Hephaestus Jewelry — Local services in Palm Springs

I purchased a ring from this store in 2005. Two weeks after owning it the stone fell out. And there was a large crack on the back of the band. I took it back to the store and the owner said it was the fault of the person he had size the ring and he would have them replace the stone and fix the band. This year, I read an article that single diamond stones increase in value as time goes on. So I took it along with my original receipt and asked a jeweler what he thought it would be wirth today. The first thing he said to me was, well to begin with your receipt states that it is an 18K white gold band. It is not. It is only a 14K white gold band. So you were sold this ring under fraudulent terms. Then he looked at the stone and said, why would you pay this much for a ring with such a huge inclusion in it. I said that is impossible. When I bought the ring the owner made me look at the stone through a loop to see what a great quality stone it was. It did have a few flecks but no huge inclusion. When I looked at it again with the local jeweler I saw a huge crack in the stone. I tried calling the store and was only able to leave a voice message as no one answered. I tried three times, leaving a voice message each time. With no return call, I posted a bad review on YELP. A couple of weeks later I received a response from the owner on YELP asking me to send him a copy of my original receipt as he wanted to get to the bottom of the situation. After send a copy of my original receipt he sent me another email asking for pictures of the ring from the top and sides, up close. I obliged although I don’t know what he could tell from a picture. A few weeks went by and he posted another response on YELP. He was outraged that I would post a bad review on something that I purchased 14 years ago. I don’t know what the time frame has to do with anything. He went on and on about how he has so many happy customers and that I was trying to extort money out of him. All I asked for was that he take the ring back and give me a refund since my receipt stated it was 18K white gold and in actuality it was only 14K white gold and that he had replaced my original stone with one of much less quality and value. He could take the ring back, sell it in his store and sell it for the value of the ring based on the actual gold content and the value of the stone currently in it. In his rant on YELP, he admitted he wrote 18k white gold instead of 14K white gold ‘as a mistake’. According to the Federal Trade Commission, he can call it a mistake or whatever he wants, but that it’s considered fraud. I was telling a friend on mine about this who lives in FL. He said his boss had the same situation happen to him with this store. He and his partner had him make their wedding bands. A few days after the wedding, the stone in his ring had fallen out. He took it back and the stone was replaced. When he got back to FL where he lives he had the ring appraised. He told my friend that they had replaced the stone with one of much less quality and value. And this guy didn’t want to say anything because he was a friend of the owner of the store. So if he would do that to a friend, I imagine he would have no problem doing it to a stranger. It’s a small world finding the same situation happened to someone else and my finding out. About it. Do NOT trust this guy and do NOT buy...

I discovered Hephaestus and it's owner Jef over a decade ago. It started with simple, affordable purchases, and when I realized his goldsmith background and unique designs the fun really began. He set my grandmother's 1.5 carat European cut diamond from the 1880s in a brush white gold tension setting. He next redid my mother's platinum wedding band with 3 baguettes into a pipe cut setting so the "family" stones were together. I've purchased many unique pieces over the years and his customer service/responsiveness is only top notch. My referrals from family and close friends all have been appreciative of the suggestion.

In downtown Palm Springs Wed - Sat, stop by and peek. But if you have items you never use and want to repurpose, Jef has amazing creative skills in sketching out a design in just minutes. Sad that so many women keep engagement rings in the safety deposit box after a divorce and NEVER think to reset them into something useful!

He has something in every price range which is a...

My then Fiancé and I stumbled across the most amazing boutique jewelers 23 years ago and we have never shopped anywhere else. Jef at Hephaests made my original wedding ring in 2021, he did my 20 year wedding ring redo not too long ago and my husband and I have gotten everything in between (jewelry wise) since then. If Jef doesn't have it - he can make it. Hephaestus has been and will always be our go-to, literally the Best of the Best in the...