Elegant Jewelers — Local services in San Jose

I don't trust these guys and won't be considering them in the future. Almost a year after purchasing my wedding ring through an Etsy seller, I started to have an allergic reaction. I sent images to the seller and she assured me that the palladium silver alloy did not contain any nickel, but was very open about the fact that it did contain copper and suggested that this could be what I was reacting to. Not as common as nickel, but still a common allergy. I had the ring plated with rhodium at Willow Glenn Diamond Company for about $25. The plating was splotchy-looking (they offered to re-plate it, but I never bothered) and protected me for maybe eight months. I had been hoping it would last a year. I chose to re-plate it at Elegant Jewelers because they were very highly rated. I guessed that they would do a better job, providing a coating that looked better and would protect me longer. Overall, the experience was pretty negative. They have a fast-talking tag team approach to customer service that makes it feel like they're ganging up on you and I don't appreciate it. They had far too much to say, including offering to craft me a new ring and some debate between the two of them about what to plate it with. One of them suggested gold and the other reminded him that gold contains copper. It also cost much more than the first plating - about $60. I ignored all the red flags, telling myself that I'm just introverted, that they must be tired from a long day (not remembering the copper in gold), that you get what you pay for and the internet says these guys are the best. A mere three months later, my skin began to react and the ring had a dark spot that looked like a chip out of the plating. I took it in and asked them about it. Follow this if you can: One of them latched hard onto my suggestion that the plating was chipped. He looked at it under the microscope and then repeatedly explained that it was the ring's solder showing through and that this is normal after a while. When I asked why I could see the solder through the rhodium, he just kept on explaining that it was the solder. I tried to tell him that I didn't care about the aesthetic of the solder and that I wanted to know why I was having an allergic reaction again so soon. While the first guy continued to talk about solder, the other fellow started trying to tell me that I was probably allergic to nickel, not copper. He asked if I bought it online and said online sellers often lie about what their rings are made of. I asked why I would be reacting to copper or nickel if the ring was plated and he said that some of whatever I'm allergic to could maybe still get through. Then he said that rhodium plating could only be expected to last six months, in any case. I pointed out that it had only been three months and he shrugged and said three to six months. They also talked about how it depends on the method of plating the ring and how thick the plating is and how this was a good plating and had a layer of gold underneath. I asked them doesn't gold have copper in it (because that's what I heard them say on the first visit) and they said no, not this gold. Then they both started suggesting that I apply a clear nail polish because that apparently offers better protection from copper than a layer of rhodium. They were very apologetic and very fast-talking and offered no further assistance or compensation. I was uncomfortable enough that I decided it was worth the sixty dollars to not have to deal with them anymore. My wife had already quietly decided that they were lying to our faces and angrily walked out without a word. As I excused myself, they insisted that I should send pictures to the seller and that it was probably nickel and that I should try nail polish. The seller was very forthright about the copper content of the ring and I have no reason to believe that she would lie and say that it contained copper in order to cover up some amount of nickel. As for Elegant Jewelers, I'm not sure what their deal is, but I have the uneasy feeling that I've been...

‼️This place has multiple problems.‼️ I was recommended to come here by Jen’s statement jewelry in Los Gatos Because, “they do Custom work, repairs, casting, and they have all the bench equipment in-house and I use them all the time.” OK, so found out that’s not true about casting, custom and basic skill sets. See below. Before coming, I called and spoke to Bona. Made it clear over the phone that I needed an earring back replacement and I was looking to get an existing ring recast in precious metal and other stuff. Additionally, I let him know I’ve been getting all kinds of different price points and I want somebody who’s actually doing the work or will let me know upfront if they’re using a metal casting service in India or LA (which many do and apparently Elegant does too). At this point, I know more about some of the process and material value than an unscrupulous or greedy jeweler would like me to know. Of course, with jewelry, people have to look at things and so I came in person for him. Several Problems: For a pair of gold plated earrings, I asked about swapping out 40 @ 2.5 mm settings with moissanites (which retail online $ You can get a bag of them that size for about 20 to 22 stones for about $20-$30 total). He initially quoted me $28 each/per stone. Added he could discount a little as buying 40. 😣 Then he insisted really should do lab diamonds or diamonds for all the stones. You don’t stick 40 diamonds in a pair of plated earrings. That doesn’t make sense on any level. 😫 And then he went the lab diamond rec & would give me the discounted price of only $700 for 40 lab grown 2.5mm diamonds (u can get online retail $200 for 22 stones @ VVS1). Plus a couple hundred for labor. Or ttl $950 + tax added in to plated earrings. 😖 I told him none of this made any sense on a price value scale, and that it was at the point of I could take the same amount of money and buy solid 14 karat new with real diamond. 😒 He then made the case that going with cheaper “moissanite is a problem because they are softer and he would be working with an existing setting and that both those things could create problems with the setting and problems with the stones.” 🤔 Wow - So basically diamond is a 10 on the hardness scale and moissanite is 2nd at 9.25 which is why everybody is using them as a replacement for diamond engagement rings. So he’s saying that they are so incapable on their skill level with working with an existing setting (they don’t craft settings as already discovered So existing settings is all they ever work with) And they can’t manage the 2nd hardest stone without it being a...

I met Bona of Elegant Jewelers on Halloween afternoon in 2005. My Halloween costume required that I wear a fake wedding ring, and I was having a heck of a time finding anything in my ring size, which back then was a super tiny 3.5. I stopped by Elegant Jewelers when it was still a kiosk at Vallco and got to talking to Bona about my predicament; he helped me pick out the perfect gold and cz ring and sized it to a 3.5 while I waited. In the meantime we talked about how I had just started working for a fine jewelry store at Valley Fair. He told me he had a laser solder machine (a huge asset and convenience for a jeweler, especially in 2005 but still very relevant today) and that if my store ever needed work done to let him know. I politely thanked him for the offer, but let him know we already had a jeweler we were working with. After that, every time I passed his kiosk he would recognize me and say hi. I purchased a few pieces from him over the years and had work done, which I was always impressed with, but what really stood out to me was how good a person Bona was, besides his great talent. He literally had one interaction with me and that was all it took for him to remember and create a business relationship with me. I was immediately impressed. Fast forward to 2014. I'm still working for the same company, and a situation occurs that leads to us needing some emergency work done a few weeks before Christmas. My boss asks if anyone knows anyone, I say that I do. Elegant Jewelers has been the primary local jeweler for all alteration and repair work for my store ever since. Fast forward to 2016, my boss retires and I am promoted to store manager. Bona has continued to provide excellent work & service. He is always available to help me in case of an emergency and his assistants consistently perform to the highest level as well. I am very grateful for our partnership and would not trust anyone else locally with my...