|
Review content:
The two most important things to know before starting this review:
1. She said yes.
2. She loved the ring.
I started looking for engagement rings back in July. ""Plenty of time,"" I thought, ""before I plan to propose in November."" I started looking at some other local jewelry stores while I gathered information on my girlfriend's ring wishes through friends. The more I learned, the more confused I became. The descriptions I was getting were vague, daunting, and sometimes contradictory. The list of adjectives describing her perfect ring didn't even belong in the same dictionary, much less on the same ring.
Suddenly, the large chunk of time I left myself was evaporating as I scoured local galleries for a ring that embodied everything she wanted. To be fair, everyone I spoke with was nice and trying to be helpful, but they were listening to what I was saying through the filter of trying to sell me something out of the case in front of them.
Then I found reviews for Jay online describing his methods, his attention to detail, and the quality of his work. ""This has to be worth a try,"" I thought.
Jay's office is just one white door in hallway filled with identical white doors, the definition of nondescript. When you enter, you won't find glass display cases or other conspicuous examples of his work. Just a desk. Jay pulled out a notepad and began asking questions. He listened, not with the intent to sell but the intent to create. We looked at pictures of my girlfriend on my laptop, and he correctly guessed her ring size from the photos. He taught me more about diamonds in 30 minutes than I'd learned online or in other shops over the previous three months. And when I left, we had a ring design that perfectly fit the bill.
Even with a (by that point) tight deadline, Jay had the ring ready on time, the work was impeccable, and the price was better than I had a right to hope. His enthusiasm for gemology and jewelry is infectious. And his instincts were right on; despite the hodge podge of descriptors I had to go on, the first thing my girlfriend, ahem, fiance, said (after ""yes""), was ""It's perfect.""
In hindsight, it seems ridiculous to consider any other way to shop for jewelry. Next time, I'm saving myself the trouble and making one call to Jay.
Pros: Excellent, knowledgeable, custom work
Cons: I only have the one occasion to use his services
|