Jewelers Row Philadelphia

[JayB]

Hey Guys.

I'm new to the forum and am looking for some advice on ring shopping in Philadelphia. I've been reading reviews on all the different shops in Jewelers Row. Most of the reviews I've come across describe the customer's experience at that individual shop instead of comparing it to other shops on JR. Has anyone recently shopped here? As of right now I'm leaning on starting my search at Barskys, Frank Salese, Robbins, and Safian and Ruldolph. Any opinions/comment/advice?

Thanks,

Justin

 

[phil94]

I have recently visited jeweler’s row with the same intentions as well as looking for someone to do a custom setting. From my experience the list you have is good. I would add Golden Nugget as they have probably the largest inventory of stones/rings of all the shops. In general, they all fall short in providing you the "exceptional stones" that you can find via some of the online vendors depending on the shape you are looking for. (GoG, ERD, LM, BN, JA....) I found incredibly limited number of cushions and none that met my standards. Probably would have better luck looking for rounds. I would stay clear of Steven Singer; they are probably the most incompetent and frankly insulting (my knowledge far exceeded that of anyone I spoke to there) with high prices in comparison.

If you are looking for custom setting, there are several options. Barsky has very nice custom pieces with good pricing though I have heard of issues with loose stones in the past. Safian and Ruldolph use a quality goldsmith who I have heard great things about. There is also Brenda Cohen who can recreate anything you can imagine if you provide good direction/images, She is great to work with and reasonably priced (i decided to go with her). Also A&K who does a lot of custom work for highend designers. Pieces are beautiful but he is rather pushy, poor listener and expensive so hard to work with. Marche is very pleasant, had nice pieces as well as reasonable prices.

Best advice is to stroll around check out all your options before committing to any of them. Have a good idea of what you want and how much you should be paying for it. In the end pick someone you can trust. But I would still recommend a stone from some of the online vendors as I really think you get the best value

 

[JayB]

Thanks Phil! Exactly what I was looking for. I'll definitely check out Golden Nugget. I've been searching a lot on Blue Nile and JA and have found some really beautiful stones on there. However, I'm not too impressed with the settings they offer. I really want to customize I think. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I've read that if you buy the stone online and take it to a BM to have it set they will not guarantee the stone for any damage that may occur. From what I've read a massive amount of pressue is exerted on the stone during the setting and this is when chips can occur. If that happens to a stone you didn't buy at the shop that is setting it, you are out of luck. Is that true? I read it on a blog, and it's the main reason I've been avoiding going that route.

Thanks again,

Justin

 

[phil94]

I had similar concerns as I went through Perry at LM for sourcing my stone and Brenda for the custom setting. Good news is you can insure your ring via Jewelers Mutual and they will cover a loose diamond if it is in the process of being set. You just have to update your appraisal once the ring is completed. I would also recommend getting independent appraisal after you purchase the stone and after it is set. Luckily, David Atlas is in the area and is an incredible appraiser, as referred from many on PS. He did a diamond appraisal for me and is re-appraising free of charge when the ring is completed. Hope that helps. If you stop by Brenda, mention my name she will know you’re an educated consumer.

 

[JayB]

Just checked out Brenda's work on her site. It looks like she does very nice work. I'm definitely going to keep her in mind. I was also planning on getting the ring appraised so I'll be sure to contact David Atlas. Thanks for all your help!

 

[Mrsacornblue]

Golden Nugget is amazing and their prices are awesome. I've had a lot of work done there and totally recommend them.

 

[LauraBmore]

I had a custom wedding band done at Barsky- the price was great, but make sure to specify/be picky about melee quality. Also, Max Weiner seems amazing--- super nice, helpful, no pressure at all.

 

[oldminer]

You will find several good firms on Jewelers Row. Be extremely careful not to compare EGL-Israel diamond reports flogged by one of the recommended firms when comparing GIA, AGS or even EGL-USA graded diamonds. The EGL-Israel reports are astoundingly loose. I am trying my best to be nice.

I have had a long relationship with Arthur at A&K. He can be blunt and short with folks, but he is a very fine jeweler. Such is the personality of many gifted artists. There are plenty of alternative choices for making a mounting, so pushing an individual on you is not really fair. Go with a firm or a person who just feels right to you. Avoid those places that are offended by buying from the Internet, or who are obviously looking for the uninformed shopper.