Looking for a recommendation for an honest Jewelry repair/design person - any recommendations?
Earl M. replied:
If you drive, Roger Thompson at Goldsmiths in Lambertville is amazing: extraordinary craftsmanship and amazing stones at less than you will pay anywhere else. He has made a few rings for me and done repairs over the years - I recommend him without reservations!
Brenda C. replied:
Thanks everyone who mentioned me! Hi Paulette. Www.Brendacohenjewelry.com (new website in progress) I’m a designer AND manufacturer unlike several of the others previously mentioned. I’m a jeweler’s jeweler. Those stores farm it out to someone like myself to do the actual work. I’m friends w both John@Marchi and have done work for Henry too who’s a great guy!@Halloween (which is a very unique store worthy of visiting for sure!). I specialize in custom work, remounts/redesigning new from Old. Give me a call anytime to discuss! 215-629-5600
Good places/experiences to get an engagement ring in Philadelphia? Can anyone recommend a good place to buy an engagement ring? I researched a bit what a good diamond...
njvin replied:
Halloween is a good place for custom jewelry. Very no pressure. They'll show you the differences in clarity and all that and let you decide what you like. It'll tend to cost more than other places though. I think you just need to get into a few stores to get a feel for what you're looking for and what the prices are.
machinehead933 replied:
I could not recommend [D'Antonio and Klein](http://dantonioandklein.com/) strongly enough. Dennis was awesome, everyone who works there is really nice, and they have great prices since they actually manufacture the ring themselves. When we were shopping for rings, we visited a ton of stores and these guys were a joy to work with.
jackys replied:
If you don't mind travelling outside the city, I recommend Steve McCarthy, a goldsmith located in Newtown Square. He made my custom engagement ring and wedding band. My husband didn't know anything about jewelry when he bought my rings either, and had a great experience working with Steve. He does good work and doesn't try to rip you off.
aero129 replied:
I had an excellent experience at Ron Panepinto Jewelers at 7 th and Samson. Ron walked me through the whole process and explained every detail of the ring. He even allowed me to pretty much put the ring on lay-away and pay it off in installments. I really preferred the small, family owned vibe of his place versus some of the bigger jewelers. The ring I got from him immediately appraised for about 40% more at another jewelers which was awesome. I've since recommended a few other friends there and they've all been happy.
phillyneutrino replied:
I bought my fiance's ring at Stephen Singer and had a good experience. I paid around 10 k total and had them throw in some earrings. I didn't think that they were pushy. I definitely think that I could have gotten the diamond online for a cheaper price. But I resigned to the fact that I don't know anything about jewelry and if I was going to spend that much money I wanted to be sure I had some expert advice. The person who helped me at stephen singer was named Mallory. EDIT: I have a property in Delaware that they could send the ring to which cut down on cost.
puskas14 replied:
We are currently getting one made at Barrio-Neal (I think I spelled that correctly). To be honest I know nothing about jewelry and probably have negative taste, so this has been mostly on my girlfriend and she is in love with the ring and has been more than happy with her dealings with the designers.
toast_related_injury replied:
Barrio Neal in Queen Village. Or Halloween.
fromtheill replied:
For 7 k i always wondered if it would be worth it to just get a plane ticket, fly to africa. By a six pack and a kid and have him dig me up a Diamond. Ill toss him 1 k just for digging I get a trip to Africa and my wife gets her diamond. better experience than just walking into a store and saying...that one...But thats just me
redfern54 replied:
I got my wife's ring at Safian and Rudolph, on the back corner of jewelers row. Out of the 3-4 places I checked out on jewelers row, they were definitely the best. Patient and they didn't try to push anything specific on me, they just listened to what I wanted and we went from there
kjm16216 replied:
Everything is 8% cheaper across the state line.
MrSquicky replied:
I can't say enough good about (Halloween)[http://www.yelp.com/biz/halloween-philadelphia]. I worked with Henri in making a custom engagement ring and it went wonderfully. The price was good and my wife get compliments on the ring all the time. Even if you don't end up getting the ring there, I recommend stopping by. It's well worth going just for the experience.
thecw replied:
I got my wedding ring from LL Pavorsky at 7th and Walnut. His branding is absolutely insane but he's got good stuff and good prices. A good friend recommended him, but I also went to 3 or 4 other places on jeweler's row before going in. He didn't feel slimy like the rest. I actually felt like he cared about selling us the ring that would be good for us, rather than the most expensive ring in the case. My ring was a pain in the ass to size (titanium, comfort fit) and the first one didn't fit. He sent away to get multiple sizes at once (on his dime) to get the one that fit me correctly. The whole thing from getting the wrong one to getting the correct size back engraved took less than 2 weeks. He also noticed that my wife's engagement ring was set poorly (and it was only touching 2 prongs), and had it re-set at a reasonable price. He also appraised it. We brought in another ring we had with us to try and sell that day. He wasn't interested in it, but he gave it a free cleaning and told us how much we could expect someone to buy it for. My friend has recommended him to all of our friends and everyone who has gone to him has been happy. He's sent enough people there that he's had some free cleanings as a thank you. If you go, tell him Colin (with the ring that kept having to be sized multiple times) sent you.
fuzzysarge replied:
I personally had a bad experience with buying an engagement ring. My girlfriend at the time (who has upgraded to wife) did not want a diamond, and I do not like the maintenance requirements of white gold.
I decided that I wanted to buy a platinum band with a sapphire stone. This was before Kate Middleton got her sapphire. I had a budget that I had to stick to. I must have gone to 20 different shops in and around Philly. Nearly every shop tried to sell me a diamond and/or sign me up for a credit plan so that I can buy a $30K ring, instead of a ring 1/10 of that cost. All of the shops on Jewelers Row tried those strong arm tactics. **No one** would listen to me or my requirements, except for a small mom and pop store in northern Montgomery county. They heard "Engagement Ring!" and were on a one track mind to sell me a diamond.
I got my wedding band on Esty.
dasponge replied:
I'd recommend Nicky at Kanell Jewelers (one of those small, but great small family shops). He's a good guy (friend of a friend) and was really helpful when I went looking for a ring. http://www.yelp.com/biz/kanell-jewelers-philadelphia-2 Also do your research online. Pricescope.com, www.diamonds.pro. I ended up buying from GoodOldGold.com and am beyond satisfied (plus save yourself sales tax).
emmarose329 replied:
I really like the guys at Campbell and Company, they're really nice and do custom work. I had a very bad experience with another, very prominent, shop trying to sell me another designer's ring under their shop's brand and with a 200% markup.
sjratsju replied:
I recommend going to Bluenile.com and reading up on diamonds/different metals there before heading out. You can read at your own pace and then feel like you have a baseline when you go back into a store. That said, Golden Nugget is the best place in/around Philly. It's right on Jeweler's Row. Don't bother going to Delaware or really anywhere else in the city. They have a killer selection, aren't pushy, and they discount heavily. If your budget is $5k, tell them your budget is up to 10k and they'll mark it down several thousand dollars, probably moreso if you buy your wedding bands there, too. I worked w/ the tall older black guy and he was the best. Got my band and my husband's bands there for under $1k and they're both white gold (mine has diamonds going all the way around) and really really nice. They'll also clean/make adjustments for you for free whenever you're in the neighborhood.
JumbledThought replied:
I got an engagement ring and wedding bands at [Bario-Neal](http://bario-neal.com/) in South Philly. It's not a high-pressure place and they were good about talking us through the options on stones and metals. They also did some custom work on my wife's band to match it to her engagement ring and it was reasonably priced. Also a nice option if you want "ethical" diamonds, recycled materials, etc.
713attic replied:
Their advertising can be annoying but my wife and I went to Steven Singer. It was a great experience and our rings came out great! Best of all, they worked within our budget and our time line.
Does anyone know any local jewelers that turn coins into rings? With the impending death of the SEPTA token I was thinking about doing something special with the couple...
Snakealicious replied:
Septa token cufflinks would definitely identify you as a Big Baller.
My buddy Michael at [Regan Design](https://m.facebook.com/Regan-Design-470042376512423) in old city has been making jewelry for over 40 years. He can probably work with a Septa token or design a ring from scratch.
ohheymolly replied:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HighArt She makes some cool (and weird) shit. She can make you pretty much whatever you want.
starstar420 replied:
like cock rings?
beansjawns replied:
Pretty sure that Halloween place makes jewelry out of anything.
allisondojean replied:
Try Avi Greis, Aion Manufacturing. https://www.yelp.com/biz/aion-manufacturing-co-philadelphia
IgnoranceIsADisease replied:
Most coin rings I've seen are made out of silver coins (90% silver from 1964 and earlier), or silver rounds (bullion) with custom designs. Silver coins are used because of it's ductile and malleable nature. I'm not sure what the septa coins are made of, but I'd hazard it's a copper core clad with cupronickel (as with modern quarters).
You should be able to make a ring yourself if you have access to the [right tools](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF-FDXtPExk), the most difficult/expensive being a hydraulic press. Do you know anyone who works as a machinist?
This is a really neat idea, if you do find someone, please let us know. I've considered making myself a ring out of a coin that was handed down to me.
redeyeblink replied:
That would look cool. I'm thinking of making a watch face with my one remaining token.
Prism_And_Gate replied:
If you search /r/diy there's a guy who made a popular post a few years back about how he makes them. He's not local, but he will do rings on commission of your send him a coin.
modus replied:
IANAJ, but wouldn't the logos and writing get stretched out when you reform it?
SoFLjawns replied:
Not sure but I'd try Robert Lance Jewelers, if he can't help you he'll def point you in the right direction. nice username btw
ifthereisnomirror replied:
That's a great idea. You can still get them from the automated kiosks at 15 th street if anyone's looking.