Valerie Madison Fine Jewelry — Local services in Seattle

UPDATED REVIEW: Thank you to Valerie for her reply to my original review regarding the COVID occupancy/appointment restrictions and how they impacted my experience. I understand things are not only difficult right now but very dynamic and trust that the VM team has been working out the kinks. Also special thanks to Liz for helping me out with a ring sizing issue on their webpage!

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I will preface this review that I love Valerie’s designs and the quality of materials used.

For months I’ve been looking at an Aura Bezel Moisannite and finally talked my husband into looking at this ring as an anniversary gift. I called a week in advance and made an appointment. While on the phone, I talked to the consultant and said the appointment was geared towards my husband looking at the rings with me. I mentioned my sister may join, to which the consultant cautioned me that there was a two-person limit per appointment so they would have to swap off coming in/out of the shop and that there was a strict 30 minute appointment window. I was good with all of this because I understand things are different in the time of COVID.

When I arrived on time for my appointment, there was another customer in the shop - so they would only let me in. Again, this was ok with me as I understood the two-person policy. I asked the VM team if my husband would still have time, and they assured me we’d be okay since the other customer was wrapping up. Well, the other customer wasn’t wrapping up - they made multiple phone calls during their visit and didn’t leave until 25 minutes into my 30 minute appointment window. During this time I was able to get sized and look at two stacking rings I wanted to purchase with my sister for our mother. Once the other customer left, my husband was finally allowed to join so we began looking at rings together. Within three minutes of my husband entering the shop the next appointment arrived, another couple, and Valerie approached us asking how long we would be since “they had the next appointment waiting.” My husband said he may need 25 minutes since the other customer ate up our appointment time and Valerie said the appointments were only geared to one person at a time. Since I’ve been dreaming of this ring for a while I told her “How about 10 minutes?” She replied, “Ehh what about five?” I said I didn’t know if that would be possible since my husband had literally just joined us and the whole purpose of the appointment was for him to see the ring with me. This interaction left a bad feeling in my stomach - I’m buying 3 rings, spending over $2,500 and I felt like I was getting pushed out compared to the previous customer who ran 25 minutes over without a purchase! In the end I ordered all three rings since I love the designs.

When I was checking out, I could clearly see on their appointment book my name along with “and partner” - so they knew I was always planning to bring someone and had told them he was an important part of this purchase. I also saw the listing for the appointment after us (the couple Valerie told would need to wait 5-10 minutes), and the listing very clearly had two names (which contradicts what Valerie told me about the appointments being geared toward one person). While I was checking out, Valerie allowed this couple in together to begin browsing (so three customers in the store rather than two), a courtesy my husband and I were not allowed. I understand this was the first day of their new COVID occupancy restrictions, but the experience wasn’t pleasant due to how Valerie and her staff handled it.

Like I said, I love her designs, which is why I was a sure sale from the get go, but the way we were treated as paying customers was appalling [especially since 1) we were not late, 2) Valerie and her staff did NOTHING to pressure the appointment ahead of us to hurry up or respect the time limit, 3) we felt like we were being penalized for their first appointment running 25...

Alrighty, here we go.....

So I was first connected with Valerie about 3-4 years ago by one of my closest friends who had gotten some custom jewelry made and couldn not have been happier about not only the working relationship, but also the finished product. Now we live in Texas, and let me be very clear, I AM VERY OPPOSED TO ONLINE SHOPPING. I like to be able to walk in to an establishment, pick up what I want, try it on, try it out, see if it’s exsctly what I want, and then hand them money and leave with what I’m buying. Using an out of state Jewler made me very nervous and uncomfortable at first I’m not going to lie, but my friend was so over the top about his experience with Valerie that I trusted him and gave it shot. The first phone call I made to her was awesome, I explained exactly what I was looking for and how i really wanted my then fiancé’s engagement ring to be unique and customized so I could truly say it was a one of kind. Valerie included me in the entire design process and really valued and listened to my ideas and input, it truly felt like we were working together and that she cared as much as I did about what we were making. When it was all said and done the ring was absolute flawless, my then fiancé was beyond in love with it and we literally couldn’t go anywhere without some commenting on how gorgeous it was. Valerie had absolute done it and I couldn’t have been happier or more proud of not only the experience but the ring we’d created TOGETHER!!! So many people who are creative become successful and get comfortable recreating what has worked in the past and rather than listening to a new idea of what someone wants, they try to convince them that something they already have made is better, “and here’s why.....” Not Valerie, it was obvious she cared far more about making sure I got exactly what I wanted than it was for her to sell me something she already had.

Fast forward a few years and a toddler later and this beautiful I’ve told you about just so happens so be laying on a counter our toddler can reach, and just do happens to get involved in some activities a ring of such beauty should never be involved with. Needless to say, it was broken, a prong had been bent and now the center stone would wiggle if it was touched wrong. Luckily for me my wife and I were approaching our 2nd anniversary and I had already been kicking around the idea of upgrading my wife’s stone as a gift. I called Valerie and mentioned only my first name and she immediately remembered not only me and the ri g to perfection, but also the friend who referred me and everything about what he’d ordered as well. I explained what happened and that I was going to upgrade the stone and we went right back to work. She’d explained to me that since it was a custom piece originally and we’d made it match the wedding band as well that in order to guarantee it match exactly she’d need the original ring back as a guide. She sent me a shipping label them at I returned back not so promptly and a few weeks later she called to confirm it was complete.Valerie also sent progress pictures at almost every step of the way too so I literally knew exactly which stage of production we were at at all time, I really appreciated that.

The day finally cane when the ring arrived and if it was possible the wife’s response was even better than round 1, Valerie had done it yet it and here I stand reeping all the credit and praise.

As a complete surprise to me Valerie also took the initiative to repair my wife’s original ring and send it back to us at no additional charge what so ever. She said she figured it held sentimental value to my wife and wa Ted to make sure she had it to cherish. Absolutely unbelievable.

Valerie Madison is the real deal and I cannot express enough how talented she is with not only her jewelry making but her customer service skills as well. Amazing work Valerie, you have a customer and advocate for life in us, thank you for...

This is a review for a July 2023 online purchase of an engagement ring.

Timeline of events: On July 6th, I made the $3,200 purchase. I put in the notes that I needed the ring in by the week of August 1st because I planned an out-of-town proposal.

On July 6th, I received an email from Valerie Madison (VM) stating that the production team was on vacation and that the ring would be resized and shipped out by the week of July 24th (great news because they could meet my date).

On the night of July 12th, I contacted Valerie Madison (VM) by email letting them know that I had to move my travel dates up, and the date of the 24th would not work for me any longer. The same night of July 12th I purchased another ring that was available for immediate shipping from a different company. I did this BEFORE I had the chance to talk with someone at VM (I was getting nervous because I saw another ring that night and it was ready to ship and within my budget and I wanted to get it before someone else purchased it). Thinking about it now, I probably jumped the gun by buying the other ring before talking to them. At the time I was thinking that they were still on vacation and had not started the resize.

The 13th I was able to speak with someone from Valerie Madison about cancelling the order. VM informed me that the ring had already began production and offered me a gift card for $3,200. I will be transparent and will say that I went back and looked, and I did check a box that all sales are final and no refunds/exchanges.

The $3,200 gift card is a nice gesture and I do appreciate that. Having said that I would have preferred to take the 10% restocking fee if offered instead of the gift card. I do appreciate that they worked with me in the end, and I am not leaving a bad review (4 stars).

Just wish I was offered a cancellation with a 10% restocking fee ($320) for their time and effort (the ring was not extravagant and looked to be a standard resize- cut and solder; talking to some local jewelers, an hour of time max on the bench). The $3,200 is a lot of money for us and money that was set aside for my wedding that is no longer available. So, 4 stars – taking one star off because I think they could have worked with me a little more on the deal since the ring wasn’t out of production yet and...