Helzberg Diamonds — Local services in Arlington

Both in my personal and professional life, I try to show people and businesses a ton of grace. I’ve run a small business most of my life - and been in a customer facing role - so I understand how challenging it can be to manage customer dynamics; we all know how needy us, as customers, can be! :) That is why when a business makes a mistake, I try to offer them every opportunity to handle the situation “the right way” - because no one is perfect. Heck, I am far from it.

Thus, it has taken me a lot to get to the point where I feel like it is necessary to warn my fellow DMV residents about Helzberg Diamonds (“Store”). But after a saga that has lasted 120 days, I feel that it is a public service to warn you about this Store–the troubling way it treats people, its disregard for the well-being of its customers, its inability to clearly communicate, and its overall lack of leadership.

Here is a factual summary of my experience–if you have better things to do than to read a long review, then just skim the first 5 bullet points and call it a day :)

**I ordered my wedding ring from this Store–I was encouraged to order a custom ring; **The ring was guaranteed to arrive 10 days before the wedding; When I followed-up with the store, they gave me no fewer than three new deadlines for the ring’s arrival–they never indicated that it would not arrive at all; **As each deadline came and passed they never reached out to me. Instead, I had to call every day asking “is it in yet?” Their response was typically to promise it the next day. This happened several times. **When it failed to arrive by wedding day, they gave my friend a temporary ring to bring to me–my wedding was in NYC, so she physically brought the ring to our wedding venue. I was already in NYC - without a ring; **The ring was at least 1 size too small on me, if not more, despite them just having measured my finger for my wedding ring; **I was forced to wear my groomsman’s wedding ring during my wedding ceremony and reception; **On January 5, Store Manager 1 stated in writing that they would refund me for my ring and the balance due on my wife’s engagement ring and wedding ring (both of which were also purchased at Helzberg Diamond); NOTE: I requested for the balance of my wife’s rings to be refunded to us as a courtesy, given the magnitude of the inconvenience that the Store had caused and given that no other form of compensation had been offered. If the Store had not agreed to our request in writing, we would’ve brought my wife’s wedding band back - we were that upset. **On March 2–over two months after the wedding–I realized that no money had been refunded to my Helzberg Diamond Credit Card. So I followed-up with a second Store Manager (Brittany Daniels), inquiring about the status of my refund; **Daniels did not offer an apology–she sent me a one line email noting that she only just refunded for the wedding ring that I had never received; **I asked Daniels about the rest of the money that the Store stated in writing that they would refund–I even attached screenshots of my conversation with Store Manager 1. Daniels did not acknowledge my conversation with Store Manager 1. She sent me another one line missive, simply stating that she could not process any additional refunds.

If you have been through the process of getting married before, you know what your wedding day can be like–the nerves, the anxiety, and excitement. Now imagine on top of all of those emotions, you are just a few minutes from your wedding ceremony starting and you don't have a wedding ring?

In life, there are mistakes and accidents–those are excusable. But then there are actions that are so reckless in their disregard for the well-being of others you cannot just look past them. I simply cannot look past the actions of this Store.

No part of me wanted to write this review. I tried to so hard to avoid this outcome, even giving them a final chance to make things right by this Friday (3/13). But the Store truly did not care about us until the very end.

I strongly recommend avoiding...

EDIT: My account was hacked for the purpose of making the original review. Here is the real story. Helzberg at the fashion center in pentagon city mall has some of the most dishonest and disgustingly rude employees I’ve ever had to deal with. The original review said that I personally praised one person by name, I don’t think I was ever given any name for any of the thieves in this slimy mess of a company. Here’s the real reason I ended up there. I first visited the location in Tyson’s Corner mall, asked for a white gold Cuban style bracelet with diamonds. They were quick to give me a bracelet that perfectly matched what I was looking for and placed it on my wrist. As I expected honesty I was happy with the bracelet and at the price point it seemed to be exactly what I was going for. I had intended to pay cash but the sales lady returned with a receipt with partial charge on a new credit card that they opened. I had no interest in the credit card but I made the mistake of believing that the transaction was honest and I had exactly what I wanted so I paid the remaining balance of $400 and left the store. I realized later that I had not asked how the clasp worked and I could not remove the bracelet so I decided to take a trip to a much closer jewelry store to ask how it works. To my surprise once removed there was an enormous 925 silver stamp directly underneath the clasp. I asked for 14k white gold and the price paid reflected what my research showed before I set out to buy the bracelet. Feeling cheated I returned to the store in Tyson’s the next day and made the return in record time as the manager was not interested in the other customers hearing my complaints. The same day I noticed the 14k yellow gold 1ct diamond earrings purchased from the pentagon location were severely browned from light use and after the first experience I felt like I was getting taken advantage of again because when I purchased them I was assured they were solid quality 14k gold. I have had many yellow gold earrings over the years and never seen this on any other pair I have. So I returned to the store looking for a refund as I now feel taking advantage of the customer is a company wide practice. I was told I was just outside the return policy and they would only take the earrings back if I made a purchase for double the price of the earrings as that was their policy. To this day I have never found any such policy anywhere in store, online, on on the receipts I still have. So I find a white gold bracelet with diamonds that was in the price range, what I originally wanted, but was a slight difference in style. I made the mistake of buying it because when they returned I was cheated again by the charge of the bracelet I asked for and they put an additional bracelet on the purchase that cost more than the bracelet and the earrings put together. On the receipt they also wrote “NO RETURNS” in bright red but made the mistake of giving me two receipts and one didn’t have the written statement. This is when I started complaining that I would use every single thing at my disposal to report this slime practice. I’m going to leave out the process but with a call to corporate, 2 days later the manager of the pentagon location calls and offers me the opportunity to return the extra bracelet. This was not a nice gesture however because as I was making the return luckily I caught the wrong credit card number on all the receipts and pointed it out. I am lucky that I did because who knows where they were going to refund the money to but it was not their intention to refund it to me. After showing them the card number and the banking statement to prove where they took my money from they reluctantly swiped my actual card and I was able to get the money back. I have all evidence and receipts to back this claim up. DO NOT BUY FROM ANY HELZBERG STORE AT ALL. PLEASE FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, and sanitary. The original review was published a week ago and this was resolved long before that. After all that do you believe I would wait weeks and then leave a 5...

For several months, I have been on a quest to find the perfect engagement ring, one that would symbolize my love and commitment. My quest led me through countless jewelers in the DMV area, where I encountered a recurring theme: a relentless push to close a sale rather than a genuine effort to meet my needs. My visits to prominent malls like Tyson’s Corner, Tyson Galleria, Pentagon City, and Potomac Mills were met with a sales approach that felt impersonal and rushed. The salespeople seemed to prioritize their commission over my quest for the perfect ring for my soon-to-be fiancée.

As someone who values education and thorough research, I had invested considerable time understanding the intricacies of diamonds—their shapes, the critical 4Cs, and even the nuanced differences between lab-created and natural stones, GIA/IGI certifications, and other detailed attributes. I was not merely familiar with the terminology; I had honed in on the exact specifications that would make the ring truly special.

Despite this, my interactions at various stores were disheartening. The initial pleasantries from the sales associates quickly gave way to probing questions about my profession and budget, which I perceived as a tactic to gauge how much they could charge me. When I inquired about the specifics of a diamond, such as its GIA/IGI certification or 4C’s, I was often met with vague assurances of quality rather than the concrete details I sought. This pattern was consistent across the board, with one notable exception: Helzberg Diamonds at Pentagon City Mall, and more specifically, the exceptional service provided by Rasha and Mohammed.

My first encounter with Rasha was alongside my girlfriend, where her approach was markedly different. She focused on understanding our preferences, showcasing various styles without any hint of urgency or pressure. It was a refreshing change that made us feel valued and respected. When I returned alone months later, Rasha remembered me and immediately involved Mohammed, who had expertise in colored diamonds. Together, they sourced a diamond that matched my specifications perfectly and presented me with a price that was not only fair but also aligned with my extensive market research.

The level of customer care didn’t stop there. After selecting the diamond, Rasha patiently walked me through a variety of settings, offering insights on how each would complement the stone. Their collaborative approach allowed me to make an informed decision, one that resulted in a stunning ring that resonated with my girlfriend’s style and my own expectations.

In conclusion, while my experience with most jewelers left much to be desired, Helzberg Diamonds stood out as a beacon of customer-centric service. Rasha and Mohammed exemplified the ideal sales experience, combining professional knowledge with a personal touch that transformed the daunting task of ring shopping into a memorable and enjoyable journey. Their dedication to understanding and fulfilling my needs without the typical sales pressure was not just commendable but also instrumental in finding the perfect ring that my partner and I will cherish forever.

Rasha and Mohammed made the entire process smooth and enjoyable, treating me like a friend rather than a customer. Their genuine effort to understand my needs and provide excellent service made all the difference. Thank you, Rasha and Mohammed, for making this important purchase a...