and make it yourself at these prices.