Michael's Jewelers — Attraction in Alaska

This jeweler came recommended by my parents, who have had nothing but good experiences with Michael's. Thus, when I was looking to get a repair done on a ring of mine I came here first. I'm new to the jewelry world, so I didn't really know what to expect. However, my mom has some family heirloom pieces that she's taken in for repairs at various jewelers over the years, so I at least expected that your average jeweler would be able to do routine maintenance and even stone replacement on a ring.

Upon entering the store I was greeted by someone who asked what I needed. I told them I had a ring I recently bought that had two small stones missing and I was hoping to get a quote for replacing those. The answer I received told me this was not a service they provided, but the way it was given was demeaning and patronizing. This jeweler won't do work on pieces that are not their own, and I completely understand why; there are a lot of liabilities to consider when working on someone else's piece, and for many small shops that's just not worth it to take on that risk. The way this answer was delivered, though, had me feeling like an idiot for not knowing beforehand. It was as if I was wasting their time by trying to become a customer of their services. In addition to telling me that they don't offer that service, they also managed to reiterate it at least four times while claiming that not only is it their own store's policy, but that it's basically an industry standard. They said that no other jeweler in town that they could think of offered basic repairs on jewelry that was not from their respective store. I was a bit shocked by this treatment and information.

Out of curiosity, I told the person who greeted me that my mom was a frequent customer and that I visited Michael's first based on her high praise and recommendation. I wanted to see the reaction to this information, and the result was like flipping a switch. Suddenly the store representative was actually helpful and kind, and they even gave me a few pointers that I found very useful for any future jewelry purchases.

Later that day, I visited two more jewelers looking for quotes and both offered the services I was looking for. So maybe the employees at Michael's aren't all that familiar with the broader Anchorage jeweler community.

I'm giving them three stars because this was not an experience that would keep me from visiting the business in the future. I'm sure that if I had come in looking for a ring from their show room that I would have received incredibly friendly and helpful service. Plus, of the pieces I did happen to see during my visit, none of them failed to impress. I guess my suggestion to would be patrons is to know beforehand if they offer what you are looking for.

EDIT: I spoke with my parents about the services they've received from this jeweler, and apparently my mom has her grandmother's ring serviced here regularly. This is a piece that has no tie whatsoever to this jeweler, yet they still worked on it for her. I'm not sure what discretion they use when deciding to work on rings that are not custom made by them, but it's clear that they do have exceptions. I didn't appreciate the way in which I was treated when I first entered the store, but in retrospect I appreciate it even less knowing that they were not completely upfront about...

Went to Michaels Jewelers to inquire about adding the small balls to the inside of my wedding ring to keep it from spinning and feeling like it's going to come off one day. I walked in and began explaining to the man that we purchased my ring elswhere but we were looking for someone reputable in town to add the balls to the inside. The man let me go on and on for a few minutes and when I was done he asked where I got the ring. I told him Blue Nile. He proceeded to say, "I would definately suggest you get in touch with Blue Nile to see what THEY can do for you". Then he let me stare at him because I couldn't figure out why he said that. Then he said, "Oh..we don't work on any other jewelry besides what's bought here". Ok, I can totally get that, but he said it to me like I was a complete moron for not knowing it. The whole thing was very condescending and wicked rude. I went to them because I thought they would be a reputable, honest business to work with. And don't get me wrong, I completely understand if you only work on your own jewelry, but to make someone feel belittled for not purchasing at your store is just plain wrong. My husband and I looked through Michaels when we were searching for my ring. There are some great pieces in there but what we couldn't look past was that we could get the same quality, better cut and larger diamond at several other places we were looking and that's the only reason we didn't go with them. I had nothing against them and thought they were a great home owned place, it just wasn't for us. But now, to go back there looking to give them some sort of business and to be treated so poorly, I will never suggest Michaels Jewlers to anyone. It's small town up here and there isn't a ton of competition and I feel like some businesses take advantage of that and treat people poorly knowing good and well it's not going to hurt their business because there's no where else for people to go. This was definately one of those situations and my memories of Michaels will...

After going to a few other shops in town I wound up at Micheal's where I was happily greeted by Mindi and Shorty. I was a bit weary as I had just had another sales associate try and sell me on a 12k ring after making it clear what my budget was. Mindi let me peruse the selection for a while and then began asking very gentle questions about what I was looking for and what my budget/criteria were for an engagement ring. Whether she was selling me or not, at that point I didn't care. Her kindness, openness and ability to actually listen to my ideas and concerns made it quite clear that this was where I wanted to bring my business.

We worked hard to create the perfect ring for my fiance and I was thrilled with the finished product. Unfortunately, there were some small issues with the design I choose that caused my partner some discomfort when wearing the band. I sent Mindi a message asking if we could come in and she immediately responded to set up a time. Nervously, we went in to ask what could be done and expecting there to be very little. Not at all the case! Mindi was amazing and worked with us both to figure out the best path forward. She stuck to her word that if the ring wasn't what we wanted that we would work something out. Right now we are awaiting for the ring to be adjusted and can't wait to see the new product. We are so grateful for her and Dave's kindness and understanding, as well as their willingness to work with us.

10/10 would recommend.

Update (10/13/2020): it has been a little over a month since my wife and I had our last minute pandemic-time elopement. And perhaps two months since we received round two of my wife’s engagement ring. I can say that the ring she received was absolutely perfect, and she is completely in love with it. We are so grateful for the amazing experience and care that Mindi and Dave took when...