How to find a trusted local jeweler?

[limom]

I'm not looking to buy a single stone, I was thinking about a necklace with some small melee diamonds , which might be harder to evaluate?
But we were talking about my own diamond ring and veered into a chat about color and clarity and Gia.

Bring it to several pawn shop, it will give you an idea of the value.
Never leave the stone alone

 

[JOJA]

Those are really good points, thank you @JOJA and @limom
When I looked up jewelry appraisal in my area, this store came up but idk if they are actually Gia certified.
But we were discussing diamond colors and he said well to an extent it's arbitrary based on the appraiser at Gia's opinion .
Is that true? I always thought there were guidelines for what makes a diamond an h color vs I color.
I said I can see the color in my h diamond and he said no you can't see color at h if it's unset . ( my stone is set and I definitely see color)
So I'm unsure

There is only one other local jewelry store here and I had taken a look around but the people were very unfriendly and unwelcoming so I left .

Color is SO subjective imo. Some people are definitely more color sensitive than others. I am not sensitive to color so an I diamond doesn't bother me but for some they see it and want a higher color.
Just because they don't see the tint doesn't mean you don't!

With GIA I believe there are guidelines but I'm not sure about what they entail.

 

[A bottle of Red]

Bring it to several pawn shop, it will give you an idea of the value.
Never leave the stone alone

How would that work, I buy a necklace from that store and then take it to a pawnshop for evaluation? What if they say it's no good?

 

[JOJA]

Sometimes with jewelry you just have to buy what you like ~ it doesn't always have to be the perfect stones, the highest quality stones, etc. As long as the price is fair (to you) and you love it then don't worry to much about it being perfection!

 

[limom]

How would that work, I buy a necklace from that store and then take it to a pawnshop for evaluation? What if they say it's no good?

Then you return the item.
One of my GF received an engagement ring and promptly went shopping for a small item, the jeweler complimented her on the stone and louped it.
Yes, it was huge and real lol

 

[A bottle of Red]

Thank you all for being so patient and helpful with my questions!
I had a very bad experience recently with Tiffany where they told me one thing in store and the actual appraisal was very different so I'm really nervous now about evaluating what I'm being told and sold.
( and that's aside from the local jeweler in my previous community who unfortunately was not honest at all.)

 

[Jktgal]

Ask the grandmas in the neighborhood...

 

[papertiger]

I've seen posts recommending finding a trustworthy local jeweler because they don't charge the markups like branded jewelers do, they can repair your items etc. and that makes sense but how do you go about finding one in a new area?
I have gone to a local jewelry store and the owner seems nice and knowledgeable with years of experience, but how do I know if he's being honest?
For example, if I want to buy a piece of jewelry he's selling that has tiny melee stones, they would not have Gia grading , so how do I know what I'm really buying? He can tell me they are xyz color & clarity but I don't have the eye to see the difference.
Or he says a bracelet is handmade, and really good quality, how do I know?
I mean it looks like a nice gold bracelet but are there things I should ask or look for?
Unfortunately, two people in my family have been scammed in the past by "trustworthy " jewelers in our previous neighborhood so I just am not sure how to be sure.

Jewellery is one of the most highly regulated sectors of the luxury industry. What you're told will need to be put in writing on any receipt. Melee won't be GIA graded with each diamond bearing a report, but each parcel of diamonds are colour and quality graded, what he/she says will match the receipt (hopefully). Tell him/her what you're looking for, and also what you're not. If 10ct is not acceptable, but 14ct is then just say so. Yg is easier because usually the yellower it is the higher the carat, double-check rg and wg. Also, no setter in their right mind will put the best stones in low grade gold (or silver). The best stones are saved for high carat gold. These are rules of thumb, but check by preparing. Also ask about policies on guarantees for issues or repairs before he/she closes the deal. And take your time, ask plenty of questions. Maybe think over any purchase overnight and then return (I hate pressured sales).

Buy and bring a 10 x loupe with you, if need be, bring some diamond-set jewellery you know is good to compare especially for colour, clarity fire/scintillation/brilliance too. Precious metals should be hallmarked for min standards, know what symbols you're looking for when you check (each country will be different). Your local jeweller won't want to be put out of business, and he/she will want your repeat business so it's more a case if you'll get on. There are horror stories, like in all trades, but usually most jewellers are people who just want to make a living.

That you had problems at Tiffany, just shows you, no jewellers is immune and we have to think in terms of buyer beware and do due diligence wherever.

 

[etoupebirkin]

I'm not looking to buy a single stone, I was thinking about a necklace with some small melee diamonds , which might be harder to evaluate?
But we were talking about my own diamond ring and veered into a chat about color and clarity and Gia.

For something like this, you can go to a local jeweler, you could even go to Costco. I would even look at lab diamonds.

I have had some (really) bad experiences with local jewelers, e.g., breaking a 1 carat diamond, and lying about it and replacing it with an inferior stone, another time with absolutely incompetent workmanship. Then I started to work with a great jeweler. I knew he would know what he was doing because the Smithsonian hired him to take the Hope Diamond out of its setting when the Museum was conducting research on the stone. He also was a jeweler apprentice at Garrard. But, in an out of the way locale, it’s unlikely that someone has experience working for a premier jewelry house.

You can ask to see the bench jeweler’s work across both simple and complex settings. Sometimes simple is way harder to execute.

Look at the work with the naked eye and with a loupe.

With small melee, it’s really hard for a layperson to gauge color. So at some point in time, you just have to trust.

 

[A bottle of Red]

Jewellery is one of the most highly regulated sectors of the luxury industry. What you're told will need to be put in writing on any receipt. Melee won't be GIA graded with each diamond bearing a report, but each parcel of diamonds are colour and quality graded, what he/she says will match the receipt (hopefully). Tell him/her what you're looking for, and also what you're not. If 10ct is not acceptable, but 14ct is then just say so. Yg is easier because usually the yellower it is the higher the carat, double-check rg and wg. Also, no setter in their right mind will put the best stones in low grade gold (or silver). The best stones are saved for high carat gold. These are rules of thumb, but check by preparing. Also ask about policies on guarantees for issues or repairs before he/she closes the deal. And take your time, ask plenty of questions. Maybe think over any purchase overnight and then return (I hate pressured sales).

Buy and bring a 10 x loupe with you, if need be, bring some diamond-set jewellery you know is good to compare especially for colour, clarity fire/scintillation/brilliance too. Precious metals should be hallmarked for min standards, know what symbols you're looking for when you check (each country will be different). Your local jeweller won't want to be put out of business, and he/she will want your repeat business so it's more a case if you'll get on. There are horror stories, like in all trades, but usually most jewellers are people who just want to make a living.

That you had problems at Tiffany, just shows you, no jewellers is immune and we have to think in terms of buyer beware and do due diligence wherever.

Yes I absolutely plan to take my time and excellent point about the return and repair process.
I didn't realize that parcels of melee are graded for color and clarity that's good to know!

 

[A bottle of Red]

For something like this, you can go to a local jeweler, you could even go to Costco. I would even look at lab diamonds.

I have had some (really) bad experiences with local jewelers, e.g., breaking a 1 carat diamond, and lying about it and replacing it with an inferior stone, another time with absolutely incompetent workmanship. Then I started to work with a great jeweler. I knew he would know what he was doing because the Smithsonian hired him to take the Hope Diamond out of its setting when the Museum was conducting research on the stone. He also was a jeweler apprentice at Garrard. But, in an out of the way locale, it’s unlikely that someone has experience working for a premier jewelry house.

You can ask to see the bench jeweler’s work across both simple and complex settings. Sometimes simple is way harder to execute.

Look at the work with the naked eye and with a loupe.

With small melee, it’s really hard for a layperson to gauge color. So at some point in time, you just have to trust.

That sounds like an incredible person to work with and to learn from along the way!
I'm sorry about your horror story, I had a diamond switched as well and not immediately realized unfortunately.

 

[etoupebirkin]

That sounds like an incredible person to work with and to learn from along the way!
I'm sorry about your horror story, I had a diamond switched as well and not immediately realized unfortunately.

The jeweler is a great guy!!! Very humble, and kind of awkward, but in the best way. He tells a story of when he was 16 years old at Garrard, he took a plaster cast of Grace Kelly’s bust for a necklace. He was blushing about it 40-45 years later.

 

[A bottle of Red]

To update my thread, I picked up the jewelry I had given the local place for repair and while it was somewhat expensive, they did a beautiful job!
You can see where they did the repair, but it's not bad since that's in the back.
Overall I'm pretty happy but will need very careful inspection on futher purchases.

 

[A bottle of Red]

Well unfortunately I realized the clasp no longer works after their repair so I need to go back and have them fix it. Honestly I'm not as happy with them since imo they should have checked the clasp before returning it to me.
I found out as well, that they also said they would notify my husband about the estimated cost for the repair prior to doing it to see if we want to go ahead, but they did not notify him and overcharged us quite a bit.
I'm very glad I decided to try a repair before buying from them.