Fiat Lux — Local services in San Francisco

I have gotten a total of three piercings at Fiat Lux, a cartilage piercing and my second ear lobe piercings. Getting the piercings was always fine, if a little expensive, and one time I had a fantastic and kind piercer and another time it was fine.

However, I’ve been really frustrated with my experience with their “warranty” on BVLA pieces. For my cartilage piercing, which was my first piercing besides one hole in each ear which I got at a piercing pagoda in the mall when I was 13, the team sold me a piece with a small black diamond in it. The post broke off the piece while it was in my ear within a few weeks, and I luckily found the front half on my floor. When I heard they had a warranty, I brought it back.

They shipped it to BVLA, it took 6 ish weeks to get back, all good. But when I picked it up, first, they asked me to pay for a new backing, which I did. Then they told me to be careful putting it on because “this piece is really fragile and the posts break off all the time.”

Sure enough, when I tried to take the back off it to put it on, the piece broke immediately. I texted them to let them know (it was less than a half hour later) that the post had broken off again. They said again “those teardrop pieces can be a bit delicate” and said they’d rush ship it off. I asked if I could swap it for a different, more stable piece given it’s for my cartilage piercing and it has now broken twice and that’s a spot that gets snagged (hair, clothes, I wear glasses).

They said there are no exchanges on body jewelry. I said I understood, but they’d now told me twice that the piece was incredibly fragile. In fact, when I brought the piece in for repair, the salesperson told me that these pieces actually have broken when she tries to remove the backs, or when she has put them into envelopes. Still, the best she could offer was to do a threaded back which would hopefully stay more stable (or change it to a loose charm, which I can’t imagine would be more steady, and where I’d have to buy a different piece to put it on??). I guess we’ll find out in 6-8 weeks when it’s back from BVLA.

But I’m pretty frustrated- if they had told me the piece was so fragile, I wouldn’t have bought it for the $225 or whatever it cost- I’m worried the front piece will fall off again and they confirmed they wouldn’t do a warranty repair if I can’t bring the front in.

It just seems like for the high cost (and markup) at Fiat Lux they’d want to make something like this right. It just seems off for a place that specializes in selling jewelry to sell earrings that cannot regularly hold up to being taken on and off.

Just disappointed! Love the aesthetic of the pieces they sell, but I can’t really fathom buying from them again. The whole point of spending a billion dollars there is that you get their advice...

A Remarkable Experience at this Place

The moment I stepped into this place, I knew my vacation in San Francisco would take an extraordinary turn. It was the kind of place that would save the day, especially for my little daughter, who happens to have autism. Our world turned upside down when an incident occurred with her piercing. In a moment of unfortunate negligence, her earring had managed to slip all the way into her ear. Panicked, I immediately reached out to various piercing studios, desperately searching for someone who could help us in our time of need.

Then, like a ray of sunshine, a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed gentleman answered my call. I regret not knowing his name, but I will forever be grateful to him for coming to our rescue. He swiftly attended to my daughter, understanding the urgency of the situation. With incredible patience and kindness, he gently reassured her, dispelling her fears and anxieties. I could see a sense of tranquility washing over her even before we arrived at the studio.

Once there, the young man skillfully addressed the situation, delicately fixing her piercing with great precision. Witnessing the joy that lit up my daughter's face when she realized her earring was restored, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with gratitude. It was a moment of pure happiness, a testament to the exceptional care she received in this place.

I wholeheartedly recommend this place to everyone. Not only did they treat us with utmost respect and hospitality, but they went above and beyond in accommodating an unexpected emergency for my precious little girl. In that critical moment, they showed us compassion, understanding, and an unwavering commitment to our well-being.

To the staff of this extraordinary establishment, thank you. Thank you for being there when we needed you the most. Your kindness and expertise turned a potential disaster into a heartwarming memory. We will forever cherish the experience we had at your place and hold it close to our hearts.

In a world where genuine care and understanding can be hard to come by, this place is a shining beacon of hope and compassion. May your kindness continue to touch the lives of others, just as it has...

I came in to look at a few specific pieces that I had been drooling over on the online shop and instagram for a bit now. (I'm kind of an independent / handmade / small business jewelry junkie.) I've purchased from the online store but haven't had the chance to come into the physical store until today. I was helped right away and got to try on all the things! Shoutout to Rebecca who is the most helpful person in the world, who pulled out a bunch of items that I asked for and a bunch of others to try based off of what she saw of my style and whatnot. I saw her and the piercer (Perry, I believe?) being super kind and helpful to everyone who came in. I managed to narrow down my original wishlist and increase it by a few items as well. There was no pressure to buy on the spot (which is great, because I needed to think about what rings I wanted and which fingers to wear them on) Can't wait to come back and get pierced or purchase...