Austin’s Fine Jewelry — Local services in Las Cruces

I bought a used Montblanc watch here and after several hours on the web searching for pictures of similar watches, I felt like it might be a fake. I called the gentleman who sold it to me and he said the owner would look it over. I was hoping he would do that and tell me that I was mistaken. The owner however, was already angry with me when he started talking to me. He was furious that I would trust the internet over his word and reputation. Yes, the internet is full of crazy stuff, but it is also used for research and I feel I did a very thorough job. He wouldn't even hear my case. I was prepared to present him with my web research, but he continued to scold me for challenging his expertise. He did tell me that he got the watch from someone he trusted, but never stated that he actually opened the thing up and inspected it. He said it came in a set with Montblanc pens and therefore is a genuine Montblanc watch. Well, I have seen several fake Montblanc pens in my day. I wish I would have been able to get in a few words during the conversation. I could have told him about the Montblanc authentication service that will check it out and issue a certificate of authenticity, if it is indeed authentic. He did refund my money, however, but he made it very unpleasant. Prior to this, I really enjoyed shopping there, but I don't think I would feel comfortable being in this...

My fiancé and I recently got engaged and called around town to find a local jeweler who could do an appraisal for insurance. When we called Austin’s Fine Jewelry, we were told it would be no problem. Upon visiting in person, we were initially helped by a kind and professional employee who asked the owner about appraising a lab-grown diamond. What followed was shocking.

The owner came over and immediately dismissed our request, saying he would never touch or appraise anything lab-grown and went on a 2+ minute rant about how lab-grown diamonds are "worthless" and "junk." His tone was condescending and downright rude. What could have been a simple, respectful “we don’t appraise lab-grown stones” turned into an unprovoked and unnecessary lecture, making us feel belittled and unwelcome.

We left feeling incredibly disrespected and stunned by how unprofessional and arrogant the owner was. Needless to say, we won’t be returning. I would caution anyone, especially couples celebrating a special milestone, to take their business elsewhere. There are plenty of jewelers who are both knowledgeable and kind... clearly, this was not...

My mother gave me two beautiful dinner rings with a total of 33 diamonds. I knew I would never wear them, so I took them to Austin’s to see if they could be melted down and reconstructed into stackable bands to add to my wedding band. Ye, they said they could do it and sent me a written estimate of the cost. It took 3 months to get them done and when they were done they charged me DOUBLE the estimated price!!! The job was done and now they are holding my rings hostage if I don’t pay double! I sent them a copy of the estimate and they replied that the price of gold had shot up. I was NOT notified that they would need more gold! They lowered the price a very little amount when I pushed back. I am so happy be able to wear my mothers rings every day, but Austin’s has forever lost my trust. I ended up paying more for these rings than had I bought the same rings outright without providing my own gold and my own diamonds. I just had to air my grievances so that I can be done with Austin Jewelers and allow myself to enjoy my...