Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry — Local services in Baton Rouge

TLDR: My husband and I had a disappointing experience purchasing an antique engagement ring that Lee Michael's eventually offered to replace. We are, however, very pleased with the replacement ring. Attached photo is the replacement.

My then-fiancé and I bought an antique art deco engagement ring from Lee Michael's Estate Collection in April 2022 in near perfect condition given its age. In July 2022 I noticed that the old European-cut center diamond had been chipped. I was horrified and my fiancé and I took it back to Lee Michael's. Staff told us chips are rare but not impossible and blamed me for being irresponsible with the ring - wearing it at inappropriate times and being reckless with an antique. (Honestly... kind of insulting. I digress.) Their only suggested remedy was to help us source another old European-cut diamond. At the time we were not able to afford to purchase a replacement diamond and did not want to simply return the ring then and there. We decided to keep the chipped diamond and replace it at a later date.

Flash forward to November 2022. I had my ring professionally cleaned at Boudreaux's while shopping for my then-fiancé's wedding band and an accent diamond fell out. We take it BACK to Lee Michael's and they told us that all the prongs on all the diamonds - 9 in total - need to be replaced. Less than a year after purchasing it. They also once again blamed me for trusting another jeweler to clean an antique. We expressed our dissatisfaction and they offered to repair the ring for free and gave us a three-day turn around before Thanksgiving.

We got the ring back and the repair job was horrible. All of the original detailing and character of the ring had been blasted away by soldering. The metal used to replace the prongs was also a mystery - it was far too warm-toned to match the original platinum setting. At this point, I was so over it. My fiancé and I decided to simply buy a new ring for an anniversary at a later date - from a different jeweler.

Flash forward to last month, post-wedding, I explained all of this to a family friend who used to work in antiques. She empowered us to return one final time and request to exchange the ring for another antique ring comparable to the original cost of my ring before the chipped center stone and poor repair job. We did just that and were offered to exchange the ring. We ended up exchanging for a 1950s ring that was slightly more expensive than the original but in much better condition. It's really beautiful and I do love it, I just wish that I could have kept the original ring my husband proposed with and that I wore on my wedding day.

I think their willingness to allow us to exchange over a year later indicates they realize that the ring they originally sold us was not fit to be sold for everyday wear like an engagement ring should be. I hope I never have to wear...

As a born and raised native of Baton Rouge I’ve always viewed Lee Michaels as a place that’s not for “guys like me”. Let me explain. I grew up and still am just your regular everyday kinda guy and in no way do I view myself as “high class or upper class”. Lee Michaels’ “upscale” location, and upon walking in the stores showroom, the overwhelming selection of high-quality jewelry along with very well dressed employees can be intimidating. After becoming a father a few years ago I’ve been trying to buy higher quality items, when I can, that can be proudly owned, used, and eventually one day be passed down to the next generation. After some thought and research, what better to meet all of those criteria than a high quality wristwatch. Following months of research and learning about watches in general, brands like Hamilton, Tudor, and of course Rolex and Patek came up anytime high-end mechanical watches were discussed by fans, reviewers, experts and collectors. Fortunately for me, my local Lee Michaels carries all of these brands and more, giving me the opportunity to actually see in person and handle a wide variety of models from various watchmakers that I had been reading about during my months of research. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT especially when making a significant financial purchase like a high-end watch. A specific watch that you have in mind after researching may in fact not meet your expectations once seen and handled in person and vice versa. Purchasing a watch like a Rolex is a significant expense, at least for someone like myself. Viewing a wide variety of watches in person, along with the assistance of someone with decades of experience like Johnny Tate, not only was I able to purchase the perfect watch for myself but the entire experience from walking in the store to leaving with the watch was wonderful. I felt ZERO pressure to make a purchase and thoroughly enjoyed just discussing the various models with Ava Jackson and Johnny Tate. The sales associates subject knowledge, expert opinions, and genuineness led me to finally make my heirloom watch purchase at Lee Michaels and couldn’t be more satisfied with the entire process. If you are serious about making your next “lifetime” purchase and want peace of mind that your heirloom is authentic with all the associated paperwork/boxes be sure to give Lee Michaels a opportunity to get your business. Also, be sure to ask for Mr. Johnny Tate to be involved with the process. Personal experiences from other jewelry stores don’t even come close be it in selection, customer service, or overall satisfaction along with that personal customer to associate vibe. I am assured you will not regret your heirloom purchase from Lee Michaels because of the quality, but you will not soon forget the buying experience because of the people...

I stopped in while I was in town on Monday. I'd been in the store a couple of times in the past, and each time was a pleasant, but unmemorable experience. This time, a young man named Trey Norris greeted me and was extremely kind and helpful. I was just stopping in to see what was in the store and Trey took his time to show me all around and talk watches with me. I could tell that Trey is very passionate about his job and his excitement about watches was very obvious and something I identify with strongly. Even though I made it clear to him that Patek was above my pay grade, he brought me around to look at the store's Patek selection and talk about the brand's history and some of the complications. He then offered to show me their estate room, which I was completely unaware of, where he showed me more beautiful watches and we had a great discussion about different timepieces for myself and for my wife. Trey is a top notch guy and someone I hope to buy watches from in the future. Great and memorable experience this trip and I will...