1 /5 Trevor Healy: Ill start this review with at least noting that the staff are friendly and seem happy to help out, but I would seriously recommend avoiding the Jewelry Dr. The quality of the craftsmanship (or lack thereof) that they are comfortable with leaving their store is astoundingly bad.
For some context, I decided to purchase an unused engagement ring from an acquaintance that was built new by the Jewelry Dr. a few months back, with receipts documenting what was purchased. I figured it would be a good idea to meet at the Jewelry Dr. to have them inspect the ring, check for any issues and ensure that it was legitimate.
We both met at the Jewelry Dr., and had the owner examine the ring. He confirmed that the ring was legitimate, built by them, and had no issues. I was happy with their endorsement and purchased the ring on the spot. I am no expert in jewelry and took their word on their inspection.
Only when I got home did I notice that the center gemstone was a bit crooked. No big deal I suppose, I have no issue with getting a small issue fixed. I brought it to a very well-reviewed jeweler (shout out to Green Lake Jewelers in Seattle), which is where some very big issues were brought to light. They informed me of the overall shoddy workmanship of the build (the center gemstone was loose and able to be moved by hand, over cut and genuinely hacked up prongs, sanding and plier marks from construction, and a very visible re-size). They professionally showed me under magnification all these issues that I had no idea about. This is my first jewelry purchase. I knew that I was not an expert and wouldn’t notice these issues, which is why I brought it to the Jewelry Dr. in the first place. None of these issues were from wear and tear, but from poor craftsmanship.
Now I am completely aware that I purchased this ring from another private party, but I genuinely expected a lot more from a professional inspection. I reached back out to the Jewelry Dr., and respectfully let them know of all the issues with the ring, and if there was anything they’d be willing to help with since nothing was mentioned during the inspection. They happily insisted that I bring it back in and they would repair these issues it right free of charge. I’ll give them kudos on at least being appearing to have good customer service.
After a week of the ring being with them for “repair”, I go to pick up the ring. I’ll mention that they did not bring out any magnification to go over the work they did, and seeing as it was done free-of-charge, I wasn’t in the spot to scrutinizing it before accepting.
As soon as I got home, I took out my hand lens and was honestly floored. I don’t know what they did, but it looks like they simply hammered the prongs and polished the ring. There is now a bunch of hammer marks and scratches on the prongs, with the kicker being that the gemstone is still loose and able to be moved by hand. None of the issues were fixed. I wanted to give them a chance to make it right, but I would have preferred to simply pay a legitimate jeweler to repair it instead of going through this headache. Suffice to say I will not be bringing this ring back to them again.
The fact that they let this ring leave their business multiple times, after:
1. Originally building this and selling this ring with poor craftmanship for nearly $2,000.
2. Giving it a glowing pre-purchase inspection despite clear issues
3. Failing to actually repair it, and causing further damage/marks to the ring.
Its frankly astounding. I don’t write almost any one-star reviews, but this has to be the most frustrating experiences that I’ve had with a business - especially when purchasing something as important as an engagement ring. If you care about quality, go support a quality jeweler and save yourself massive frustration by avoiding the Jewelry Dr.
