SHELTER — Local services in Washington

Went to Shelter a few nights ago after dining nearby. I’ve been in the market for a signet ring and was able to find a vintage ring that I absolutely adored and was totally my style.

I asked to try it on and the salesperson gave me a rundown of the ring origin and specs. She showed me the ring in their vintage roster. In both the roster and her representation, the ring was listed as a 14k gold ring. I adored it and even though the price wasn’t insignificant, decided to buy it on the spot.

Later that night, I was looking at the ring and noticed on the band that it said 10k. There’s a big difference, both in price and gold quality, between a 14 and 10 karat gold ring. In fact, a 10k gold ring isn’t technically gold, it’s mostly alloy. It tarnishes more easily and discolors more easily than a 14k gold. Had I known it was a 10k gold, I might not have spent $500 on this ring.

Sure that the store would do something (price adjust) to account for their mistake, I called the next day and spoke to Damaris on the phone. I explained the situation and was immediately met with: “We weren’t trying to be sneaky. It’s listed as a 10k in our system.” To which I responded that I wasn’t insinuating that they were purposely trying to mislead their customers but that they’ve made a mistake that they should rectify.

She said, AND I QUOTE: “It actually does sound like that’s what you’re saying.”

Both my husband and I perked up at that. Wow! The hostility and unprofessionalism was flabbergasting. I have just paid $530 for this ring that you’ve misrepresented, and you’re blaming ME because you perceive that I’ve shaded your store?!?

Damaris said she’d get in touch with the owner and talk to her about how to proceed. In the meantime, she asked that I send her photos documenting everything. I sent her an email but seconds later, she called back. She told me that it was “an honest mistake” and that their system said 10k. “It was a typo. We print what the vintage purveyor sends us. But the ring is priced as a 10k ring.”

I’d certainly have to take her word for that. Even though she offered to send me a photo of their system entry, there’s no way I would know that she hadn’t retroactively changed it. Further, this is a huge inconvenience to me and, frankly, a big bummer. You made a mistake. Own it! Fix it! I asked to speak to the owner and she said the owner was out of town on a family emergency and would be unavailable until Saturday.

At this point, someone came into the store and asked her a question. She said to me, on the phone, “I’m the only one in the store. I don’t have time to go back and forth with you. I’m willing to give you 10% off. Okay?”

I’m obviously being told to “f**k off” at this point, so I say “okay” and she HANGS UP on me before I can reflect on this. 10% takes care of a little bit more than taxes on this ring — it doesn’t make me whole and it certainly doesn’t bring it down to 10k pricing, or rather, doesn’t cover the gap between karat prices.

Super disappointed. I love my ring and didn’t want to return it—but I did want to pay the appropriate price for it, not one inflated for a 14k ring.

Terrible customer service, and obviously don’t do due diligence on...

I had a fantastic time working with the team at Shelter on a custom engagement ring setting! Engagement ring shopping is inherently daunting and confusing, especially when a Google search leads to a vast array of styles, price points, and opinions. I wanted to get some in-person advice, so I went to my local jewelry store at Shelter where I was immediately met with a sense of care from the staff for the very important set of decision I was making in choosing an engagement ring.

After finding out that many of the settings on display in their storefront are custom made in-house, I was introduced to the designer to discuss the option of designing a custom ring for my engagement. Although I presented a rather quick timeline, the team set me up with a very clear plan to successfully meet my requested delivery date (which they beat by a week!) Every time I emailed a question to the designer they responded within 2 hours - they were very accommodating and I can't express it enough how grateful I am for receiving this level of service!

The ring turned out absolutely gorgeous, my fiancé was floored at how perfectly unique it was for her / us - which is exactly the type of reaction you're looking for in creating a custom setting. I recommend Shelter to everyone I meet in the DMV - support a local shop and get the level of care you'd expect on one of the most important purchases...

I trusted Shelter to reimagine a beloved family heirloom—a small diamond ring that belonged to my grandmother. Much of her jewelry was chosen by my grandfather as gifts, but this was a piece she had purchased for herself. I wanted to preserve the simple elegance of her solitaire but make it more wearable; its high setting snagged easily, and the prongs were all but worn away.

I was amazed at the level of detail throughout the design process. After sending in the ring and some inspiration images, I received four fully rendered options for resetting the stone, each one offering multiple photorealistic angles so I could easily envision the outcome. Shelter sent a range of different options to respond to since I wasn’t sure exactly what I was looking for. I made small tweaks to two of the designs and then received wax castings of my top three settings. The castings were extremely helpful for getting a sense of what each option would feel like on my finger and how it would pair with my other jewelry.

I am so thrilled with the new ring! The original setting was simply unwearable, and now I wear it every day. It’s comfortable and sits flush with the diamond band that marks the birth of my first daughter. The new design has a bit of modern intrigue with the off-center curved band, but overall it’s simple and timeless—a piece I’m sure to pass on to my children and...