Mark Schneider Fine Jewelry — Local services in Long Beach

My husband (and baby daughter!) and I all really enjoyed the entire Mark Schneider experience and would highly recommend them to anyone looking not only for a special piece of jewelry, but also for amazing, high end customer service.

My husband and I just had our tenth anniversary and decided to upgrade/add a ring that commemorates the difficult journey we made from struggling students to a place of blessing (blessings that include our three month old daughter). I had actually discovered Mark's work in a magazine at Starbucks before I even met my husband, and was immediately drawn to his floral engagement pieces. They were such a work of art! I'm actually not a "jewelry person" and generally am a simple person, but I do really appreciate art, craftsmanship, design (I work with engineers), and I love nature, so they really caught my eye. I would sometimes go to their website and browse and dream...

Fast forward to the present... When my husband mentioned getting an anniversary ring, we immediately knew the piece that was right for us...Mystic is reminiscent of the simpler floral design my husband chose ten years ago, and feels like it represents the growth we've experienced in our decade journey together. The laser etched engraving that says "love you forever" in Mark's secret heart is a sweet touch (and super cool from an engineering/design perspective!!)

One aspect that is amazing about visiting the actual studio is that they can customize the ring however you want. We kept most of the design as-is, but because I am more simple and because we just had a baby, we asked them to lower the head so that the center stone didn't stand out so prominently. They easily took care of this, and could have done more had we asked. We got to peruse their sketch book, which showed how other customers had either modified one of Mark's original designs or designed an idea themselves that Mark's team made a reality.

The sketchbook was a highlight for me, because I got to see the artists' handiwork... Which is part of the fun experience of visiting their studio. We also got a tour of the lab where they make the jewelry, which was awesome for someone like me who likes to see how things are made, and the front studio was like visiting a museum where we got to see Mark's award-winning pieces!

The customer service was outstanding. We haven't found a sitter for the baby yet so we had to bring her with us. I was so nervous they would look at us with distain for bringing a baby to a fancy jewelry store, but instead they were excited to see her and several of the "grandmas" took turns pushing her around in the stroller--even Mark himself took a turn! I tried to keep my cool, but after so many years of admiring his work, I felt like I was meeting a celebrity hero of mine... And here he was, pushing my baby around his shop! Instead of feeling like country bumpkins, we felt like royalty and were treated with genuine kindness and service. Instead of feeling out of place in a snooty store, we felt like guests where everyone was very down-to-Earth. Nas helped us the most and she felt like a friend by the time we were done. Steve had great suggestions as well, such as going with a moissanite stone instead of diamond to better fit our budget and purpose.

If you made it this far reading my review congratulations and thanks for your patience! We all enjoyed the entire experience so much--my husband told me after that it was the most fun he ever had buying jewelry. It's because you're not just being sold a piece of jewelry... You get to learn about the creation process, meet the designers, see other pieces of art, AND come away with a beautiful, meaningful product. You will definitely enjoy the experience and the product at Mark...

This is truly a difficult review for me to write as it is the polar opposite of an experience I was expecting to have. I first encountered Mark Schneider Fine Jewelry about 18 months ago when I came in with my mom just browsing but with the hopes they carried high end watches for me to peruse. Unfortunately that is not their specialty however the gentleman who was talking to us was friendly and knowledgable, so while there I took the opportunity to look at engagement rings and stones. He knew this was all preliminary and a ways out before I would be ready to make this decision. Needless to say he had gained our trust and I believed this would be the place to design my ring. Fast forward to now, I am closer to making that step and have already acquired a stone to be placed in a setting. Being a local businessman myself, I try to support local business as well and I was determined to return to Mark Schneider to design the setting. It started kind and enjoyable as I expected, I told the lady I was looking for a custom setting to be made in platinum and accented with their signature golden heart infused with either a diamond or a ruby. I also informed her that I had been to the establishment prior and that it was important for me to come back and support them. While I recognize that jewelry stores make the majority of their mark up on gem stones and not the actual settings, I made it a point to let the jeweler know that I would be interested in getting a custom diamond wedding band to accent the engagement ring. So, at the very least, they knew I would be giving them future business as well. It wasn’t until the jeweler, who took care of me previously came out and spoke to me briefly, did things start shifting(and at no fault of his). We spoke about last time I was in the store and he mentioned watches. That led to what I was currently wearing, an AP Royal Oak (which is a high end & expensive watch). At this point, the female jeweler who had been helping me complimented my watch which of course I appreciated. However, after this interaction, I showed her the 2.5 carat enhanced diamond I was working with. Unfortunately, I left the price tag attached to the diamond as it showed the clarity and color grade. At this point I felt that she tried to manipulate the situation into up-selling me a new diamond. Immediately taking out her jewelers loupe and starts “evaluating” the diamond and talking about its “defects” and stating that the diamond has a cleavage imperfection. Side note, I do not believe this is appropriate because for all they know this diamond could be a family heritage piece or have sentimental value and talking it “down” could be insensitive to many people who are trying to get excited about an engagement. Going on, she then takes me to the back to introduce me to their onsite diamond expert. Who then places the ring under a microscope and is constantly repositioning it and trying multiple lights, in what appears to be “searching” to show me “all” of the imperfections. Finally, getting it positioned just right she lets me take a look. At first I noticed imperfection she was talking about at least until I rotated the microscopes lens and the imperfection she mentioned rotated with it making it obvious that the lens needs to be cleaned.

Google limited characters.... Read full...

Mark Schneider and his extraordinary team transformed our unique ostrich foot seashell wedding rings, discovered on the beaches of Papamoa, New Zealand, into exquisite pieces of wearable art. After two years of searching for the right jeweler to bring our vision to life, we fortuitously found Mark Schneider Fine Jewelry while attempting to replace a lost ring. Despite living in the Bay Area, we made the journey to Long Beach to collaborate with Mark and his team on this special project.

The experience was nothing short of remarkable. Every member of the team exhibited unparalleled skill and dedication. We highly recommend Mark Schneider Fine Jewelry for any custom jewelry projects you may have in mind. One of the standout aspects of our experience was that all the work was done in-house, with nothing outsourced overseas, a refreshing change from other jewelers we've encountered.

Nas was a constant source of support, always available to answer our questions and assist with design changes. Her friendliness, responsiveness, and professionalism made the entire process smooth and enjoyable.

Briseida, the sketch artist and designer, demonstrated incredible patience and professionalism. She seemed to intuitively understand our design vision, making the iterative design process a truly unique and enjoyable experience. Her talent and ability to capture our ideas on paper were impressive.

Michael, the master jeweler, showed exceptional enthusiasm and professionalism during the wax design phase. His ability to make real-time changes and iterate on the final design was crucial in bringing our vision to life. His expertise and dedication were evident in every detail and the unique technical expertise ensured the rings were technically sound.

Mark, the owner and life-long master jeweler, personally met with us during each visit to review the progress of our rings. His boundless enthusiasm and wealth of wisdom made the entire experience truly special. Working with someone of Mark’s caliber, who is an absolute master of his craft, was an honor. If you have the opportunity to work with Mark and his team, be sure to inquire about his other projects – you won't be disappointed.

We are deeply grateful to Nas, Briseida, Michael, and Mark for their outstanding work. The process was a joy from start to finish, and we will cherish our rings and the experience of creating them for a lifetime. We look forward to working with you again in the future. Thank you...