Dahlkemper's Jewelry Connection — Local services in Summit Township

I am writing to share my recent experience with Dahlkemper’s Jewelry Connection on Peach Street, which unfortunately left me deeply disappointed.

At the age of 13, I purchased a 14K gold necklace for my mother during a trip. Thirteen years later, the necklace broke, and I sought out a repair service. After visiting several local jewelry repair shops for quotes and time frames, I decided to trust Dahlkemper’s Jewelry Connection, given their strong reputation in the community.

On Saturday, August 9th, we brought the necklace in for repair. The representative informed us that the repair would take approximately two weeks and cost $45 plus tax. Interestingly, the representative wrote my contact details on the back of an envelope—when I looked at the envelope later there was no writing on the back (odd, right!?)

However, just two days later, on August 11th, I received a text notifying me that the repair was complete—barely a business day after we had dropped it off. I was surprised by the quick turnaround and assumed the repair had been straightforward. We paid for the repair and took the necklace home, eager to place the pendant back on it.

Upon further inspection, we noticed something alarming: the necklace seemed shorter. Comparing it to photographs from before the repair, it was clear that the length had been reduced. My mother, who wears the necklace daily and never takes it off, immediately noticed the change.

We returned to the store to review the repair slip and check their measurements. Sure enough, the necklace was a full inch shorter than before the repair. In addition, the quality of the repair itself was glaringly poor, as evidenced in the attached image.

After discussing the issue with the store staff, they refunded us for the repair and returned a small amount of gold scrap—only $6—stating that gold tends to turn into "dust" during the repair process (while they should have refunded my mom for the terrible repair and paid her for the inch of gold that was missing. Or, they should have inspected the necklace and said we are not able to repair this. Nope, neither scenarios occurred.). Not once were we informed that an inch of gold would be removed, nor was there any prior communication about such a significant alteration. It’s as though they assumed we wouldn’t notice.

This experience reminded me of when one changes tires and the tire shop asks if you want the old tires back. Most people would say no, but many people do repurpose old tires, turning them into flower gardens or other creative projects. In that moment, even the worn-out tire—something that seems like trash to some—has value to others. The same can be said for that inch of gold that was removed from the necklace. It holds value, both in monetary terms and sentimental significance, and I firmly believe that it deserved to be communicated to us before the repair was carried out.

I am profoundly disappointed by the lack of transparency, care, and communication regarding such a sentimental piece of jewelry. For a business that has been in operation for over 30 years, one would expect a much higher standard of service and a greater sense of respect for customer concerns. This experience has left me questioning the integrity of a business that I thought could be trusted and feeling absolutely terrible for suggesting this business for the repair of my...

My original review is below. I never my mentioned by wife by name on purpose, out of respect. In their response, they call her out by name. WILD. Odd that a jewelry store would do something objectively low class like that. Be careful what you say about them publicly, I guess.

I’ve spent well over $20,000 at this store the past few years. Most of their staff is great. Unfortunately, the past few times I went, the lady helping me always (strongly) steered me away from my original choice and towards something else. She did the same thing for my wife’s engagement ring. It was frustrating and anxiety inducing when she was the one to help us. Most recently, I bought an expensive pair of earrings for my wife or late December or early January. I told them it was for a Valentines Day present to my wife, and they knew we had a newborn at home. I was told if she didn’t like the earrings, they could be exchanged for something else. When my wife called a few months later in March (after she got them on Valentines) because she preferred something else, they told her it was too late and would not even give a credit. They had never been worn. They told her it was a 30-day limit. Yet when I bought the earrings, they knew it was a Valentine’s Day present that would not be opened for almost 45 days later. The response they give below directly conflicts with what they told my wife on the phone. Under these circumstances, what they did and what they say below is deceptive. Just as important, after spending over $20k in a short period, you’d expect some more latitude, especially for a local shop. Instead, they were unnecessarily rude on the phone to my wife and rude in their response below....

I would 10/10 recommend Dahlkemper’s for all of your jewelry needs. My family has been shopping with them for 30+ years. Most recently, was our engagement ring and wedding bands! I have since moved to Pittsburgh, but I told my now husband that my only proposal requirement was that he went to Dahlkemper’s! They helped him choose, order, and pick up the ring without me ever noticing he went to Erie and back! Picking our bands was difficult for me— I was very indecisive about it, but the team at Dahlkemper’s did not rush me and helped me through multiple sessions of trying on just about every band that they had until I picked my favorite! They also helped me customize my grandmothers wedding ring so that I could wear it on my opposite hand on our wedding day— the integrity of the original ring was upheld and it turned out perfect! I will also share when I took my ring for a cleaning someone outside of the store had lost lumber in the middle of Peach St. I sent my husband to help him, and soon there after Dahlkemper’s staff was also out helping and offering them water. I found that to be above and beyond! Their care for their customers is exceptional and I know I will always get the best quality jewelry from them! There’s no one else to shop with better than...