Big Diamond Importer & Fine Jewelry — Local services in West Chester

I previously posted a review to Yelp, but it comes up as "not recommended" because I'm not a regular Yelp poster. I felt compelled to find another avenue for posting my experiences with Big Diamond Importers because I had a follow-up experience today that was top-notch customer service. Here is my original review:

I am extremely pleased with the service that my boyfriend and I received at Big Diamond Importers and Fine Jewelry. The excellent customer service started when I called to see if they carried a specific ring setting I was interested in (from the Gabriel and Co line). I spoke with Ron and although he did not have that setting in stock, he offered to order it for me right away. A couple days later, we were in the store trying the ring on. I liked the ring very much but wanted to try on several others just to make sure there was nothing I liked better. Ron was very patient as I took my time trying on several rings. I ended up choosing the setting that I went in for. Once I had the setting picked, Ron brought out a variety of diamonds and took his time explaining the differences among them and asking us a lot of questions to understand what our goals were. He was thorough and patient in educating us on each diamond and helped to guide us in making a decision that was consistent with our goals. Now for the best part--I took my ring to a well-respected, long-time Philadelphia jeweler to have him verify the accuracy of the appraisal we received from Big Diamond Importers. This jeweler raved about the quality of the diamond. He actually thought that my boyfriend must have known someone in the diamond industry in order to have wound up with such a high quality diamond. The jeweler felt our appraisal was spot on and guessed that my boyfriend must have paid about 20% more than he actually did for the diamond and setting. I am so pleased to have received such a quality product at such a good price and would highly recommend Big Diamond Importers. We look forward to going back to purchase our wedding bands.

Here is my follow-up review: One of the little diamonds in the halo on my ring fell out over the weekend. I immediately called Ron and he said to bring the ring in. I took it in 2 days later, which was a Monday. Since I live over an hour away from the store, I was hoping it could be repaired same day. Unfortunately, the jeweler that does ring repairs was not in on Monday. However, Ron called him to see if he was in the area and he was. The jeweler was willing to come to the store to do the repair for me that same day. A couple hours later, the ring was repaired and looking good as new. The best part is that Ron did not charge me anything for the repair since my ring is only a few months old and there was no visible damage to the ring. It has been a pleasure working with Ron and I feel great about giving him my business. Even though I live over an hour away from his store and I could find a comparable wedding band much closer to home, we will be going back to Big Diamond Importers to buy our wedding bands because of Ron's passion for his work and excellent...

Beware!!!!! Don't sell your jewelry to this dealer! This jeweler lied to me and cheated me, and induced me to sell my ring to him for a very low price. Here is the story: I went to this diamond dealer to get an idea of a current value of my EGL certified 1.24 carat VS1, G color diamond engagement ring, because my previous appraisal was 14 years old and the owner cheated me. The previous independent appraisal for it was $10,000 from 2000, and I later found the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL) certificate for it that concurred with the appraisal (I did not have the EGL certificate with me when I went to ask for this opinion). The owner Eran told me that my stone "was not a Vs1 and not G color" (even though the lab report says so that I later found), "the previous appraisal was "soft" and not "good" and said "it wasn't worth much" (after he had taken the diamond off the prongs) and I did not really know at that point where my stone even was as he brought two stones out to confuse me. Also he told me that "nobody else would want it" and that he "would be stuck with it". Anyway,long story short... He said he was willing to give me $1,600 for it. At that point I was not sure what to do or what it was worth currently, and I still thought I was dealing with a reputable jeweler. Thus, I mistakenly took the money. After I left his store without a receipt or my prongs (he gave me neither), I researched his claims and found that he had cheated me. Thus, I called him back immediately (in a few hours after I left his store) to ask for my ring and stone back, but Eran said he had "already sold it" (so this is how "stuck with it" he was). I said he was a "liar" and that he had "cheated me" and I wanted my ring back, to which Eran responded by making further misrepresentations. I then sent him an e-mail telling him the same, to which his lawyer responded to "not contact his client any further". Recently I found the EGL lab certificate for it and spoke with the original EGL diamond grader and it again confirms that my stone was VS1 and G color. Thus, Eran lied to take advantage of me. According to the Rapaport Diamond trade value (only available to Jewelers) my stone was worth $11,284 that day trade value and many other Jewelers that I talked to afterwards told me that my stone was worth somewhere around $7,900-$12,000 wholesale. Thus, I sued him in small claims court for fraud, but the magistrate did not let me enter anything into evidence and did not let me comment on the defense evidence, which was mainly a video recording of "me" standing around in his store (audio removed) and Eran running around his store, and not of his hands or the stone. Even though I have the lab report, a witness to his misrepresentations (that he continued at the small claims hearing), an independent appraisal and everything to prove Eran cheated me, the court entered judgment for defendant. So if you want an honest jeweler this isn't...

BIG Diamond Importers is the only jewelry store you need to visit! I had the pleasure of working with Ron at BIG Diamonds when my beloved and I purchased our engagement ring. We intended to shop around, but our experience at BIG made the trip a one-stop shopping experience. Ron was patient, helpful, courteous, and respected the budget we initially discussed. Ron worked with us for FOUR HOURS as carefully selected our desired setting and stone. He educated us on diamonds with humor and expertise. I felt that he was genuinely excited to celebrate our engagement and his prices are very fair; Ron is a businessman of the highest caliber in both his knowledge and his character. If you are looking to purchase an engagement ring (or any other piece of fine jewelry) I highly recommend that you visit BIG Diamond Importers. We will certainly be going back for our wedding bands!

Update: Now that over a year has passed, my fiancé and I returned to Ron for our wedding bands. We did not look elsewhere because of the quality of service we received during our initial engagement ring shopping experience. I wanted to take the time to write an additional Google review in support of Big Diamonds, because shopping for our wedding bands was again a fantastic experience. We knew that my fiancé needed a durable ring because he works with his hands. Ron suggested a very sharp looking titanium band that was reasonably priced. For my band, I wanted a design that would match the engagement ring. Ron helped me to select a very beautiful diamond band based upon a style that they custom-create in the shop. Because I fell in love with a design that was more expensive than I had planned for, Ron worked with me negotiate a price that I thought was very fair. When my fiancé shared that we were on a budget, forgoing luxuries like movie tickets and dining out, Ron kindly gave us a gift card to celebrate our purchase at the local Iron Hill Brewery. Overall, I cannot say enough positive things about Big Diamonds. If you or a loved one are looking for a jeweler that is honest, friendly, and sells high quality products, please visit Ron at Big Diamonds in...