Sea of Silver — Local services in Santa Monica

I bought a hand-made ring at the downtown jewelry district and wanted to swap out the center stone without making the trek through L.A. traffic. When my search for a jewelry repair shop in Santa Monica began, I braced myself because I feared that the prices by the beach would be high like the gas prices. So I wanted to find a small, family owned business--something that's been around forever in one of those old, 1940s constructed strip malls where rent is cheap and savings get passed onto customers. That's what I found in Sea of Silver, minus the 1940s strip mall.

Perusing Google Maps, I called several stores that fit the bill of what I envisioned but the jeweler seemed brash and/or rushed, shaking my enthusiasm for the process ahead of me. When I called Michael from Sea of Silver I had a different experience. The quality and caring nature of his voice as he explained things instantly made me want to do business with him. He offered me a very reasonable quote and I didn't make another phone call once I hung up.

Now, Sea of Silver had just been the next row in my Google search results so I was surprised when Michael directed me to his shop at the Santa Monica mall above Nordstroms. I thought that someone so kind and caring wouldn't have a store in such a prime, high-end location. The price he gave me didn't match the mall stereotype. My expectation was proven wrong in a very positive way.

To make the rest of my story short, I had one of the best times kibitzing (Yiddish term for bantering) with Michael and his wife as we became instant friends. My ring turned out beautifully. I ended up getting it engraved and Michael went the extra mile to polish and shine it up. When I got it back it looked like an entirely different (and better) ring than the one I initially brought to him. I couldn't stop staring at it.

Being a business owner myself, I can tell you that Michael is a man of integrity and Sea of Silver does very well for itself. It's clear that they attract so many repeat customers that they don't feel pressured to price gouge any particular customer to make rent like some jewelers do. I can sense that it took them a long time to build up their reputation and make it big, and that's why they're able to offer the prices they do--they play for the long haul.

Michael also has a heart of gold. His follow up to confirm things, like the date I needed the ring back for my engagement, was impeccable. And he even followed up after the engagement to see how it went! Funny enough I had already sent him the pictures via the sea of Silver Facebook the night before - which he hadn't yet checked that day - so we were both on each others' minds!

Not to mention, he is one of those people who won't rest until the job is done right by his standards, which are higher than my own. Working with Michael felt like having a jeweler in the family. And now he's my go-to guy. If you would've told me several weeks ago that my favorite jeweler would be one in the Santa Monica mall I would've scoffed (mistakenly thinking they'd be like Zales). But Michael's family business is one of a kind and their location is just proof that great work gets rewarded with lots of return customers and 5 star reviews.

I'd even go as far to say that Michael is the best jeweler not only in Santa Monica but also the downtown jewelry district (where he doesn't even have a location). Seriously, I spent an entire day going into the jewelry mart downtown and canvassing the adjacent shops. Downtown's overrated. Sea of Silver is where it's at. But, for me personally, Michael and his wife make me feel like I'm in a Sea of Gold. :]

P.S. the custom pieces featuring Roman gold are truly as amazing as they are awe inspiring--like wearing historical artifacts that double as high fashion. I've never seen anything like them. They're on my list for a future holiday present to my fiancé once I rebound from...

Owner was super kind and helpful. Bought a very nice chain and pendant, and my friend bought some jewelry as well. The owner was very knowledgeable on all the jewelry he had, he even has jewelry he handmade himself, and offers to modify the jewelry you buy to any specific size. The best thing I brought home with me from my trip to LA is certainly the jewelry I bought here, and I definitely recommend this place to anyone for all of their...

I traveled to LA for a school trip and my friends and I were walking around kinda bored and i saw this place and thought oh i made jewelry in one of my classes and thought maybe ill take a look, i walk in and he guy was very welcoming, never was pushy gave me a great deal on one of the rings but i had to refuse cause i didn't have that kind of cash in my pocket at the time so i said bye and i was happy just to even...