Delmonte-Smelson Jewelers — Attraction in Town of Hempstead

The folks at Delmonte-Smelson have become dear friends through these challenging pandemic times. Looking back to October 2019 when I went in to buy my now wife an engagement ring, I was met with personalized, concierge-like care and attention. I had a great interaction with one of the employees Stephanie who helped me narrow down what style I was looking for, and then a one-on-one meeting with the owner Phil for a full education on diamond clarity, color, and pricepoint to find the absolute perfect stone for my soon to be-betrothed.

She said yes, and we were off to planning a wedding! Despite all the craziness we've faced as a community, unknown hardships set unto small businesses as well, the Delmonte-Smelson team managed to come through in the midst of it all. Phil again helped find the perfect band for my wife, and (without my knowledge) the exact ring I wanted, too! They even custom ordered and rush delivered it to help us out.

My wife and I cannot highly recommend these folks enough. The integrity with which they operate is outstanding. It can be intimidating going in to a jeweler knowing nothing of the industry, but I was met with warmth that put me at ease. I don't see myself going anywhere else for future anniversaries or...

This business is an absolute scam. After over a decade of loyal patronage — my father spent thousands here on what we were led to believe were genuine diamonds and gold — we recently discovered that a “diamond” bracelet, costing several thousand dollars, is cubic zirconia. Not a single real stone. Photos of the jeweler they source from and then the Delmonte website of the bracelet included in this review.

It’s infuriating, insulting, and downright fraudulent. Either this jeweler is completely incompetent or they’re deliberately deceiving long-time customers. Neither explanation is acceptable.

If you’ve purchased anything from here in the past, I strongly urge you to get your pieces independently assessed.

Do not give this business another dime. They...

Well, my experience with the store has not been a good one. I am quite upset with there estimates and appraisals of diamonds. I purchased a GIA certified diamond from this store around 1997 for almost $4,000.00. To my surprise Mr. Smelson advised me today, he would not repurchase the diamond and he gave it an estimated value of several hundred dollars. I was not expecting to make money on my original purchase. I only hoped he would give me a fair price for an item he originally sold to me. In my opinion, the diamond should have maintained some value. I find it hard to believe he would not stand by his work and...