12 Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing a Jeweler

Who's going to be your next jeweler? When I blogged about How to Choose Your Jeweler, I looked at the 8 types of Jewelers. As a Santa Barbara Jeweler, this is how I see it. If I've left out questions you feel should be here for more completeness let me know. Now it's time to ask yourself some questions to help you make a great choice. Who's going to be your next Jeweler?

The Twelve Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing a Jeweler

1. Does the Jeweler listen to you? Does he or she really get what you have to say?
2. How long has the Jeweler been in business and what are the chances that they’ll still be there five years from now? Will they be around if your ring needs fixing?
3. Do they repair jewelry? If so, how skilled are they? Would you trust them to repair your inherited diamond ring from your mom? Can they match the antique diamonds from your aunt?
4. Do they treat your jewelry that needs repair with respect? Or say it can’t be done and try to sell you something else?

Does Your Chosen Jeweler Have Jewelry Making Staff?

5. Does the staff seem knowledgeable?
6. Can you trust them with some of your most valuable gemstones?
7. Can they speak about different kinds of settings? Different kinds of gems and their properties?

Before and after of damaged ruby and diamond vintage ring restored

Vintage, Inherited Ring Restored to its Former Glory and Worn Anew as a Wedding Ring

8. Are they a truly Personal Jeweler? If they don’t have what you want, will they search for it and show you samples at a later date? Will they go that extra mile to help you get what you really want? Or are they just trying to sell the jewelry they stock in the display case?
9. Can they design and make custom pieces of jewelry? Can they make something from a sketch you drew on a napkin while you ate at the Olive Garden?

Looking at a jewelry CAD on a computer

Working Out Details in CAD

10. Is the Jeweler nice? Is he or she personable? Do you enjoy interacting with him or her?
11. Will they readily recommend another Jeweler if they can’t provide you with what you need? Or do they put down and malign the other Jewelers in the area?

Three yellow gold rings. Each is a different yellow.

Showing Different Shank Thicknesses and Shapes for Choices

12. If you had a sad and broken piece of antique jewelry or inherited jewelry with a small, antique diamond, would your Jeweler respect it or tell you to melt it and buy something else? Find a Jeweler who’ll respect meaningful and sentimental jewelry, because when you love it, it’s priceless.

Find a Jeweler Your Friend Trusts

Hands with wedding rings

If You Love Their Rings Find Who Their Jeweler is

Ask your friends if they can recommend a trustworthy Jeweler - especially someone who’s jewelry you admire. Where did they get that amazing ring? Who set that fabulous amethyst? Who re-sizes their rings?

Find a Jeweler You Trust

Two women smiling over jewelry

Do You Feel Heard by Your Jeweler?

Trusting and having a great relationship with a Jeweler gives you a good feeling. If you don’t feel right with someone go somewhere else.

What About a Jealous Jeweler?

A truly wonderful Jeweler is not a jealous Jeweler. A great Jeweler never gives you a sad face if you've bought jewelry elsewhere. Your Jeweler should be excited to see the jewelry you'd like work done on, changed or cared for, whether it's from them, their competition or some fabulous trip you took.

The Internet Can Help

 

 

Search online in your local area for good Jewelers. Look for reviews on Google Local or other review of business sites, like YELP Insider Pages, Superpages, etc.

If the Jeweler you are looking into is on Facebook as a business, you can see what people have to say about them online. You do not have to be a member of Facebook to see the jeweler’s public business page.

Read the comments written by people who go to their page. See what they do and what their reputation is. Local business review sites also often have comments about the jeweler you are looking into.

A  great way to check out a jeweler you are considering is to go on Google and in the search window, type in the jeweler or jewelry store’s name and then a dash and the word reviews. It like this: ABC Deluxe Jewelry – reviews. That dash review that you type in, will pull together all the review sites at one time to show you what other people took the time to write about the jeweler you are checking out. This is how to choose a jeweler!

Go Forth, Choose a Great Jeweler, and Have a Decorated Life!

Carpinteria Magazine Winter Edition

Article About Calla Gold Jewelry in Coastal View News

You deserve to be heard. Your jewelry deserves respect. And you deserve to get maximum joy from your relationship with your jewelry. That means you deserve a nice relationship with your jeweler.

Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla

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About Calla Gold

Calla Gold is a Personal Jeweler and Author who takes pride in working with clients one-on-one to integrate their personal sense of style and taste into custom designed jewelry and repaired jewelry pieces.   Unlike typical Santa Barbara jewelry businesses, Calla Gold has no brick-and-mortar location. Calla Gold comes to you, bringing you the jewelry collection you want to see and collaborating with you to create unique custom jewelry. Calla also works with at-a-distance clients.

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Laurence Orr
12 years ago

Wow this is a very helpful article. Thank you

Laurence

Mark M.
12 years ago

This is a great little article. Thanks.

Sue Manseau
Sue Manseau
12 years ago

Wow,Calla! You had a lot of information to think about when looking for a personal jeweler! I wouldn’t have thought of all those aspects, but what a great help! And you know what? YOU have all those positive attributes! I pick YOU again, and again, and again…

Jeremy
12 years ago

This is such a great blog Calla. I am going to make sure all my male friends know to use you as a resource.

Annika Larson
Annika Larson
5 years ago

I have a beautiful necklace that has recently broken. I want to make sure that it is repaired by a jeweler that I can trust. Like you said, asking friends for a trustworthy jeweler that they can recommend is a great way to find the right person.

Marcus
Marcus
5 years ago

I loved when you mentioned how you can always consult with your friends when looking for a good jeweler. It is important to remember that taking the time to do some research can help you find the best one that can provide the quality items that will help you look the best. As I see it, taking the time to read online reviews and ratings can also help you find the best quality jewelry that can provide the type of items you are looking for.

Scott Adams
Scott Adams
5 years ago

I like that you talked about finding a jeweler that will fix broken jewelry that matters to you. I broke my grandmother’s wedding ring recently. I can see how it would be good to have someone fix it. That way my parents won’t be as mad when they find out.

Callum Palmer
Callum Palmer
5 years ago

I really like that the article encourages readers to ask about whether or not the jeweler they choose can make custom pieces. When you’re choosing an engagement ring or some kind of anniversary piece you want it to be special after all. If the jeweler you choose can provide you with a custom design then it will make your jewelry that much more special.