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AY Jewelry
- Nearest Transit:
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47 - 50 Sts - Rockefeller Ctr (B, D, F, M)
5 Av (7, 7X)
49 St (N, Q, R)
- Price Range:
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$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- By Appointment Only:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
60 reviews for AY Jewelry
Review Highlights
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"My engagement ring has a micropave band." In 12 reviews -
"Ara does excellent work for an excellent price." In 15 reviews -
"The Diamond District was a little intimidating." In 5 reviews
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60 reviews in English
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Review from Usman M.
Miami, FL
5/14/2012
I dont even know where to start with how Trustworthy Ara is. He mounted the engagement ring that I was soon to give my fiance. It required a crown on the mounting to be replaced as the diamond was quite large for the setting that I had purchased. But he did it perfectly.
I actually left the diamond with him for like an hour or so when he texted me that he was done. I had previously examined the diamond for hours with a magnifying glass and knew every impurity by heart so I guess I figured i would know if he switched it. Im not exactly sure what i would have done if I thought it was different... I guess that just shows how much I trust the opinon and confidence of other Yelpers!
Ara is the man. His price is unbeatable and he is an unbelievably honest and skilled worker. -
Review from Claire S.
Brooklyn, NY
4/12/2012
I stopped by Ara's booth on a saturday, late afternoon, to inquire about getting the jump rings on a necklace of mine sautered (they would not stay together). I figured I would be leaving the necklace there and coming back to get it.
Ara fixed it right then, while I sat and waited. Ara was very nice (he was iChatting with his baby when I stopped in..cute!) and he sautered my necklace in about 10 minutes. The price was right, and my necklace has been a-ok ever since. -
Review from Steve M.
Rockville Centre, NY
4/3/2012
Great place, great work. As noted on other reviews, Ara works in the basement of one of the buildings in the diamond district. He now has a small office on the back wall. I brought him my wedding band which was smashed beyond recognition and Ara reshaped it, re-sized it and made it look like new after he was done. I've since gone back and he has done other repair work. All prices seem fair and reasonable.
Thanks Ara! -
Review from cait l.
2/23/2012
Engagement rings hold particular sentimental importance, obviously, so I was anxious about having my ring resized. And I'll admit, the diamond district makes me slightly nervous.
Ara is the perfect person to repair or resize jewelry. His work is beautiful and fast - you can watch him work on your pieces from his booth (#15 - this is in the basement. Take the elevator on the left hand wall). Other jewelers I visited wanted to keep the ring for a few days, and I felt uneasy about leaving it - here I was able to be in and out within a half hour. Plus the pricing is great - I paid $75 for a platinum ring (made smaller).
I highly recommend his services. -
Review from Mike P.
West New York, NJ
2/21/2012
Ara's work is flawless
He's in the basement, booth #15
After being constantly told by David Yurman that their Wheaton Pave Diamond Ring could not be resized from a 6 to 5 and that it would take over 3 weeks I decided to take a risk. Using Ara was once of the best choices. Not only did he not flinch to resize the ring from a 7 to a 5 but that he could do it in 2 hours! Having no receipts and a small both I was hesitant but decided to take the risk of leaving it there. I returned from my meeting and it was done. Very little marks on a extremely difficult resizing. After $30 (in cash, no credit cards) I left beyond happy.
This guy is unbeatable! -
Review from Laura G.
Brooklyn, NY
1/27/2012
Ara does GREAT work. My knuckles are bigger than the rest of my finger, so sizing my engagement ring down was extremely tricky. After a couple tries, he soldered two small balls on the inside of the band to keep the ring from spinning on my finger. Voila--the ring fits perfectly now! He also polished the ring by hand and ran it through a machine and several nondescript buckets of water to really clean it, and it came out looking like I snagged it from the storefront. Awesome.
My only hang-up (and why I can't rate four stars) is that my fiance was quoted $50 for the resizing on the phone (for a simple white gold band) and I ended up paying $75 in cash. This seems a lot higher than other reviewers with white gold and platinum bands, and while I understand that my repair entailed a little more work, $75 seemed a lot higher than I expected. Granted, it's worth the price and my ring looks great, but I'd still recommend that other reviewers receive a quote or be a little more forward about what other people have been charged to make sure you get the best deal. -
Review from Elizabeth L.
New York, NY
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Thanks to Yelp, I found AY Jewelry -- it was a little tricky getting to this place. It's downstairs in the building, and AY is just a small both, but I saw the Yelp sticker so knew I was at the right place.
Ara took about 10 minutes to fix my pendant, which no longer had a loop through which to insert a chain. It was fascinating to watch him at work, and he even plated the loop with gold so it would match that of my pendant. $15, which to me was very reasonable. -
Review from Heather B.
Manhattan, NY
4/5/2012
Just had my ring sized. Ara was able to take my ring and size right then and there also for a fair price. I will take the rest of my jewelry there for repairs!
Thanks!!! -
Review from A T.
Manhattan, NY
3/28/2012
My platinum engagement ring is an Art Deco antique from the 1920s, and contains diamonds, as well as channel-set French-cut sapphires. When it was appraised, I was told that sizing it would most-likely loosen some of the sapphires. But it was huge on me, so I brought it to AY for sizing...and, yes indeed, that exact thing happened.
I was very upset, to say the least; despite having been forewarned...especially because it happened not while he was sizing, but while someone else was polishing on the wheel after...so a few of the antique sapphires were lost in the process, never to be seen again. Ouch.
That said, Ara somehow kept me calm, and not only had new sapphires French-cut for my ring, but when it was all said and done, I brought the ring back to the appraiser (on my fiance's insistence), and he said the new sapphires were near-perfect matches even under his magnifying equipment, and he did not change the appraisal at all. I have since brought other pieces to AY, and every repair has been perfect.
Highly recommend! -
Review from Vespa R.
New York, NY
10/25/2011
Headline:
Nice, honest guy that does great work PLUS he's very creative. (Note, he's now in booth #15 in the basement and still only takes cash)
Full Story:
I went in to have a couple of things done to my gold jewelry:
(1) solder my engagement ring to my two wedding bands and clean it
(2) resize a 14k ring and clean it
(3) resize a 22k ring and clean it
(4) reconstruct a 22k bracelet that had a number on it and clean it
(5) clean a 14k ring
(6) utilize the stones/gold from a 3-stone 14k ring and then sell the remains
(7) utilize the stones/gold from a 3-stone 10k ring and then sell the remains
(8) remove the initial from a 22k ring and put something on it and clean it
Ara spent 2 hours doing the majority of the above late on a Saturday and I just picked up the last two pieces and I am floored by how beautiful they look.
He cut out the piece I didn't want from the bracelet (#4) and used that scrap gold to enlarge the 22k ring (#3). He then took a lavender zirconia from the ring (#7) and inserted it into the now gaping hole on the bracelet (and replaced a cubic zirconia for free).
He removed the initial from the 22k ring (#8) and replaced it with a diamond from the ring (#7).
Then, he cleaned everything and sold all the remaining gold, leaving me with 6 beautiful pieces and two extra diamonds (from #7).
How much did all that work/materials cost? $350! Crazy good price! And, he quoted us that he could sell my scrap gold for $150 and then apply that to the price of the work, but when we went back to pick up my things, he told me he actually got $235 for the gold, bringing my total cost down to $115 (when he could have easily pocketed the rest and given us what he quoted).
Would wholeheartedly recc'd him to anyone. -
Review from Katya H.
New York, NY
1/19/2012
I found AY Jewelry through Yelp and am so glad I did. Like other reviewers I was newly engaged and didn't feel comfortable leaving my ring and coming back for it. Ara sized my ring in front of me while I waited. I believe I paid $50 and came back twice for further adjustments without paying any additional fees. He's a sweet guy from Turkey who clearly takes pride in his work.
As others have said his booth is in the basement. -
Review from Jaime H.
2/28/2012
I went recently and had a large man's ring resized to fit my teeny size 5 finger. No problem! The service is extremely fast and friendly. I dropped my ring off at 2pm and picked it up around 5pm. He sized my finger to make sure the fit would be perfect and it now fits snug and comfortably. The ring was polished when i came back to pick it up and looked better than ever. You can't tell it was resized, the band looks flawless. The cost - $30 cash. This was such a simple transaction, I really appreciate the service!
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Review from Ashley B.
Hoboken, NJ
2/1/2012
Like all the others, I found AY Jewelry thanks to all the Yelpers. I needed to get my fiance's ring resized and he said it would be $50 and wouldn't take too long. The diamond district reminds me of Canal street and although it took me a few extra minutes to find the place (go through the glass doors straight to elevator on left and go down to Basement floor and look for the AY Jewelry booth, I think it was #15?) I am glad I did. Zales wanted to charge me $40 dollars to resize my ring and keep it for 7-10 days...or for a rush of 3 days charge me almost $75! Yeah right! So I found Ara and I got there around 3:20 and was out by 3:45 and get myself to work at 4pm sharp! He was AWESOME, he even said if I had any problems I could bring it back to him. Excellent place to get your ring resized quickly and in front of you.
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Review from Lindsay C.
New York, NY
2/10/2012
Terrible, just not good quality work. About two weeks ago I brought my silver shield ring (movable multi-piece knuckle ring) in to AY to have one of the pegs on the side replaced. This was not the first time a peg had fallen off the ring, previously I had taken it to a fantastic jeweler in the district, Royal Jewel Setting Co. He did an amazing job in the past, but I wanted to see if I could find a better deal in the area.
Terrible mistake - when I returned to AY an hour later, the peg he replaced was 1/2 the size of the others on the ring and misshapen, not round and symmetrical. There were also round marks on the silver creating what looked like an engraved halo around it. No buffing, just half-a$$ed work. Lesson learned, you get what you paid for! I told him I could not accept this, and thankfully, he did not make me pay for the shoddy craftsmanship. I immediately took my poor ring to Royal Jewel Setting to undo the damage. Never again will I take any of my jewelry to AY, the lower price is not worth it!! -
Review from Sharon E.
Manhattan, NY
2/13/2012
I had a sterling silver necklace shortened and soldered within 10 minutes for $10. Friendly, professional, no frills business. To find AY, (1) enter at 23 W. 47th, (2) take the stairwell to your left, (3) go downstairs. AY is one flight down.
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Review from Joe S.
Woodside, NY
9/13/2011
Based on what I read here on Yelp, my wife and I headed down to Ara to have a few of her rings resized. The bottom floor where he sits is very spartan; his cubicle contains only the bare essentials of the craft in an area about the size of a storage locker. The task at hand wasn't simple... three rings, all set with diamonds, two with yellow gold and one with white gold. We got there at 2:30. He took the rings and our phone number and asked if we could pick them up at around 5:30.
Well, by 4:00 the rings were ready and the workmanship was unbelievable. The total cost, including a 2.5 size increase, cleaning, and adding two different types of gold to three rings, was $200. An absolute bargain for the job he did. To top it off, the rings still didn't fit my wife's finger quite right, so he offered to resize them again until we were happy with the fit. At no charge.
Simply put, this man is a wizard and will certainly be getting repeat business from me. Thanks! -
Review from Caitlin M.
Brooklyn, NY
1/2/2012
My honey asked me to marry him on new year's eve. The vintage ring was a few sizes too big, and we turned to yelp to find a place to have it resized. Due to positive reviews we chose AY, and made it to his shop with ten minutes to closing, expecting to have to leave it with him for later pick up. Instead, he resized it right then! We sat in his little booth for 25 minutes while he completed the process. It was neat to see, and a joy to walk away with a smoothly polished finished piece. And he was pleasant and knowledgeable. Highly recommended.
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Review from Natalie S.
Somerville, MA
1/12/2012
Great, friendly service. He resized my ring as I waited and did a flawless job. Highly recommended.
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Review from Shera S.
Manhattan, NY
1/9/2012
Thanks to all Yelpers for recommending AY Jewelry!
One of the sapphires in my antique engagement ring fell out and I was worried it would cost me an arm and leg to get it put back in. Based on all the great reviews here, I went in to meet Ara and get a quote. Other places would have charged me like over $100. Ara? $40!!!!! Plus, he reset all the other stones in my ring to make sure they were secure (which was another sapphire and a big aquamarine) and polished it. I went in late afternoon and he told me if I didn't want to leave it, to come in Saturday morning, which I did. It took him 30 minutes to do it and.....wow. My ring looks absolutely gorgeous. Even more beautiful than when I first got it! Even my fiance saw it and said he should have polished it before he gave it to me! The aquamarine stone was a little lopsided to begin with and because Ara reset it, it was perfectly straight now.
I gave him a little more money for his effort, $40 is just too good a price for the work he did. Amazing. I'm so glad I took my ring here. Ara is kind, professional and a very very good jeweler. He said: "I want my customers to leave happy!" I will recommend Ara to anyone needing a jeweler. -
Review from Monica T.
2/8/2011
I went here because of reviews on here, particularly about silver jewelry. I had a ring I'd gotten that I needed to get resized & didn't want to have it sent off somewhere to then wait for the place to decide IF they could resize it.
Good service, a great price ($15) & a lifesaver. I'd definitely come back. -
Review from Marc W.
Brooklyn, NY
10/9/2011
This little cubicle is down in the basement, so don't be surprised when you don't see any signs at street level.
Ara did a great job on my fiance's antique engagement ring. He build up the prongs to hold the stone in tight, then cleaned and polished the whole thing. Since we were right there to watch him, he asked our opinion as he went along. It is completely revived. Looks amazing. My fiance was smiling ear to ear. When she told him how much she loved it, he just said, "That's my job. I'm jeweler."
Yes you are, my friend. Yes you are. -
Review from Jen K.
Brooklyn, NY
6/3/2011
I love AY! Yes, its a little weird to find in the basement - its literally like an office with cubicles and a different jeweler in each cube. But Ara is a really nice guy - maybe not the best English, but he knows what he's doing.
I thought I needed to resize my platinum engagement ring from a 6.25 to a 6 but he helped me figure out I actually had to go down to a 5.5. Then within 15 minutes, he resized the ring, polished it with like 4 different polishing tools, put it through 2 cleaning solutions and steamed it. When I got it back I barely recognized my ring because it looked so GOOD. Its a vintage ring so it wasn't brand new when I got it, but with Ara's work it literally looked better than I ever even knew it could look! Its like my ring got a little spa makeover - all for $60. Ill def go back. -
Review from Maurys G.
Miami, FL
2/24/2012
We dropped off my fiancée's ring, which was a few sizes too big, and returned in one hour. For $50, he reduced the ring's band to a perfectly snug fit. Had I not asked for this repair myself, I'd never believe any alteration was ever done, as there are absolutely no scuffs or dents whatsoever. This jeweler is a real professional and knows his trade well.
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Review from Ezra H.
New York, NY
8/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Here are the facts:
Brought my fiancee's platinum engagement ring (grandmother's from the 1930's) to Ara for a tune up. He rebuilt the prongs holding the center stone, re-sized to ring, added platinum to the thinning band (restoring it to its original splendor), and made the old ring sparkle again for $200...
I was so pleased with the service and price that i asked if he knew someone to make the wedding band. I'd just spent a couple of afternoons running around Chinatown and the Diamond District getting quotes and was pretty fed up with the prices and runaround i was receiving. Most people told me it'd cost $900-$1400 for a 8-10gm 22k size 11.5 gold band. Ara made a phone call and a few minutes later said that it'd cost $700-800 and would be ready the following Monday. He asked for a $100 deposit and I left happy.
The following Monday I went to pick up the ring and it was exactly what i had expected except that Ara told me the final price was $600. "cool" i thought. $600 + $100 is the low end of what he'd told me. Done! But no... upon returning home I received a call from Ara who told me that I'd forgotten the deposit I'd left him and that i could come by anytime before 6pm to pick it up....
To me the proof is in the pudding and Ara is the most stand-up, honest, nice, professional guy I've met in a long time. Go to him, use his service and refer others. I wish I could give him an extra star... -
Review from alissa s.
Brooklyn, NY
9/14/2011
i was so afraid of leaving my engagement ring with a stranger. that works in a cubicle. in a basement. in the shady diamond district.
but AY Jewelry made my engagement ring resizing dreams come true!
Ara is super nice and friendly, and got the job done in less than half an hour. i left the ring with him for about 15 minutes (because i didn't get any bad vibes from him at all) while i ran to the bank and when i came back, it was waiting for... just the right size and sparkling just like the day my now-fiance gave it to me! -
Review from Megan C.
1/9/2012
Thank god for Yelp. I mean, really. I got engaged a few days ago while on vacation (woo hoo!) but I spent the remainder of my trip shitting my pants with fear that my slightly too large engagement ring would find itself at the bottom of the ocean or down the drain in the shower. Then I returned home with more thoughts of concern over where the hell in NYC to go get my ring re sized that wouldn't either rip me off or steal my bling. And then of course, I checked Yelp! First review I read was for AY Jewelry and I was sold with the positive reviews, and as per usual, they were spot on! At first entrance you are a little leery going down in the basement of some random spot in the diamond district and then finding yourself in a cubicle filled room of jewelers of sorts. After meeting Ara and seeing his craftsmanship you are at once at ease. I really liked the fact that he lets you sit there and watch, so you know there is nothing shady going on, as well that other jewelers and many customers had come in to see him, so you know he does a god job. I'm not going to lie and say I didn't have butterflies almost the entire time I watched him saw into my platinum band, take a tiny piece out, and then blaze up a torch onto it, but the finished product is FLAWLESS. My ring fits like a glove now and Ara shined it up so much it is blindingly sparkly now! Cost was $75, cash only, and I could not be happier! Such a relief to not have to worry about losing my ring now. Definitely recommend this place.
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Review from L h.
New York, NY
2/2/2012
He was GREAT! So easy! I just dropped 4 pieces of jewelery and picked it up at after work! Quality job! I had a silver ring sized, earring repaired, chain fixed and clean/polish for my diamond ring! All for $45! So happy! Will be back for more and have already told 2 of my friends!
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Review from Allison S.
New York, NY
11/15/2010
At first I was super sketched out when I went to AY Jewelry. You go into this weird little shop and you have to go down these back stairs and then there's this guy who's English is a little broken with big sausage fingers, and my fiance and I were like "Uh oh...."
But now I couldn't be happier and I recommend this guy hands down, no complaints whatsoever. He re-sized my engagement ring and wasn't bothered by the fact that I had a hard time getting sized (I've never been sized before and I wanted it a little snug, but not TOO snug...) Then he took my ring and made it bigger right in front of us in like under 10 minutes. AND THE BAND LOOKS ABSOLUTELY SEAMLESS! Could not tell at all that it had been re-sized, it was so professional. It helped that I had a wedding band to re-size it with in matching material...but the craftsmanship was amazing. Plus he was super nice and you get to watch him the whole time. You can even watch the polishing afterward. Great experience! And it was only $75, which (from shopping around online for this service) is pretty good.
P.S. CASH ONLY. -
Review from Amber W.
Brooklyn, NY
11/18/2011
BE WARNED: This guy told me it would cost $75 to size my sterling silver temporary engagement ring. WHAAAT?? See ya Mr. Rip-Off Artist!
We stopped into the shop next door, 25 W. 47th, randomly selected a booth, and asked how much. "$15 and it'll be ready in half an hour"
God, I'm glad I trusted my gut about AY Jewelry and didn't become a sucker-bride-to-be. 500% mark up if he suspects your ring is wedding related. Watch out. -
Review from Marissa P.
Boston, MA
8/21/2011
Came here based on the great reviews and was totally let down. The guy never called me to tell me my ring was ready, so I waited several weeks thinking it was still being worked on. I had to call him and he said it had been ready weeks ago. The icing on the cake, my ring broke again right after picking it up. Awful!
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Review from Cyndle S.
Brooklyn, NY
10/31/2011
Extremely happy I stumbled onto AY Jewelry's Yelp page!
I just brought my engagement ring there to be made one size smaller.
Super friendly fellow, only took him 30mins to resize the ring!!!
Even better it was only $50 and it came out PERFECT!
Thank you Ara! -
Review from Billie G.
FOREST HILLS, NY
2/9/2012
I found AY Jewelry through Yelp and went to him due to all the great reviews. AY Jewelry is just a small booth downstairs in the jewelry district but it is worth finding. Ara did an amazing job on two pieces of jewelry I brought to him. Both needed a lot of work (my engagement ring and another diamond ring) and now they look better than new. He's such a nice man and his prices are very reasonable. I will be going back to him for all my jewelry repairs in the future as I have found none better or nicer than him!!!
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Review from Kamshim L.
New York, NY
10/11/2010
Came here today to tighten a ring and the visit really put a smile on my face. The place is a little hard to find and I had to rush out after work because it closes at 6, but the run down was really worth it.
Granted the job was v simple and he finished it in like 2 minutes, but when I asked how much, he smiled and said that it was free. Even though it was probably nothing I felt like I won the lottery just cos this guy is so nice (living in a city makes u appreciate nice ppl). Thank you Ara!!! :) -
Review from Ben Y.
Manhattan, NY
10/19/2011
I went there today to have a friend's earrings fixed. He moved from booth #6 to booth #15. This is the 2nd time I been there. He asked me to leave the item with him for a week but when I explained to him that my frinend needed it in couple of days, he fixed the item while I waited (in about 10 min). He used a laser weld which is great, no ugly soldering.
Very nice guy.
Thanks again.
Ben -
Review from Katie W.
Brooklyn, NY
8/9/2011
Probably the best jewelry experience of my life! Came in to have my engagement and wedding rings resized and couldn't believe the quality of the work. They fit perfectly and look fantastic. Couldn't have asked for any more. As a bonus, it was neat to watch him work!
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Review from Elizabeth F.
12/29/2009
My husband and I got married 7 months ago, and we both had to have our rings made smaller then... and then, when cold weather set in, we were both experiencing the scary feeling of our rings nearly flying off our fingers on a regular basis!
I found AY Jewelry via Yelp, and we were not disappointed. For $25 per ring, Ara Yesiltepe resized our rings right in front of us - what an experience to watch a master at work! He has a stall in the basement of this jewelry center in the diamond district. We had our rings as soon as he was done - it took about 45 min or an hour for all three (I'm not exactly sure, I was so interested!) and he did an *excellent* job. They look as if they were never touched - actually, they looked brand-new when he was done with them, so even better than when we had first given them to him. I would highly recommend AY to anyone who is looking to have their jewelry repaired.
Thank you! -
Review from Sochenda R.
New York, NY
7/8/2010
I'm so happy I found Ay Jewelry and thank you yelpers!
I needed my engagement ring re-sized and was nervous to go anywhere that I would need to drop off my ring. I was relieved that Ara was able to fix for me while I waited. It only took him about 30 minutes and the ring looks brand new!!
I will definitely go back in the future. -
Review from Jessika H.
ASTORIA, NY
1/9/2012
This is the first Yelp review I've written so you know this is serious. I needed an engagement ring re-sized and I was really nervous because I'd never been to a jeweler before and had no idea what the price range was and because of the potential to have my ring messed up. I started by looking at Yelp, found AY Jewelry and was so impressed. I called. got a quote ($50), and swung by last Saturday. The guy dropped what he was doing, let me and my fiance watch as he worked his magic and cleaned the bejesus out of the thing (it was my grandmothers so it needed some polishing). He was good to his word and charged $50, the price stated over the phone. The whole thing took 15 minutes. Awesome. So relieved.
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Review from Mark w.
Manhattan, NY
1/6/2012
Got a couple links taken out of my new watch $10 while I waited. Quick & easy. He is downstairs # 15.
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Review from Sue M.
Brooklyn, NY
4/7/2011
I am forever in debt to Yelp for introducing me to AY. I had what I thought was a very tricky sterling silver ring that I needed to increase in size(design is intricate plus it's rose gold plated) . I honestly expected him to turn me away saying he couldn't do it. But Ara was unfazed. Two days later I had it & it looks unbelievable. It's perfect and I don't throw around that word easily. The person who designed this ring for me could not get the sizing right, but Ara could. All for only $25.
I'm sure he'll be seeing my face a lot.
