Anthony's Custom Jewelry — Local services in Wesley Chapel

For my mother’s 30th birthday my dad went into Anthony’s Jewelry and bought her a jade and gold ring. She wore it every day for 16 years. Eventually the gem fell out of the ring and she set it aside. Getting it reset wasn’t in the budget.

For her 54th birthday I took the ring back into Anthony’s and spoke to Mark (the then owner) and paid I believe $150 to get the prongs reinforced and the stone reglued. He got it done much more quickly than I expected and my mom was absolutely thrilled to have it back, and that Mark had been the one to fix it. She wore it for less than two weeks but felt that it had become too tight. I took it back to Mark to be sized up a bit, along with a ring my mom wore daily (an onyx) so we could match the size. I found out that Mark had sold the business to Jen. I continued with dropping off the ring as it seemed Mark would be doing the work. We got the ring back and it was still not fitting like the Onyx ring. I took it back once more with the Onyx, and on the second trip paid for gold to be added to make the band more secure. We got the ring back and it was slightly larger, and did not match the onyx -but there was gold added. My mother said that she could manage with the size it was and we decided to let it go.

Finally, two weeks later the Jade gem started wiggling and became increasingly loose in the setting. I left a voicemail asking if I should bring it to a different Jeweler as maybe it needed something special, I never heard back. I called again, Jen said that they could take a look at it. I dropped it off same day and spoke with Emily who said she couldn’t imagine I’d have to pay again as I’d come and gone some many times (paying for each visit). I got a call it was ready and went to pick it up today and was told I owed $25 dollars. I told the sweet older woman that while I didn’t mind paying I was told previously I wouldn’t owe.

Jen came around the corner and very loudly announced “you can’t bring this ring to us anymore because it’s costume jewelry and it will never hold a setting”. Keep in mind the setting held with only minor issues for at least 15 years. I told Jen that if it was costume jewelry (while I 100% believe it is not) then I’d be concerned as we bought the ring directly from Anthony’s. She backtracked and said that she may have gotten her wires crossed and then immediately disregarded me and went back to the other clients. The older woman (I’m sorry I didn't catch her name but I believe her to be Jen’s mother) searched the ring for a stamp but found nothing. She apologized and elected not to charge me the $25, though I told her that I did not mind paying as if it is costume jewelry I’d like to speak to Mark as it was bought from him. She said that there was no charge today and again apologized.

I truly believe that instead of having an adult conversation with me Jen decided to try to embarrass me by loudly announcing my mom’s ring was costume jewelry and when I pointed out we bought the ring directly from the store she now owns she made herself scare, leaving her mother to continue helping me. I find myself very shocked, as the Anthony’s I knew from my childhood and adulthood was always truthful and compassionate. I do not believe I am finding that with the new owners. My mother has no doubt in her mind that the original Anthony’s sold my father a true Jade and Gold ring, I think that making excuses for lack of knowledge and professionalism and trying to blame it on my mothers ring being fake a very disappointing end to this long...

I went to Anthony's very excited to have a local, neighborhood jeweler just down the street. I had two things I needed: welding and resizing my wedding rings, and a design and build for a custom family ring. I'll start that Mark and Paula are friendly and my weddings rings are much better now!

The reason for my poorer review is twofold: one socio-politically in a business setting, and the other a complete lack of getting the custom request right.

For the custom design, I reviewed with Mark in-person, he had it sketched, I sent photos, and said the CAD would be back in 3 weeks. It took just over 4 to see the first round, and it was not what I wanted. I revised, sent 2 example images again of the details how I wanted it and they went back again. The next round came back and it was so far off from any of the examples and what we'd discussed that I checked my gut feeling with 3 other people showing the conversations, images I'd sent as examples, etc. and even they were shaking their heads. I lost faith and decided I didn't want this one family ring I plan to ever have made for me done here, and will be trying another local shop.

Secondly, this may not be pertinent to some but I know it will be to some as well. When I was in the store picking up my first ring set, Paula was giving their new marketing-style pens away which were a 'misprint' in holographic rainbow. As she was handing them out to others in-store and myself, she was very opening telling people that she did not order them to look like the PRIDE colors and that they -do not- support that and that if anyone says anything in reference to the pens looking LGBTQ+ related, to just throw them out. The next time I was in, I did bring this up to them and told them that this was not a good look for their business - which happens to deal with love and marriage and affection - and that there are much larger issues to worry about than who someone loves. It was a cordial conversation, nothing hostile!, but I was told that they don't hate the people, just their acts, and that it has always been open as they play the Lord's music there.

So, I would recommend supporting somewhere with a more open mind and heart within the community if equal rights is something you wish to support with the businesses...

I have been shopping at Anthony's Cuatom Jewelry for almost 20 years. I'm also proud to he able to call Mark and Paula friends of mine. They have always had exactly what my whole family has been looking for and even designed an engagement ring for my son when he proposed to our daughter-in-law. Mark took an idea and made it into a reality. It was perfect. They are the most caring owners that I have ever come in contact with. This makes me question the review that was made by Ms. Rounds. Seems that she may have perceived something that wasn't correct. You can not make a snap judgment of a person or their business when you do not know them. My family has known these people for almost 20 years, and there is nowhere else that I would dream of getting my jewelry from. Anthony's Custom Jewelry is a class act, and so are Mark and Paula Sherrin. I'm so glad I know them and can call...