Marks Of Design — Local services in Shelton

An update: My Mom passed away last St. Patrick's Day at 3:17 AM. She was the granddaughter of Irish immigrant pioneers, welcomed all as family had a vivacious personality and a contagious laugh. In my sorrow, I looked for something to commemorate her... artwork? a tattoo? jewelry? I'd been to Kate's original store and loved its intimacy and flair and decided to try the current location.

Jennifer was understanding as I told her my goal and we perused the entire store looking for that something that said 'Mom' to me. In the end, nothing was perfect... .until... I peeked at a display that faced the sidewalk and saw .the. ring. It was unique, sparkly and green which summed up my mom's persona and heritage. I cried and smiled with such joy.

As an odd aside, Mom would send me checks for Christmas and birthdays to do something special which I could never figure out. After her death my share of the cash and coins found in her home paid for the this ring and the repair of her mother's engagement ring. With her death, I finally bought something special from her. Thank you, Mom.

After over a decade of indecision and anxiety, I entrusted what was left of my grandmother's 100 year old engagement ring to Kate Marks of Marks of Design. While the setting was intact, the intricate filigree on the shoulder was irreparably damaged when the ring was unevenly cut off during an emergency.

Kate's skillful artistry, discerning eye and level of excellence recreated the beautiful ring which embodies the spirit of Grandmother Kathleen who died tragically when my mom was two.

This ring is doubly treasured because I was named after the loving mother my mom never knew and amplified by the heartache of my mom’s recent passing which surpassed my angst of having it repaired. The damaged ring is now whole bringing joy and gentle comfort as I wear it.

Kate, thank you for your exquisite work and compassionate understanding with this jewelry of my heart. You are wonderful part of...

I bought my wife's original wedding set from Zales and in 2015 had the center marquise upgraded to a certified larger marquise and placed in a new prong head that accommodated the larger diamond. Recently the whole prong head and diamond came completely off the ring and we weren't able to find it. Even though we have had the ring cleaned and serviced, we did not have our sheet signed by the store so this was Zales' way of not covering the poor craftsmanship that led to the whole prong with new diamond falling out. I will not buy anything else from Zales. Fortunately, I met Kate through my college student's friend at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. From introduction through the delivery of my wife's renewed wedding band, Kate was the true professional in customer service and her resident knowledge comforted us that we had made the right choice by having her personally select the replacement marquise from Antwerp and setting it in my wife's band. When my wife received her ring back, she was completely speechless and of course tears in the eyes. Not only was the ring beautifully recrafted but the delivery presentation was out of this world. Over the top, beautiful card, diamond shaped chocolates, and kind words. Now that is how you conduct a reputable business. This type of service is truly missed over the years. Kate, you did one hell of a job, thank you so much! For those of you who are shopping for wedding rings, I would certainly avoid the big box stores and make this process very enjoyable and memorable.

Thanks again and Semper Fidelis, Leonard and Sherry Arias...

I had to get my wedding band and engagement ring resized. Both rings had to desperately be resized as they were flying off my finger. I went in on a Saturday afternoon and asked if they would resize them for me. I was immediately impressed with the cheerful and upbeat sales person that answered all my questions and took to analyzing my rings. She continued to chat with me and go over the process and made sure I was completely comfortable with my new ring size choice (we went back and forth on the size). Once I was satisfied she completed my order and let me know when I could expect them to be done. The price and turnaround time was more than fair. A little over a week later I received a call that they were done (earlier than expected) and was told I could come by anytime during business hours to pick it up. I headed over to the store the next day and I couldn’t of been more happy with how the rings looked. Not only were they sized perfectly but were clean and super sparkly. I don’t think I could remember the last time they sparkled like that. Once again the sales person that rung me up (different person from my first visit) was cheerful, friendly and engaging. I would highly recommend Marks of Design for any of your jewelry needs! BTW I did browse and their selection is just breathtaking so many beautiful pieces. Next time I stop by will be...