Frank Darling — Local services in New York

Before FD I met with a few local NYC vendors. I wasn’t too happy with my meetings, since it seemed like there was one red flag that stopped me from fully committing. Either the vendor was too pushy in trying to get me to make a purchase and rushing things or the price was off or it felt like they were just telling me incorrect information compared to the through research I did. The process just didn’t feel right.

I want back to my short-list of online vendors and FD had a diamond that checked all my criteria. The comparable price was a little higher than other online vendors but very still reasonable and fair. Doing a little more research into FD and their services and process really sold me. First off, they have a showroom in NYC, which is a big plus for me. They offered services like free resizing, free lifetime prong maintenance and polishing/cleaning and a generous return policy on the diamond. On top of that they offered other services no other retailer offered like returns on the custom setting, a free sketch off your custom setting prior to CAD, lifetime replacement of mele/pave diamonds, a try-at-home program, and a 3D resin model production of your custom ring. FD was checking off every single box and knocking it out the park and I haven’t even spoken to anyone yet. I scheduled an online consult and couldn’t wait.

The day of my consult I was connected to Kegan who walked me through the whole process and started the process on my custom engagement ring. Keegan was polite, informative, professional and most of all patient and understanding. After the call, I requested a custom setting quote with my specifications + inspo and the quote came back lower than almost all other quotes I received from other retailers! Keegan followed up by email handed me off to a senior designer, Alice. It was then I found out Kegan was the co-founder and CEO. It really showed Frank Darling’s character and commitment to customer service that a CEO would field preliminary consults in order to keep things running smoothly.

I scheduled an in-person consult to speak with Alice who would show me the stone I was I was interested in along with a curated flight of other similar diamonds, in the meantime Alice created a sketch of my custom ring. At the consult in their showroom Alice was friendly, energetic, and extremely helpful. She was patient, answered all my questions, and really made me feel at ease with proceeding. I fell in love with the diamond I initially chose and proceeded through and placed the order to start the CAD. The initial CAD came within a few days and it was exactly what I imagined. Throughout the design process Alice was super timely with all communications. If I had any questions or concerns she would get back to me within the day or first thing the next morning.

Finally, the ring underwent production, and I expected completion in about 4 weeks. The resin was actually ready within 4 days and I scheduled to pick it up a week after it was ready. The day before I was scheduled to pick up the resin, Alice contacted me and said that the actual ring was already ready!!! The production time for the ring was incredible and it was completed in nearly half the time I expected. After doing their QA/QI they actually found an error in the inner band design (hidden birthstones and engraving) and it would take a few days to correct it. No big deal—this timeline is already way ahead of what I thought it was going to be. After their final check, Alice emailed me to introduce me to the my client specialist, Zach who helped me complete the purchase process.

The ring shipped with no issue and was beautifully crafted with every detail I requested. I was absolutely enthralled and I couldn’t wait to propose. Thank you Frank Darling for truly exceeding any and all my expectations. I recommend FD to anyone looking to purchase an engagement ring, wedding band, or any other piece of jewelry and if I could do it again I would choose FD 100 times over! My fiancée literally can’t stop staring and talking about how perfect...

A deeply disappointing and stressful experience.

I rarely leave reviews, but I feel obligated to share my experience with Frank Darling to help others avoid the same mistake. I attempted to purchase an a custom engagement ring from them starting in early March 10th, with a clear deadline in place for a late-March delivery. I paid in full on March 13th 2025 after speaking with a sales rep, Claire N., who assured me that meeting my timeline would not be an issue.

Not only did they completely miss the deadline—they never even began the production of ring until after the original delivery date had passed. I never even received the promised 3D resin mock-up for approval beforehand, despite repeated follow-ups. Weeks of silence, unreturned messages, and confusion about my order followed. At one point, another rep even told me they couldn’t locate my order at all.

Claire N. apologized and promised to expedite things, even offering a fake diamond ring for my trip (which I declined). When the ring finally arrived in mid-April, it was wrong—the band width was too thin, even after I had paid extra to have it widened. I sent it back and confirmed new specs, but then Claire completely ghosted me. I later found out, after calling and speaking with a different rep, that the remake order hadn't even been started. This was more than six weeks after I paid in full.

It’s now May 4, 2025, and I'm still waiting—not for the ring, but for the design resine 3D mockup. Yes, they are starting all over (SMH). No empathy or urgency what so ever on there part. They anticipate it could be 2-3 weeks more.The surprise was ruined, my proposal was delayed, and the emotional toll has been incredibly discouraging. Frank Darling may present themselves as a high-end, customer-focused jeweler, but my experience has been the exact opposite: disorganized, misleading, and lacking basic empathy or accountability.

I would strongly caution anyone considering this company for something as important as an engagement ring.

I will update this posting once I get my ring, Today is May 4 2025. I would hope that someone in upper management will respond to this review and take appropriate actions. I would like to have my ring by "mother sday" at least. It's embarrassing going to family gatherings without my fiancees ring. I will be posting my review on other platforms such as Yelp. No one should have to be subjected to this type of incompetence. I need someone in management to step up and do the...

I want to give an excellent detailed review because with an expensive purchase I think this can be very helpful to anyone looking. I was looking for a large 4-5 carat emerald cut diamond that had a slight pink tint to it and Kegan did not disappoint!! She worked so hard to find the right diamond and make sure it was beautiful. She knew I wanted a large spread so she worked to get me a 4+ carat with the spread of a 5 carat, which is NO EASY TASK. This not only saved me extra $$ but gave me a full finger look. I want to mention that my fingers are large 7 3/4 and that was also an issue for me because my fingers are not very small and I wanted a full finger look with a single stone. I also wanted no lower than vs2 which she delivered on as well. I wanted it set higher and in platinum with a hidden blue diamond underneath as something extra for me. She also was able to add that as well. I also prefer noticeable clipped corners on emeralds. She made sure of that too. I know you are probably thinking, Whoa, she is picky, and yes I was and yes I am. However, with all my requests Kegan delivered with such kindness and gave me options. She even will be very honest and say hey I really think this is the best option but it is up to you, and she will show you different pairings with the ring setting and diamond. This is important because it will really get you thinking. As a result of her detailed process, one of my colleagues and friend purchased her dream 3 carat diamond from Kegan the same month because she was blown away by my diamond she sourced (and she is wayyyyy pickier than me lol). She LOVESSSSSSS her diamond ring also. My hubby was so impressed that as a special treat, he allowed Kegan to source a SECOND ENGAGEMENT RING-- YES I SAID , SECOND, because it was so beautiful. I chose an Oval with a rose gold bezel for date nights that Kegan sourced. I had her also create 2 special bands for me to create a stack that I will add to her reviews later with pics. If you are looking for a HONEST diamond expert who wont hesitate to give you excellent advice, prices, ASET images, pairings, the WORKS, go to Kegan at Frank Darling. If anyone wants more pics of my ring(s) she made for me or even more info on my awesome process my instagram is pharmmom1984. I sincerely hope you choose her to create your dream ring! Ps. these pics are in awful lighting in my house so it looks all wonky, ask Kegan if you want beautiful clear pics of my diamond as...