Berganza Antique & Vintage Jewellers — Local services in London

Platinum or White Gold? I was sold a ring as Platinum. It was appraised 3 times, as White Gold. Full saga below if you'd like to know more...

I purchased a gorgeous ring from Berganza and after less than 4 months of owning it, the bezel lifted around the center stone after the ring brushed against my sweater (yes, brushed against my sweater!) I was heart broken. When I reached out to Berganza they implied it was my fault as it look like the ring "has sustained a substantial knock and/or pressure to the ring in this area". This was not the case. I had barely worn the ring b/c of 1) Covid Lockdown 2) It had not been insured yet (more to come on this..)

When I pushed to have Berganza make it right, their solution was for me to ship it back to the UK (I live in the US) at my cost and they would "assess the damage in their workshop"; this only after several emails and a heated phone call. I did not believe I should have to pay to have the ring shipped or fixed given that I did not knock it or damage it. Crazy enough, before I bought it Berganza assured me in writing "the ring is definitely suitable for everyday wear, as Platinum, diamonds and sapphires are quite durable. As with all of our rings, there are a few times we would recommend not wearing the ring, for instance doing heavy housework or DIY...avoiding wearing it doing sports or weights at the gym where pressure on the back of the ring could cause the ring shank to go out of shape or a weight etc could fall on the ring. Otherwise this is definitely a ring to be worn and enjoyed and because of the secure rub-over settings around all of the gemstones, is very suited to being worn as a right hand ring." Disclaimer: I did not do any of these things wearing the ring.

At this point I had also lost trust with Berganza, as it seems how they listed the ring on their website / bill of sale did not match the 3 appraisals I received once I bought the ring (I had 3 appraisals b/c the first one that I got to get the ring insured came back different from Berganza's assessment, as did the second one and then the third).

The ring was sold as Platinum, but all three appraisers said it was White Gold. Berganza said the ring had never been "touched" or "altered". All three appraisers agreed it had (examples: it clearly has different metals within the setting - even to the untrained eye with a loupe - it has been altered at least 3 times, the shank has clearly been repaired and the center stone is a cushion cut but the center stone setting is for an oval cut).

All of this I brought to Berganza in good faith asking maybe they didn't notice or it was an oversight. They did not waver in their original assessment of the ring and that the bezel lifting was my fault.

Bottom line: I bought a 100 year-old ring; I expect the ring to not be perfect. I was willing to overlook all of this and move on (although after three differing appraisals and countless back and forth, I did ask to return the ring when the bezel lifted as this was the final straw for me in dealing with them).

What is driving this rating is that at each point of this saga Berganza put it back on me, every time. They say on their website, "...when you buy with us, you buy peace of mind." Throughout the 4 months of dealing with them I have had anything but peace of mind.

I did not send the ring back to Berganza as at this point - I lost trust. I had it looked at locally by a master antique jeweler restorer. He repaired the ring to its original glory, assuring me it was now a strong setting. And honestly, it looks better than when I bought it! Just a few thousand dollars later in addition to...

Really disappointed with service today. My husband brought my engagement ring from Berganza in 2008/9. We used to take the ring in for a yearly clean and were always happy with service; however, we moved abroad in 2011. Today, I happened to be passing by Berganza and thought I would put my head into see if they could clean and inspect it. I had no expectations. I was invited in and the lady who was directed to deal with me was very frosty after she had worked out I did not have an appointment. In all honesty, I did not recall needing a appointment in past.

She lectured me about needing an appointment but took my ring off me anyway. As she inspected it, she said I was lucky as the appointment scheduled had been cancelled.

After checking my ring, she said she needed to clean it. At this point I was invited to step outside to look at the rings in window; however the tone was such that I was made to feel I was not welcome in the shop. It was very cold outside. She did not give me any indication of time it would take to clean and I had no idea how long I would be shivering outside the shop.

In the end it was only five or ten minutes, but again when she brought me inside to return my ring - she once again proceeded to lecture me about needing appointment. I said I would bear in mind for future but it was very difficult for me given I am rarely in country.

I think customer manner needs to be reviewed as I would have left a very happy customer had she simple said, “Yes, we can service your ring as you’re lucky as we have had an appointment cancellation but in future can you make an appointment, please?”

In the end, I left feeling pretty annoyed and treated like a naughty school child. My husband and I had actually come in also with intention of checking out some rings as it is approaching our ten year anniversary but after the poor customer I really did not have energy to engage with this lady further.

I am disappointed as really in my head Berganza was the only place to buy my next special piece of jewellery but now I will be...

I acquired a stunning ring from Berganza, which unfortunately experienced an issue with the bezel lifting around the center stone after incidental contact with my sweater. Despite my limited wear of the ring due to circumstances such as Covid Lockdown and lack of insurance coverage, Berganza’s response implied responsibility on my part, suggesting the damage appeared consistent with external force. Upon further correspondence, they proposed shipping the ring back to their workshop in the UK at my expense for assessment. Despite assurances prior to purchase regarding the ring’s durability, subsequent discrepancies emerged regarding its composition and condition, as indicated by multiple independent appraisals. Despite raising these concerns with Berganza in good faith, their stance remained unchanged, attributing the issue to mishandling on my part.

Given the age of the ring and its inherent imperfections, I was initially willing to overlook these discrepancies. However, the continued blame-shifting and lack of resolution led to a loss of trust in Berganza’s integrity. Consequently, I opted to seek assistance from a local antique jeweler restorer, who successfully restored the ring to its original condition, albeit at significant additional cost.

Throughout this ordeal, the conduct of the manager, “Justin,” was notably disrespectful and uncooperative, further eroding confidence in Berganza’s customer service. In light of these experiences, I advise exercising caution when considering purchases from...