Nick Engel & Co. — Local services in San Francisco

Nick is a friend, and I know him to be an incredibly kind and generous person. But even if I didn't know that about him, I would still go to him for jewelry, because he makes amazing stuff and is awesome to work with!

I have multiple pieces from Nick's shop and I love all of them. His style is modern and clean, but unique and eye-catching. I have two sets of earrings (the epaulette studs and the talon earring threaders,) and every time I wear them I get compliments on them. They go with everything; I've worn them with casual clothes (I basically wear the epaulette studs every day) and dressed up and they always look great.

After getting those, I decided to bring some heirloom jewelry to Nick to remake into a custom piece. I had several items that had been sitting in a box for years; I was very attached to them because of the sentimental value, but they just weren't really my style so I wasn't wearing them. I worked with Nick and one of his team members, Alia, to design a necklace using the gems from one of my grandmother's rings. It was such a good experience! They sent me several design options, and were really responsive; I was able to give feedback and felt like they really listened as they iterated on the necklace, but at the same time they made sure to give their expertise so I would get something I really loved. (For instance, we were going to go with an asymmetric design, but when they made the metal frame it just didn't look quite right, so they sent me a photo and showed me a couple options to make it look more balanced.) I just picked it up today and it looks SO GOOD!! I know I'm going to be able to wear it every day and think of my grandmother, rather than having something that just sits in a box.

Overall, I feel like everything I have from Nick's store was well worth the price, and this custom piece even more so because of the sentimental value attached to it. He and his team are totally professional and I had a great time working with them. I can't wait to get started on...

I've worked with Nick Engel & Co not once but twice to create truly unforgettable one-of-a-kind pieces that are a lasting part of my family history. In both cases, Nick Engel and team have been incredible partners and communicators and I couldn't have had a better experience.

When it comes to helpfulness and communication, the team knocks it out of the park. They'll get as hands on or hands off as you need and they really know their stuff. Alia has gone out of her way multiple times to help me through metal selection and an understanding of the ring creation process (from sketch to CAD to wax to final form). Nick literally taught me how to evaluate diamonds and I got the perfect one because of him. And Kathy helped me size the rings to get the perfect fits both times.

Beyond helpfulness, this is a team that somehow balances clear expertise with a huge sense of collaboration. With my grandfather's ring, I really put the ultimate creation in their hands but had a few pieces of inspiration and they made something amazing. For the engagement ring, I had a very specific idea of what I wanted and they also obliged - letting me be the director and creator. It was such an awesome experience!

When it comes to price and value, it's honestly amazing that they do so much for such a reasonable price. I did a lot of research beforehand, but there's just no place that's the best combination of value and having that local presence for meeting in person to go through details. And throughout the process, they sent a bunch of photos and in progress pictures that have been awesome for memories.

Really couldn't have asked for a better outcome for such an important series of essential pieces of my family history. So thrilled to work with them and excited for our ring-making...

I have many amazing pieces of Nick's custom jewelry. The first I received was one of his peak rings - I couldn't love it more. It is delicate but also impactful - I've gotten so many compliments on it. It's a timeless piece that I can wear alone or easily stacked with other rings.

The second most important piece of jewelry I have that Nick created is my engagement ring. Nick secretly designed and created my beautiful engagement ring with my boyfriend. I am one picky b&#!h, and the fact that he created something that fits my style so perfectly without any input from me speaks volumes to his talent and discerning eye. It's different than most traditional rings, which is what I love about it. I know I am biased, but it is STUNNING. I've gotten so many compliments on it (even more than my peak ring!).

My husband and I also did a wedding band design workshop with Nick and our custom-made bands are so precious to us given that we made them for each other. Nick and his team made the whole day so fun and it was amazing to see how much of the actual ring-making we did ourselves.

But beyond Nick's obvious talent as a jeweler, he is an amazing person. If you are at all thinking about doing a custom piece or his wedding band workshop, DO IT. I recommended him to my brother when he was having trouble getting basic information from bigger jewelers about wedding bands, and Nick answered all of his questions and helped him even though he didn't end up buying the bands from Nick. He is patient and kind, and makes you feel completely at ease in his world (I have no experience whatsoever with fine jewelry and have always felt intimidated in jewelry shops). I can't wait to add more of his pieces to...