Michaels Jewelers — Attraction in Wallingford

Took an antique Victorian pendant for repair after the stone came loose from the closed back setting. First red flag was that they didn't know what a foil was (foil technique was commonplace during Georgian period and Victorian period to increase the brilliance of certain stones). They all looked downright confused. Anyway, I went ahead with the repair because I wasn't sure where else to take it and my family has done business with them in the past. I paid $70 and they called me several days later to say it was ready to be picked up. I picked it up and after closer inspection when I got back in the car I realized they had done an awful job. I could see the glue underneath the stone and it left hideous looking dark spots. They had also polished it without asking me (keep in mind it's an antique). I thought it was common sense that most people like the patina on antiques, but apparently not. I'm not a very confrontational person, but I felt I had to bring it back and see what could be done. I brought it back to the store the next day and told them I was not satisfied with the repair. The consultants (Justine, Sherry, and one other) who I spoke with spent a while questioning whether or not it was glue (which it clearly was) and I felt they did not take my concerns very seriously. They seemed to be telling me that it was just the way it was. They offered to send it back for a re-do and I agreed to give them a second chance. They also told me that their manager (John) would give me a call and we could talk as he was not in that day. The manager never called me. I waited all week and finally called him and I think I can honestly say it was the most infuriating phone call I've ever had. He had nothing to say other than to debate whether it was glue or not, tell me that you could only see these glue spots in certain lights (they were much more obvious than that), that polishing was standard operating procedure, and that his jewelers had a lot of experience. I asked him if he thought the re-do would produce different results and he told me "I don't know." He clearly has a lot of confidence in his jewelers... Now, to their credit, when it was redone it was much more satisfactory. I believe they sent it to a different jeweler who clearly had more skill. However, after the way they treated me, I'm not inclined to give them a favorable review. The amount of hassle just to get a stone back in its setting was absolutely ASTOUNDING. Their customer service was the WORST I've ever encountered. I would not recommend you bring your jewelry there to get repaired or do business with them. I certainly will NEVER bring my business there ever again after my experience. If I could give them ZERO...

I went to Michael's looking for gifts for my bridal party. I had an idea in mind of what I was looking for, but thankfully, Mary at Michael's Jewelers helped me found what I actually really wanted. Mary took her time to meet with me and go over every possible option - even on the eve of Valentine's Day. She was patient, kind, and did not pressure me into any particular product. Mary knows her jewelry and what will work best for her customers' unique situations. Roughly a week after I had ordered the gifts, I promptly received a phone call from Mary. When I came to pick them, she showed me the personalized gifts, which were absolutely beautiful and exactly what I wanted. She personally boxed my items and handed them to me when I came to pick them up. I am so grateful for her. She played a very important role in the journey of preparing my wedding. Mary made this moment very special. Should you be looking for something personalized for a special occasion, you cannot go wrong with this Michael's store. Be sure to...

I came into the store to have my diamond solitaire check and cleaned. I had my engagement ring reset about 8months ago in the Waterbury CT store. The sales person that helped me was sitting in a chair behind the counter and had to be directed by another sales person to help me. This person seemed unsure of how to check the setting and had difficulty using the microscope. The other lady (who seemed to be more experienced) was disinterested in correcting the problem and said “just adjust the lens” My sale person could not get the lens correct and stated the the prongs “appeared” fine. She then proceeded to clean my diamond, asking me at that point if I was a customer at Michaels. I have been a customer at Michaels Jewelers for many years. My experience was very poor. I even said to the lady to just give me my jewelry back and I would do it another time, to which she answered “no”. I am disappointed with my experience at the Meriden, CT store and would not return, as I have no confidence in their ability to...