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| - I can't speak to the quality of their products firsthand (but hopefully will be able to do so within the next year), but after finding the only local jeweler in the area with great reviews, I stopped by Michael's today to examine and polish my grandmother's ring, as well as to offer opinions on resetting it.
I felt very welcome from the moment I entered, and no matter how many (in my opinion, annoying) questions I asked, the man who helped me responded with the utmost care, patience, and attention. I truly felt like I mattered--and it's not like I sauntered in with a designer bag and a huge diamond ring on my finger. I'm just a grad student. You don't get this kind of service at Scottsdale-based local jewelers.
What I think blew me away about my experience is that it turns out (i.e., I learned just today) that my grandmother's ring, which was appraised by a lesser chain jewelry store that shall not be named to be worth more than my (granted, used) car, actually comprised a very low-end stone that could only barely pass as being of quality. I had every intention of resetting this stone in a nice, two-tone band with diamonds--a costly addition--and was instead told that it wouldn't make much sense to polish and reset a stone of this worth.
In other words, they offered full and commendable honesty to a customer who would have easily spent $1,500-$2,000 right then and there, and instead told me the hard truth. I was so impressed with how they handled the situation, and my conflicted emotions that followed.
I also had the chance to look around the store very closely, and am very impressed with the quality and diversity of what I saw. Whereas their website showcases their more experimental, avant garde designs, I can assure you that you can find anything you'd like here. You can also bring a picture (his example: from Pinterest; my example: from Brilliant Earth) and they will recreate whatever you show them with high-quality materials.
Another HUGE plus: all conflict-free diamonds. Do not underestimate the importance of this.
I will definitely be coming back to Michael's--my experience was great, even (or perhaps especially?) considering the quite negative circumstances.
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