Schwarzschild Keller & George Jewelers — Local services in Charlottesville

I smashed my engagement ring in a slammed door and was extremely distressed, calling around different places to see who might be able to take on such a case. I called Schwarzchild Keller and George and was assured they dealt with these problems all the time, that they had a jeweler with decades of experience and that I had nothing to worry about. I asked if they would be able to resize the ring in addition to repairing it and they assured me that it was within their capabilities.

They let me know that they were extremely backed up and it could be up to a month before I got my ring back, which I was more than understanding of and did not question. My fiancé dropped it off, and a few weeks later they returned it right on schedule.

Immediately I knew that my ring was not in the best shape still. Granted, it looked much better than it had smushed, but there were three glaring flaws that seemed beyond what such a reputable store should have considered a successful repair.

They returned the ring with a loose gem. From what I understand of the process, since it was a moissanite ring (Which was disclosed during my initial phone call) they had to take the gems out to reshape the gold. Not a problem, but it was shocking that such a glaring issue was overlooked and that my ring would be returned to me in such shape.

The gold band was crooked. It wasn't such a big deal to me as the loose stone, but it still reflected on their craftmanship overall.

Underneath where the gem goes, the gold was expanded and misshapen, looking very clunky. We brought this up with the store, they said that it must have been the result of the damage I caused.

I am of the opinion that this is the result of their work during the resizing of the ring, but in any case, shouldn't it be the responsibility of the jeweler to fix? We asked them to reshape the ring after the accident and they assured us that it was something they could do, with no disclosure that they may not be able to repair the ring to perfect condition. They simply said the price for the repair/resizing and we paid it.

They then quoted us an additional $400 to fix the third issue, which, if caused by my initial door accident, should have been disclosed to us when we initially dropped off the ring, not after they had already performed the full repair and determined it up to their standards.

We respectfully made these concerns apparent. I was disappointed but sure that such a well-respected jewelry store would assuage my concerns.

No! They said that they would review the photos they took of my ring upon intake and get back to me about whether they were liable. This in itself would be understandable, if it wasn't the last communication we received on the issue! We called again to verify the situation and were delayed again without any explanation, and so before they even got around to securing the loose gem, (they had the ring for well over a month at this point) we decided to pick up the ring and find a jeweler that we could trust instead.

I don't understand how we could have been given such subpar results, and then such poor customer service from a jewelry store that is so well rated otherwise. When we got the ring back, they said, "You don't owe us anything." Of course we don't! We paid the initial cost of repair; you haven't done anything since then!

We both agreed, it's like they don't even care!!

I understand things take time and that sometimes it takes more than one tries to get it right, or perhaps they promised beyond what they were capable of. I don't know. I do know that I do not recommend this store for...

Update: After posting my review, the store manager called to offer a re-repair of my engagement ring. However, I have already had the repairs done elsewhere (as stated in my review) due to valid concerns over work quality. During the call, it was made clear that because the mistakes were fixed elsewhere, they would not be taking any further steps to make the situation right.

This was a problem they created as what should have been a straightforward repair turned into significant damage that forced me to take matters into my own hands and seek repairs with another jeweler. While I appreciated the follow-up, it is clear that the situation will not be made right.

Original review: I’m extremely disappointed in my recent experience with Schwarzschild Keller & George Jewelers. I brought in my engagement ring on June 20 for what should have been a simple and routine prong re-tipping, quoted at $100. When I finally picked it up on July 11 (after delays), the ring looked nothing like the one I had entrusted to them: the prongs were uneven, the center stone was crooked, there were visible solder marks, and the craftsmanship was shockingly poor.

I was told the work would be redone at no charge, but the damage to my ring and the quality of the first repair made me uncomfortable entrusting it to them again. A second jeweler has since confirmed that the entire head of the ring now needs to be rebuilt, at a cost of $375, damage that would not have occurred had the original work been done properly.

I first contacted Keith directly on July 16 to try and resolve this, and then submitted a message via the “Contact Us” form on their website on July 21 (which states someone will respond within 48 hours). As of today, I have received no response at all.

The lack of accountability and total silence from the store is unacceptable. I now have to spend nearly four times the original estimate to fix damage caused by their own poor workmanship. I would not recommend this jeweler based on...

Updating my five star review from two years ago. Soon after my first review and in part due to the great service I received two years ago, I purchased an Omega watch from Keller and George for my wife. Again, Ken was great to work with and made sure it was properly fitted for my wife. Just a few months ago my wife took another watch in for a battery replacement and was told by Linda (who seemed irritated at the request) that the service could not be done and to take the watch someplace else. That was ironic since about 18 months previously another sales person at Keller and George replaced the battery in the same watch. Not sure what changed. Earlier last week I dropped off my wedding band to be resized and to have the finish restored. Linda indicated a June 8th completion date and that was written on my receipt. Later that same day I dropped off my wife's wedding band to also have the finish restored. When I asked for a receipt for the second ring, Linda indicated that she would do that if I brought in the original receipt for her to amend (that would mean driving home to get it) rather than copying the amended original receipt showing that the jeweler was in possession of both of our wedding bands. Linda seemed irritated and asked: "don't you trust us"? I left the store and returned June 12th to pick up the rings. Linda asked if I had been contacted that the rings were ready for pick up. I told her "no" but stated that the receipt indicated a June 8th completion date to which she replied the date is only an estimate of completion...again seemed irritated by my question. When I questioned her she became defensive and indicated she had been in business for 40 years and no one has complained. I took our rings to another jeweler for service. Arrogance has no place...