STUART BENJAMIN & CO. JEWELRY DESIGNS — Local services in San Diego

AMAZING!!!! I generally do not post reviews but Stuart Benjamin & Co. Jewelry Designs deserve a review so I am taking the time do so. For those that like it short and sweet, Stuart and his team are the cream of the crop. Very professional, no pressure, extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and reasonably priced. I worked closely with Blake to design an engagement ring and he made the process exciting and fun for me. After getting computerized videos of the designs, he ordered actual molds for me to look at all at no cost. He kept me apprised through the whole process and at no time hounded me about making a purchase. It was absolutely refreshing and I wish I had found Stuart Benjamin & Co. Jewelry Designs years ago because I probably would not have waited so long to propose.

For those that like a long read, let me tell you......don't judge a book by it's cover. I had been to over 10 stores looking at engagement rings before pulling up in front of Stuart Benjamin & Co. Jewelry Designs. I had been to very well known stores and smaller, not so well known. My fiancé really likes filigree, so I wanted a ring that had that incorporated in the design. Literally every store I had been in before going to Stuart Benjamin the sales representative would look at me like I was speaking a foreign language when I would tell them I wanted a ring with filigree. I would have to explain to them what I was talking about and pull up pictures on my phone. Not very impressive since I'm having to educate someone about their own business. Anyway, when I pulled up in front of Stuart Benjamin, I literally thought to myself that the place looked like a store you would see in a mall. I almost didn't get out my car and just drove across the street to a more well known store but figured I was already there so I might as well go in.

After going in, I was immediately greeted by Jeff and Blake. They were easy going and very friendly. I was prepared to educate them about filigree and show them pictures of what I was talking about but when I said I was looking for an engagement ring with filigree, they both immediately knew exactly what I was talking about. I WAS FLOORED. Not only did they know what I was talking about, they pulled out a couple of cases of rings and started looking the rings over and pulling out rings with filigree. Additionally, they pulled out a catalog from a ring designer they work with who has been buy antique ring molds / stamps which was another option for me. Ultimately, I ended up designing a ring that day with the two of them and they ordered computerized images for me. It took less than a week for me to get the video. After reviewing the video, I had some changes and spoke with Blake who submitted the edits for another video to be made. Blake also had some suggestions / edits that he believed would enhance the rings appearance and offered those for me to consider which were spot on and I incorporated those into the design.

Once we believed the ring design was finalized, Blake ordered an actual cast mold of it so I could see it in person. There were two versions I was trying to decide between and asked Blake if it would be possible to order both. Without hesitation, Blake said no problem. Once I finalized which ring design I was going with, Blake worked with me on selecting a diamond. At no time did he try to "upsell" a diamond. He readily admitted there are certain characteristics of a diamond that you don't need to spend the money on for a high grade in that area because it truly does not affect the way the diamond appears.

At no time did Blake pressure me to buy anything, so much so I wasn't sure he wanted my business but then I realized that was his no pressure approach which was refreshing. When the ring came in, it was more than I expected and my fiancé loves it. She can't believe I designed it. Save yourself the headache of dealing with all the amateurs out there and deal with the professionals at Stuart Benjamin & Co....

First, Jeff was extremely helpful and informative on getting my fiancé's ring. He didn't try to upsell me or mislead me. I told him what I needed, and he showed me many options within my budget. He was upfront about the store policy on returns and recommended she not wear the ring in case she wants to return it, otherwise there would not be a full refund due to cleaning it and polishing it, which is exactly what happened after I proposed. When we returned to get my fiancé's engagement ring, Jeff was there again ready to help and get her the perfect ring.

Second, Amanda was equally amazing with me selecting my ring. She showed me many types of metals and even showed us a website where you can customize the ring and the site tells you how much you'll be spending as you're customizing. Amanda was also outstanding in communicating with me over the phone with getting the ring ordered. You see, she didn't pressure me to buy the ring in the store. It was more of a "take your time, customize, and let us know what you want" approach. This is exactly what I look for in a seller when I'm looking for any product. They respect your time and want you to stay within your budget, while also showing you their fantastic products. This was a excellent experience!

Mr. Benjamin was always upbeat and very friendly every time I walked into the store. Same with Jeff and Amanda. They are some of the friendliest salespeople I've ever dealt with. Very refreshing in this world of greed and hustle and bustle with getting a sale. Jeff and Amanda were also very informative about their lifetime annual ring cleaning and polishing policy, which is a really nice perk. I couldn't be more happy with the staff, product, and services. Thank you so much!

I highly recommend this place for wedding rings, engagement rings, and...

Blake was incredibly nice and professional. I came in on a Saturday to get my wife's ring resized. He looked at it under the magnifying glass, 4 smaller stones, 1 large stone, and 12 stones around the ring halo. He quoted me a price I was okay with, and I had my wife come in a few days later to actually size her finger and resize the ring. He even polished the ring up for her to see prior to her coming in, which was a nice touch.

Two weeks later, it's done, beautiful. My wife mentioned that Blake didn't remember her at all (which was interesting considering I can't imagine they have hundreds of people walking into the store every day or anything), but she was charged approx. $50 more than what I was quoted.

Few days later I call the store a little upset not understanding the price difference. He mentions that the quote I received was for under 4 stones on the ring... The ring that he physically looked at, under a magnifying glass, that clearly has 4 large stones, a large, main stone, and 12 smaller stones around the main stone halo.

Okay, that's understandable if this was a phone quote, or if I hadn't physically come in and spoken with him a few days prior to my wife coming for the resize (he didn't remember me either btw), or if he hadn't looked at the ring under a magnifying glass.

In either case I'll give them credit because they refunded me the difference between the quoted price and what we actually paid. My only issue is the lack of attention to detail when someone physically comes in and uses their time. Had I been quoted correctly initially, I likely would have gotten other quotes before making a decision. I likely still would have gone with the business since they're extremely professional and the labor...