MODERN JEWELERS — Local services in Torrance

About a month ago, I was in desperate need for a new jeweler I can trust. And I found one. Here is my story..

I had a unique gold necklace with little gold hearts that I wore every single day, 24 hrs; only time I took off was when I wear another special occasion necklace or when taking shower. My husband of 16 years gave me sometime at beginning of the marriage. He said it was something he found, and just gave it to me without any fancy box. (He later said he didn't know if I would even wear it; I wasn't a type of girl who wears a necklace most of the time). But I started to wear it, and for some reason, I wore it all the time. I also had a beautiful set of an engagement ring and wedding band, but I wasn't wearing consistently. Just who I was, never owned a ring before marriage, never really had any jewelry I wore all the time before. So, this necklace with little hearts became my 'wedding ring', because that's what I wore all the time.

About 4 years ago, I became a nurse. So, I would not wear my rings at work, because I have to wear gloves and wash hands constantly. But I wear my necklace to work. When I am stressed, sometime I touch my necklace, which reminds me of my husband and gives me a little comfort. So it kind of became my security blanket, too.

A couple of years ago, its chain started to break. It would break every several months, got fixed each time. The old jeweler even replaced the chain part with brand new ones, so it won't break as easily. But it still broke. Each time it breaks, it is extremely stressful. Lucky if I notice that my necklace is not there and able to find it near by; couch, bed, surroundings. There were so many times when I had to look for it with my daughter's husband help, because I would freak out. The breaking started to became more like every couple of months, and I started to feel like I was too afraid to wear. Then, the last time when it went to old jeweler for repair, it came back shorter. When I wore it, it was so tight and had almost choking feel. My husband said the jeweler confirmed the length was still the same, not shorter. But I knew it was shorter. It made me so upset, that I was almost crying. What made it worse was that I couldn't trust this old jeweler any longer. I thought, 'Okay, maybe it is time to find a new necklace that is similar.'

So, I went to every jewelry websites to search. Tiffany, Jared, Kay's, you name it. But I couldn't find anything near, not even close.

At that point, I went to Yelp and read Modern Jeweler review. I read about a story of custom making. So I went to Modern Jeweler on that day, with a desperate hope. And I told this story to Sam.

Sam listened to me for the whole story. When he said he can build a brand new one just like one I had, and this time, it will not break, I could not believe. I had a little tears in my eyes. I remember keep asking, "really? it's not going to break?" He explained to me that my original necklace chain was thin, and never meant to be for everyday use. And the way the old jeweler connected the heart part and chain was very easy to break. He spent time picking the base necklace with me, he gave us different options on designs. But I asked him to make exactly the way my original one was.

Yesterday, I went to pick it up with my husband. There it was, my 'wedding ring' necklace. It was absolutely beautiful and perfect. Had a little different feeling to it, because it was thicker and more yellowy/gold tone than original. When I compared the two, somehow it made my original one look faded. So I put it on at the store, and hasn't taken off except shower. I have been looking at it in the mirror. Each time I look at it, I feel like it is becoming a part of me again.

Thank you, Sam. What you did meant a lot to me and my husband. Will...

In preparation to propose to my (now) fiancé, I stopped by several jewelry stores ranging from retail chains to boutique shops. My poor consumer experiences at most of these stores mildly soured my appetite for the ring shopping process, which was supposed to be an exciting (albeit nerve-wracking) time.

This changed dramatically when I stepped foot into Modern Jewelers, greeted by Sam and his daughter Christina. From the get-go, I was met with impeccable customer service and friendly personalities that almost instantly unnerved prior feelings of the anxieties of ring shopping. Sam even made it a point to inquire about my relationship and ask how I was planning to propose. I told him that we would be heading to Europe in about a month and a half and that I thought she would appreciate me popping the question abroad. The personability shown was nothing short of amazing.

I did not know exactly where to start and, admittedly not having the keenest eye for detail, did not have a firm grasp of what my then-girlfriend would want in an engagement ring. The pictures and videos of rings that she had saved on her Pinterest account (that I sneakily sent myself) led me in the right direction - she wanted an oval diamond. I thought I was set, but I was not prepared for the amount of customization that Sam and his team are able to accomplish. Since I was in a bit of a time crunch, I thought it would be best to get something simple (an oval on a plain band) then come back to the store so she could handle the customization. Sam assured me that he would work within my time frame, no matter the amount of customization.

I then showed Sam the rings that she had saved, and he had an immediate understanding of her style. He showed me several examples of different ring features, and we worked together to craft the perfect design. Additionally, I knew I wanted to get her a natural center stone, and Sam sourced the perfect one within a week and a half. Shortly thereafter, and well within my timeline, I received a call from Sam that the ring was ready to be picked up.

Upon going back to the store, I was greeted by yet another pleasant surprise - Sam has a passion for photography. He made sure to capture photos of the moment and reaction of when I saw the ring for the first time. I was completely astonished at the beautiful ring he produced - a natural oval center stone, set on a gold band with side stones around the band. It was absolutely perfect and more stunning than I could have ever imagined.

Inspired by the moments Sam captured of me seeing the ring, I arranged for a professional photographer to capture the engagement. I ended up proposing to the woman of my dreams in Paris with the engagement ring of her dreams. She was shocked beyond belief that I had worked with a jeweler to customize a ring that ended up checking every box she had. Credit to Sam, we now have photos from both of our initial reactions of the ring, which are memories that we've been thrilled to share with each other and loved ones.

I cannot thank Sam and the entire Modern Jewelers team enough for the work they did. From sourcing the center stone to fully customizing the engagement ring, the professionalism and careful attention to the customer experience never once took a backseat. I've already taken my fiancé to Modern Jewelers to meet Sam and his team, and to start looking at wedding bands. We will surely come back when the time comes to purchase our wedding bands, as well as any other jewelry need that may arise in the future. They have made lifetime customers of us and we cannot recommend...

8/10/20 Update: Just visited again for some jewelry cleaning, help with a watch and to see what's new in the displays. It was good to get out and great to see that Sam's establishment is going strong and is doing all the right things during the COVID-19 era! Expectations exceeded - as always!!

Original Review: A true “diamond in the rough!”

My relationship with Sam began almost 20 years ago when I was looking to replace my wife’s wedding ring diamond. The original diamond – purchased at one of those “popular”, nationally advertised chains – had fallen out of the setting due to a weak edge that had cracked (because the edge was cut at too sharp of an angle). I spent some time discussing the situation and options with Sam and he was ultimately able to source a properly shaped diamond – with noticeably better cut, color and clarity characteristics – for about the same cost as the original! (which, fortunately, was covered by a payout from a home insurance rider we were smart/lucky enough to have originally purchased)

With that experience as a starting foundation, I went to Sam over the years for all of my jewelry needs, which have ranged from research/information gathering, to “just shopping” for ideas, to purchasing less expensive items for myself and my wife, to purchasing more significant pieces for my wife for her birthday or our anniversary. Sam stocks a wide array of jewelry for all tastes and occasions, and chooses quality pieces within each budgetary class that one may be shopping within.

My trust and respect for Sam has to grow over the years, to the point to where he is my exclusive jewelry shop. I can’t say enough about his professionalism, integrity and good-natured personality – and am very thankful for his ongoing support over the years with advice, cleanings, fixes, battery replacements - and even photos of special moments that can only be captured at certain times in one’s life!

Sam sets the bar for how businesses should be run, how customers should be treated, and for how businesses can be a valued part of the local community. I give him my highest...