After having been up and down the entire diamond district looking for engagement rings my fiance and I were pretty annoyed. Each jeweler told us contradictory information concerning diamonds. Also, our budget kept going up and up with each factor the jeweler's spoke about. Diamond hunting became very disheartening.
A jeweler suggested I look at radiant cut diamonds. Since I had no idea what those were I came home and googled them, and stumbled upon the radiant cut website. My discovery was that radiant cut offers one of the best brilliance, surpassing almost all the different cut. After seeing that their phone number corresponded to NYC I was feeling pretty giddy about making my first phone call.
Monday came around and I called. Jessica answered the phone and we proceeded to have a 20 minute conversation about the difference between radiant cut and other stones. It was pretty much settled by the end of the conversation that I was going to come up and see her the following day. Though they normally don't deal with the public one-on-one, my fiance and I were allowed up into their office located in a building in the diamond district (conveniently). We started off looking at diamonds ranging from .70 to .90 carats but we knew we wanted at least a carat. Unfortunately, we had to readjust our budget a couple of times BUT we knew it was going to be worth it.
15 W 47th St
Ste 803
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 382-0386
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Showing posts with label Jewelry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jewelry. Show all posts
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Kent Jewelry Review
Not only were the rings ready in less than a week, they were PERFECT! I have gotten nothing but awe when people notice them. He and my husband convinced me to match the band to the engagement ring setting, when I had originally thought I wanted a plain platinum band. Even though the pavé on the wedding band is barely 2mm thick, it looks absolutely brilliant as a set.
When I needed an appraisal for insurance, Greg drew up the papers immediately. When I needed a recommendation for someone to re-string a batch of pearls and old, bezeled, black Czech crystal beads, he knew of someone who did a great job for under $12 for each choker-length strand. I found out that other people have paid up to $50 for a choker-length strand of pearls to be re-strung in knots.
Everyone who worked with him was fantastic as well; the price he gave us was beyond fair, especially considering the quality of the workmanship and materials. I would recommend Kent to anyone who asks about my rings, or who needs any other piece of high-end jewelry. They have a great variety of ready-made settings and complete rings as well as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc.
71 W 47th St
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 997-4047
When I needed an appraisal for insurance, Greg drew up the papers immediately. When I needed a recommendation for someone to re-string a batch of pearls and old, bezeled, black Czech crystal beads, he knew of someone who did a great job for under $12 for each choker-length strand. I found out that other people have paid up to $50 for a choker-length strand of pearls to be re-strung in knots.
Everyone who worked with him was fantastic as well; the price he gave us was beyond fair, especially considering the quality of the workmanship and materials. I would recommend Kent to anyone who asks about my rings, or who needs any other piece of high-end jewelry. They have a great variety of ready-made settings and complete rings as well as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc.
71 W 47th St
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 997-4047
AY Jewelry Review
Engagement rings hold particular sentimental importance, obviously, so I was anxious about having my ring resized. And I'll admit, the diamond district makes me slightly nervous.
Ara is the perfect person to repair or resize jewelry. His work is beautiful and fast - you can watch him work on your pieces from his booth (#15 - this is in the basement. Take the elevator on the left hand wall). Other jewelers I visited wanted to keep the ring for a few days, and I felt uneasy about leaving it - here I was able to be in and out within a half hour. Plus the pricing is great - I paid $75 for a platinum ring
After being constantly told by David Yurman that their Wheaton Pave Diamond Ring could not be resized from a 6 to 5 and that it would take over 3 weeks I decided to take a risk. Using Ara was once of the best choices. Not only did he not flinch to resize the ring from a 7 to a 5 but that he could do it in 2 hours! Having no receipts and a small both I was hesitant but decided to take the risk of leaving it there. I returned from my meeting and it was done. Very little marks on a extremely difficult resizing. After $30 I left beyond happy.
23 W 47th St
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 575-6322
Ara is the perfect person to repair or resize jewelry. His work is beautiful and fast - you can watch him work on your pieces from his booth (#15 - this is in the basement. Take the elevator on the left hand wall). Other jewelers I visited wanted to keep the ring for a few days, and I felt uneasy about leaving it - here I was able to be in and out within a half hour. Plus the pricing is great - I paid $75 for a platinum ring
After being constantly told by David Yurman that their Wheaton Pave Diamond Ring could not be resized from a 6 to 5 and that it would take over 3 weeks I decided to take a risk. Using Ara was once of the best choices. Not only did he not flinch to resize the ring from a 7 to a 5 but that he could do it in 2 hours! Having no receipts and a small both I was hesitant but decided to take the risk of leaving it there. I returned from my meeting and it was done. Very little marks on a extremely difficult resizing. After $30 I left beyond happy.
23 W 47th St
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 575-6322
De Beers Review
I've just embarked on the search for an engagement ring with my boyfriend, and I have to say I imagined it would be quite intimidating to come into this store! We made a booking online about a week in advance, and received a confirmation within a day. I was looking forward to it all week! It's one thing to view rings online, and another to see it in person.
Our 'brand ambassador' introduced herself as Kristin and led us upstairs to their bridal bar. She was quick to pull a few rings to get us started and listened carefully to our likes and dislikes. As I was with my boyfriend, she did not ask for a budget. However each of the display cases are arranged by style, diamond cut and a rough price range, so my boyfriend knew whether it would be worth coming back on his own to do some more investigation! He didn't look too shell shocked at least...
If you are interested in any of their designs online, I would definitely recommend a visit. I was surprised by how different some of the styles looked in store once I tried them on. After I'd had some fun switching between rings, Kristin wrote down a few notes for us so that we could return for the style that I liked most. She was knowledgeable, pleasant and helpful, and we did not feel any pressure from her. This is the exactly the kind of quality experience you would expect from De Beers.
703 5th Ave
at 55th St
(between 54th St & 55th St)
New York, NY 10022
Neighborhoods: Midtown West, Midtown East
(800) 929-0889
Our 'brand ambassador' introduced herself as Kristin and led us upstairs to their bridal bar. She was quick to pull a few rings to get us started and listened carefully to our likes and dislikes. As I was with my boyfriend, she did not ask for a budget. However each of the display cases are arranged by style, diamond cut and a rough price range, so my boyfriend knew whether it would be worth coming back on his own to do some more investigation! He didn't look too shell shocked at least...
If you are interested in any of their designs online, I would definitely recommend a visit. I was surprised by how different some of the styles looked in store once I tried them on. After I'd had some fun switching between rings, Kristin wrote down a few notes for us so that we could return for the style that I liked most. She was knowledgeable, pleasant and helpful, and we did not feel any pressure from her. This is the exactly the kind of quality experience you would expect from De Beers.
703 5th Ave
at 55th St
(between 54th St & 55th St)
New York, NY 10022
Neighborhoods: Midtown West, Midtown East
(800) 929-0889
Ken & Dana Design Review
I've known since about two minutes after I met Jenny that I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life. The only reason that I waited so long was to make sure that she wanted to be with me. That and the fact the she said she would except a string tied around her finger for an engagement ring My fiancé (from now on will be called "to be" 'cause I really hate the word fiancé)showed me a ring from Ken + Dana Design ( KDD) last March I, being the awesome guy that I am, stored that bit of information away and started the search for the perfect diamond to set on the Aurora ring. Not having any idea of what to look for besides a big shiny thing, I contacted Ken and he pretty much walked through what to look for and what to avoid when searching for a diamond. I will spare you the details of looking for a diamond but size does matter but so does quality and GIA certified is the way to ensure you know what you are getting
Ken was extremely helpful throughout the whole process and I hope he doesn't hate me for peppering him with a thousand questions On December 21st, 2011 at 7 in the morning, I woke Jenny up and told her things that I wont put here and then asked her to marry me. I couldn't have been happier with her reaction to the ring. She was surprised that I remembered the ring she told me about months earlier. She loves it and I know that she doesn't look at other rings with envy. Now I have to save up for the wedding band
231 W 29th St
Ste 503
(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10001
Neighborhoods: Chelsea, Midtown West
(212) 972-7031
Ken was extremely helpful throughout the whole process and I hope he doesn't hate me for peppering him with a thousand questions On December 21st, 2011 at 7 in the morning, I woke Jenny up and told her things that I wont put here and then asked her to marry me. I couldn't have been happier with her reaction to the ring. She was surprised that I remembered the ring she told me about months earlier. She loves it and I know that she doesn't look at other rings with envy. Now I have to save up for the wedding band
231 W 29th St
Ste 503
(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10001
Neighborhoods: Chelsea, Midtown West
(212) 972-7031
Ben Moses Jewelry Designer Review
Before getting engaged, my fiancé and I looked around the diamond district a couple times looking at rings so he could get to know my 'style' and would be able to pick one out himself. I found a lot of rings I liked, but none that I LOVED. Then we wandered into Ben Moses and I knew it was different there. The rings there are just SPECIAL. They have beautiful antique rings as well as lots of unique, original designs by Ben Moses himself. Ben's son Ray helped us, and he really got to know us. He asked my fiancé lots of questions on his multiple trips there and made him very comfortable in his choice.
We just went back to pick out our wedding bands and Ray was just as helpful and friendly and I immediately found an original Ben Moses design I loved as much as my engagement ring. I would recommend them to anyone, whether you have a lot of money to spend or not, they help you find something in your price range that you love and have lots of extravagant pieces as well. I can't say enough about this father-son duo and their work. It is truly special.
Ben was knowledgeable and helpful, but also very sweet and warm. It's mighty rare to find this type of service in New York City, I felt like I was in different decade. We were in a rush and shopping for wedding bands we needed the following week, and by a miracle of sorts, they had the perfect ones at the right price. The rings we bought are more special because of the memory behind their purchase. What a terrific experience.
15 W 47th Street Unit 3
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 221-1017
We just went back to pick out our wedding bands and Ray was just as helpful and friendly and I immediately found an original Ben Moses design I loved as much as my engagement ring. I would recommend them to anyone, whether you have a lot of money to spend or not, they help you find something in your price range that you love and have lots of extravagant pieces as well. I can't say enough about this father-son duo and their work. It is truly special.
Ben was knowledgeable and helpful, but also very sweet and warm. It's mighty rare to find this type of service in New York City, I felt like I was in different decade. We were in a rush and shopping for wedding bands we needed the following week, and by a miracle of sorts, they had the perfect ones at the right price. The rings we bought are more special because of the memory behind their purchase. What a terrific experience.
15 W 47th Street Unit 3
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 221-1017
S H Zell & Sons Review
Knowing virtually nothing about diamonds at the time that I decided I was ready to propose to my girlfriend, I had many conversations with jewelers from across the country and even a hand-picked few on 47th street. Stanley and his sons represent the quintessential family business. They feel close to their customers, and make you feel 'at home'.
My price range must have been much smaller than a lot of their clients, but I never for a second felt that I was 2nd priority to this entire family. They gave me hours of their time to make sure I was comfortable with how to find a nice diamond. Not only that, but Steven spent significant time with me to make sure that the custom ring design I wanted was perfect.
Finally, they designed a wax model of the design with my selected diamond, FLIP video's it over to me while I was on vacation so I could approve of the design, and THEN built the ring and shipped it in 1 day so that I'd have it in time to propose.
Buying a diamond when you are not in the industry is very tough. In my experience, many jewelers made me feel uncomfortable, as if they knew I had no prior knowledge and had an edge. I walked away from many of these situations, and couldn't be happier with SH Zell. They literally showed me official industry price tables for diamonds so I knew how much the street pays for every diamond I looked at.
23 W 47th St
Unit 17
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 921-9693
My price range must have been much smaller than a lot of their clients, but I never for a second felt that I was 2nd priority to this entire family. They gave me hours of their time to make sure I was comfortable with how to find a nice diamond. Not only that, but Steven spent significant time with me to make sure that the custom ring design I wanted was perfect.
Finally, they designed a wax model of the design with my selected diamond, FLIP video's it over to me while I was on vacation so I could approve of the design, and THEN built the ring and shipped it in 1 day so that I'd have it in time to propose.
Buying a diamond when you are not in the industry is very tough. In my experience, many jewelers made me feel uncomfortable, as if they knew I had no prior knowledge and had an edge. I walked away from many of these situations, and couldn't be happier with SH Zell. They literally showed me official industry price tables for diamonds so I knew how much the street pays for every diamond I looked at.
23 W 47th St
Unit 17
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 921-9693
Little King Ltd Review
I would agree with most of the other reviews: the customer service is friendly and helpful: they really seem to care that you're happy with the results. We brought in my grandmother's vintage ring from the 1940's to be sized from an 8 to a 5.25. We spoke with the front of house reps and we even got to speak with one of the back of house jewelers. They were concerned about some of the stones and the fragility of the setting. They really wanted to inform us of the risks and benefits of different options.
The ring was a plated white gold and they although they had to take the ring off-site to have it properly plated to match the original plating, they promised to stay with the ring while at the off-site shop which made us feel very comfortable.
The quality of the work seemed to be good. The price was fantastic: we paid less than $40 for downsizing from an 8 to a 5.25! Also, the turn-around time was great: we walked in with no appointment at 6:30pm after work and it was ready the next day same time.
177 Lafayette St
(between Grand St & Broome St)
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhood: SoHo
(212) 260-6140
The ring was a plated white gold and they although they had to take the ring off-site to have it properly plated to match the original plating, they promised to stay with the ring while at the off-site shop which made us feel very comfortable.
The quality of the work seemed to be good. The price was fantastic: we paid less than $40 for downsizing from an 8 to a 5.25! Also, the turn-around time was great: we walked in with no appointment at 6:30pm after work and it was ready the next day same time.
177 Lafayette St
(between Grand St & Broome St)
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhood: SoHo
(212) 260-6140
Birkat Elyon Review
I am a very culturally and socially conscious bride to be so when my boyfriend started taking about rings I said I wanted something that I knew didn't come from a conflict zone (aka Blood Diamond)....Birkat Elyon was a perfect choice because no matter what any diamond company says it is virtually impossible to know if it a conflict free diamond. My custom designed ring by Birkat looks as good as the real thing and no one knows it cost as little as it did. I feel safe wearing it because I know it didn't cost $20,000 plus I have the peace of mind in knowing no one was harmed making it. This is a wonderful company and I think people should get off the bull**** advertising that diamond companies feed us and have a beautiful piece of jewelry made by Birkat. It is beautiful!
My first contact with Birkat's lead designer was via phone, through customer service. She answered all of my questions and was eager to accommodate my schedule for an in person consultation. She and I met today and she presented me with the most exquisite and elegant selection of engagement rings and wedding bands. She was warm, open and very pleasant to work with; helping me to make the best choices for my rings. The Brikat Elyon customer service is A Plus!!! and again, the rings are exceptional quality, I would even say they rival Tiffany's presentation and clarity! Believe me! look no further, Birkat is the way to go for your most precious selection in simulated diamonds.
410 Park Ave
Ste 1530
(between 54th St & 55th St)
Manhattan, NY 10022
Neighborhood: Midtown East
(877) 777-8352
My first contact with Birkat's lead designer was via phone, through customer service. She answered all of my questions and was eager to accommodate my schedule for an in person consultation. She and I met today and she presented me with the most exquisite and elegant selection of engagement rings and wedding bands. She was warm, open and very pleasant to work with; helping me to make the best choices for my rings. The Brikat Elyon customer service is A Plus!!! and again, the rings are exceptional quality, I would even say they rival Tiffany's presentation and clarity! Believe me! look no further, Birkat is the way to go for your most precious selection in simulated diamonds.
410 Park Ave
Ste 1530
(between 54th St & 55th St)
Manhattan, NY 10022
Neighborhood: Midtown East
(877) 777-8352
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tigges Jewelers Review
I collect vintage rings, and I now take them all to Tigges for sizing and repair, because Barbara is knowledgeable, no-nonsense and awesome. Their repairs are flawless, and any piece of jewelry you take there will come out looking, fitting and sparkling better than ever. They took an old ring of mine which had a weird flaw in the band from a previous sizing and made the flaw completely disappear.
Also, they have an old fashioned ring sizing system - instead of just a series of rings hanging together on a main ring like at all other jewelry stores, so that when you try on the various ring sizes you have this huge mass of all the other rings hanging off your hand, they have a leather case that has one of every ring size each nestled into its own little velvet compartment. So much more elegant, and you get a truer measure of your ring size this way. If you're not sure how tightly a ring should fit, Barbara will explain it to you, and she can also explain how to get a ring off that is too tight, and how to best care for your pieces!
5848 Geary Blvd
(between 22nd Ave & 23rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
(415) 221-0804
Also, they have an old fashioned ring sizing system - instead of just a series of rings hanging together on a main ring like at all other jewelry stores, so that when you try on the various ring sizes you have this huge mass of all the other rings hanging off your hand, they have a leather case that has one of every ring size each nestled into its own little velvet compartment. So much more elegant, and you get a truer measure of your ring size this way. If you're not sure how tightly a ring should fit, Barbara will explain it to you, and she can also explain how to get a ring off that is too tight, and how to best care for your pieces!
5848 Geary Blvd
(between 22nd Ave & 23rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
(415) 221-0804
Derco Fine Jewelers Review
Purchased my wife's engagement ring and wedding ring here with Lorraine. Wife bought my wedding ring here also. Never visited any of the other places at 888 Brannan (like Just Diamonds or Giraux) so I don't really have a basis of comparison. I was a newbie when it comes to buying diamonds or jewelry.
Lorraine was very helpful and didn't pressure us into buying anything we didn't want. She was very informative and answered all our questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. I had researched the 4 C's prior to starting my search for an engagement ring, so I knew a little bit, but not much. She guided me through how to look at the diamond and what to look for. I felt she gave us a fair price after some negotiation and I've felt very satisfied after every purchase. Anyone who knows me at all will tell you that this is a difficult task, because I usually feel shorted on value. But my experience here was awesome! Might be because my search started at Shane Company, but who knows. By the way, never go to Shane.
888 Brannan St
Ste 137
(at 8th St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: SOMA
(415) 626-7442
Lorraine was very helpful and didn't pressure us into buying anything we didn't want. She was very informative and answered all our questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. I had researched the 4 C's prior to starting my search for an engagement ring, so I knew a little bit, but not much. She guided me through how to look at the diamond and what to look for. I felt she gave us a fair price after some negotiation and I've felt very satisfied after every purchase. Anyone who knows me at all will tell you that this is a difficult task, because I usually feel shorted on value. But my experience here was awesome! Might be because my search started at Shane Company, but who knows. By the way, never go to Shane.
888 Brannan St
Ste 137
(at 8th St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: SOMA
(415) 626-7442
Elite Jewelry Review
Simon was upfront, honest, and very straightforward with his bargaining. I'm always a bit nervous when selling anything, let alone jewelry. He made the whole experience pleasant and I walked out feeling good (not cheated or disappointed like I have so often in the past with other buyers). I strongly felt that he was looking out for both of our interests - which I respect and appreciate. He even took the time to take a 2nd and 3rd look, just to make sure neither one of us was being cheated.
If you're looking to sell your old and/or unused jewelry - like so many people are in this bad economy - before you make a final decision, go see Simon and see what he says. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to find an honest, straight-shooter, like I was.
4444 Geary Blvd
Ste 213
(between 8th Ave & 9th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
(415) 931-9426
If you're looking to sell your old and/or unused jewelry - like so many people are in this bad economy - before you make a final decision, go see Simon and see what he says. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to find an honest, straight-shooter, like I was.
4444 Geary Blvd
Ste 213
(between 8th Ave & 9th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
(415) 931-9426
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