Franzetti Jewelers — Local services in Austin

We had a fantastic experience at Franzetti and have been recommending it--and Bobby in particular--to everyone we can. Jewelry is a means of personal expression, and Bobby went above and beyond to give us the time and resources to figure out what kind of jewelry was right for us without ever telling us what we should think about a piece or material. Now, he didn't shy away from educating us about practical differences--like some stones being more softer or more porous, or some metals requiring different care regimens--but at the end of the day, he was happy to help us find or build any kind of jewelry that we felt was right for us. The experience was a breath of fresh air compared to jewelers that refused to sell nontraditional stones like lab-grown diamond or moissanite for fear of harming their own bottom line. The one judgment Bobby would occasional give, if asked, was whether two stones were visibly different: he was completely open about situations where two stones were visibly indistinguishable even if one cost (as in one case) 2-3x as much as the other.

I believe part of the reason Franzetti is able to be so professional and detached from the selection process is that it is not a vertically integrated operation, but works with a variety of suppliers rather than risk the conflicts of interest inherent in acting as both supplier and retailer. As a result, he never hesitated to let us compare the actual costs and cross-shop vendors. Bobby helped us order stones from a range of suppliers and gave us all the time we wanted to inspect and compare before coming to a purchasing decision. There wasn't a single moment we felt rushed, and the actual sales process did not begin until we asked for it--well after our fifth or sixth visit. Honestly, we have come to miss stopping by the shop every Saturday to peer into a microscope or tweak the CAD, and are even looking forward to our next custom jewelry purchase! Franzetti took a process that is often stressful alienating process and made sure that the entire time we felt respected, comfortable, and...

Save yourself the trip elsewhere, because this shop is amazing. From the moment I walked in, Keri was attentive but not overbearing, took the time to listen to what I liked, and pulled together several combinations of rings to help me design the ring I wanted. I knew I wanted uncommon attributes, like palladium, two different colors of lab-created gemstones, and lab-created moissanite, and even though these materials make the ring less expensive than, say, a platinum diamond ring, Keri never once made me feel like I was worth less as a customer. In fact, when we were designing the ring on the software, she even pointed out that a .1 carat difference on the side stones could save me almost $600; I didn't end up downsizing, but good looking out! It was hard for me to envision my dream ring because the gemstone combination and setting were not on an already-existing ring, but the shop uses erasable markers to color cubic zirconia stones to get an idea of how the gemstones would look in that setting, which was invaluable to me. And when I couldn't make up my mind and asked if I could think on it during lunch and return to the store, they had no problem with that. When I returned, Keri helped me figure out how two different settings I loved could be combined, how big the accent and side stones should be, etc. I loved the ring on the design software and I'm in love with it now that it's on my finger. Franzetti's has earned my repeat business, and I will definitely return for our wedding bands and for future...

Worked with Bobby at Franzetti Jewelers for an engagement stone for an existing ring. He was super responsive over text and calls. Had three consults total.

The process was seamless and put me at ease in preparing for this huge decision. Bobby was upfront about the pros and cons and pricing of each stone and was patient with me. He was also extremely knowledgeable about where each stone was from and the qualities that make each one desirable (durability, pricing, color, rarity, etc.).

The people at Franzettis are truly experts in their craft.

First, we sat down, and he showed me some popular gemstone for bridal sets (diamonds, sapphires, rubies, etc.). We then looked into other more rare stone (alexandrite, birthstones, others that I forget the names of). At the end of the consultation, I selected the 3 styles/colors that caught my eye and he went to work for me.

Second consult: Bobby had about 10 stones that he had sourced for me, touching different price points, color richness, and shape. During this consult, I had forgotten the ring I was planning to use, so we were evaluating using “stock prongs.” By the end, we narrowed it down to the final two.

Third consult - final decision was made.

18 months later - just got wedding bands for my fiancé and me. Bobby was excellent throughout the entire process. He recognized us when we walked in, and he has been incredibly helpful and patient through the entire process. Would recommend to a friend AND will...