Goldberry Jewelers
3516 Sacramento St
(between Laurel St & Locust St)
San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 921-4389
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
3 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
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40 Reviews for Goldberry Jewelers
i got engaged a couple of months ago and my ring came from margie and i don't mean to copy everyone else but i don't know how else to describe it - i love love love love my ring!
i have the most beautiful clear unheated AGTA certified pink sapphire with more than at least double the factes of the average diamond and people always comment on its sparkliness (i really did not want a diamond). my ring is a solitaire and is somewhere between a round and an oval.
a lot of colored stones are treated to enhance the color but margie has the most amazing vibrant collection of untreated colored stones. she also has a passion for colored gems and it shows - she only picks the highest quality ones.
i also loved just talking to her. she's a straight shooter and won't give you any BS. she's not there to make a deal and just get the sale- she's there to provide high quality stones to people who appreciate them.
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I had a great experince purchasing my fiancee's diamond engagement ring from goldberry. I discovered goldberry on the web. goldberry's web site is beautiful so I can't agree with Amalia's review because the goldberry web site is what convinced me to make an appointment. The designer, Margie gives real personal service and searches the whole market to find the best diamond she can in your budget and yes she did ask me questions on the phone about my budget and the four Cs and she does that to make sure that goldberry is right for you. For some people size is more important but for me it was quality. goldberry sells high quality gems. On their web site the rubies and sapphires look amazing (prices are listed ). At the appointment the goldberry gems in person are really incredible. I knew Margie could/would find a perfect diamond (which she did). My fiancee just had her ring cleaned and wants one of the goldberry lavender sapphire platinum eternity rings for her wedding band. If you want something special this is the place.
I am the recipient of Eugene M.'s engagement ring and I LOVE it! I would've said yes to his proposal regardless of where or what he got me, but the ring from Margie is simply perfect. It's a solitaire cushion cut on a simple platinum band. Classic and elegant - the look I want for both my ring and the wedding.
Ladies, if you're looking for a pave/vintage style, Margie may not be the jeweler for you. Her pieces are clean and simple. Take a look at the website, and you'll get a feel for her style.
Margie is friendly, knowledgeable and doesn't pressure you into buying. She takes the time to educate you on the basics of diamonds (at least in our case it was a diamond), makes you feel comfortable enough to ask any question (no question is a dumb) and tries to find the best quality within your budget. She's also very responsive to emails.
I love bringing my ring in for cleanings (complimentary and quick!) and we plan on going to her for our wedding bands as well.
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DISCLAIMER: I didn't actually meet the designer or purchase one of her rings, rather I just spoke to her on the phone.
My boyfriend has been looking for engagement rings and wanted to try a few styles on my hand to see what looks good, etc. We called around to a few places to make appointments and see what each store was all about.
I got on the phone with "the designer". She kept telling me to look at her website (which is horribly designed and for a designer of any sort she should have better sense of organization and style) to get a better understanding of what she does (fair enough). In trying to set up an appointment she kept badgering me about the budget. I repeatedly told her that I wasn't sure of the budget but that we wanted a cushion but between 1.2-1.5 carats depending on price, cut, color and clarity. She asked what I had in mind. Here's where things go waaaaayyyyy south. I told her that we'd be open to an "F or G" color. Apparently this was a big mistake. She told me that I should forget her store and go to Costco or Macy's. :-O
OK people. This is simply not true. Yes, a perfect diamond is a "D" color but that doesn't mean that you can't find a beautiful diamond that is an F or G. It's like saying that a Bentley is the only car a person should buy.... come on. We don't have a tiny budget but we are willing to be flexible on color, carat and clarity in order to find the right diamond for us. One would hope that a designer would be wiling to accommodate our preferences....
Oh, when I kept asking her for her name she kept saying "I am the designer" over and over again. Ummm..... OK is that your name? Oh and in case I wanted to know what she looks like (rather than know her name) she referred me to her picture on the website with Al Gore. Who really cares if she has had her picture taken with Al Gore.... I mean, who hasn't?
I give her two stars instead of one because at least she was so upfront. Too bad she was so offensive in the process.
FYI - Harry Winston's son, Ronald, says that they recommend a diamond in color between D and G - I guess he probably goes to Macy's to get his diamonds too!
I found this store a few years ago and I don't think anyone else has the settings and thick beefy style that this place consistantly does.
I love her heart shape necklace pendent in any stone it's so beautiful.
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I just got engaged and my ring came from Goldberry Jewelers. I love, love, love my ring. The diamond is so sparkly and full of fire. I get compliments on it all the time. Margie did a fantastic job helping my FH create a ring that suited my style. Margie is very professional, patient, and knowledgeable. If you are looking for quality jeweler, I highly recommend her.
As mentioned by other yelp users and FH, you cannot just drop in to her boutique. You have to make an appointment.
I'm pretty sure we were the appointment behind Katie M., considering that we were in the waiting room right behind her and we talked briefly. I told her before she went in that Margie wouldn't repair her antique ring and she only worked in platinum (which a cursory glance of her website would tell you). It's pretty obvious that this isn't the place you go to get your gold rings repaired or resized, as she is a Jewelry Designer. It's like being angry with a dog for not being a cat. And If I had a 250K piece of jewelry in my shop, I'd definitely want to keep the door locked. I hope all of you can take her review with a couple shakers of salt. Enough about that.
My fiancee got her engagement ring here a year ago, which was a family diamond which Margie recast into an exquisite platinum band. She only works in platinum, so if that's not what you want, you should go someplace else. She has a plethora of gemstones of relatively high quality and takes the time to show you exactly what you're going to get. She's very upfront with what's going on, but she often runs a late so don't be in a hurry. The waiting room is comfy and you're offered Evian.
Her showroom is the whitest room I've ever seen (like something out of the matrix), which makes the gemstones pop out at you. Her set pieces go from the simple to the ridiculously expensive with stories to match, but aren't gaudy at all. I ordered a relatively simple platinum wedding band, as men's bands don't require much design. Her prices were reasonable, no upselling at all.
If you want something simple and beautiful, and you're willing to take the time to find it, get an appointment at Goldberry.
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I was thrilled to get my ruby engagement ring from Goldberry, it's unique and stunning. The color is a gorgeous deep red which contrasts beautifully with the simple platinum setting. My fiance and I went in together to pick it out, because we wanted something other than a traditional diamond, and had a wonderful time talking wth Margie and learning about gems. The place is perfectly white and sparse, which makes the colors of the gems really stand out . Margie takes special care of the lighting too. It was a fantastic experience, I highly recommend Goldberry.
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After reading reviews on Citysearch and yelp, I looked at rings at Tiffany, Cartier and highly rated jewelry stores in the city. The rings looked great on the goldberry website, so I made an appointment with Margie. Her ring settings are nicer than those at the other stores. She found the very best 1.50 carat round brilliant diamond in "D" color with excellent cut grade, excellent symmetry and excellent polish. I definitely recommend goldberry for the perfect engagement ring.
Margie is a great person to work with.
She takes the time to help you craft the ideal gift and does not pressure you into a quick sale.
She's patient and takes the time to answer any questions you may have about what you want to buy.
Just be sure to enter your appointment with the understanding that great service takes time and some minor waiting will happen if you book an appointment during a busy day.
We plan on using her for any other future items and I plan on referring her to another friend of mine that likes gemstones.
For those of you who are hunting for cushion cut stones, she's a great resource. I found a great 1.63 D colored Cushion Cut diamond out of a total of 5 available within my budget.
What a wonderful experience!
Anyone who has engagement ring shopped knows that it can be a crazy endeavor. We had been through the ringer before Goldberry. Pressure sales at Tiffany. Hippy shops in Santa Cruz. On-line searches leading nowhere. Finally, we landed on Yelp with a great overview of what to expect at Goldberry. We gave it a go!
Margie was wonderful, knowledgeable, and worked with us to create a beautiful ring in our price range. Walking in, I was dead-set on a pave setting with pink diamonds. Walking out, I learned about the wear and tear on different styles of settings and had the option to fall in love with multiple rare gems. I've had my ring six months now and wake up everyday still excited about it!
We're looking forward to creating our wedding bands with her and know that we're planning to keep her for a family jeweler as long as she will have us.
Margie really cares about what you want and will ensure that you find exactly what you're looking for, no matter the gem or setting and will spend the time with you to craft your pieces.
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My boyfriend and I have been hunting for engagement rings and had reached a bit of a standstill. He really wanted me to consider colored stones and I was set on a traditional diamond. His main argument was born of the blood diamond controversy but, being a woman, (and admittedly succumbing to the pressures of conventional standards) I wanted a diamond.
I ended up getting a ring that is completely different from what I originally had in mind and I couldn't be happier. I had wanted a diamond in an antique setting with pave. What I got was a gorgeous .84-carat baby pink sapphire in a classic platinum band. I am happy, happy, happy! (Didn't hurt that we also purchased a wedding band at the same time, also beautiful, with a half channel set with 7-2mm diamonds, D color. I still got my diamonds!)
Ms. Rogerson is exceptional, very informative and professional. We feel especially happy to be able to share with friends that we got these rings from a dynamic woman who has led quite an interesting life. (Check out the links on the goldberry website.) Makes for a fun story to tell and the experience felt much more personal than going to a chain store.
I highly recommend making your purchase at goldberry. While you should definitely have some idea as to what you are looking for when you go, I encourage those of you who are searching for an engagement ring to be open-minded. Margie's store is filled with beautiful colored stones and while she will bring in diamonds for you, there are many lovely things right there to consider. Best wishes in your search.
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HER: We had reached an impasse on our engagement ring search: we live in two different cities for the time being, and the last thing that I wanted to do when visiting was spend time in slimy jewelry stores. Fortunately my fiance found Goldberry, and we are now happily engaged.
The adjectives that I would use to describe Goldberry are minimalistic, elegant and straightforward. The first two apply to the shop itself and the gems and settings that it contains; the second two apply to Margie herself, whose understated elegance comes from her extensive knowledge of her trade and who remains straightforward in an industry that too often relies on selling fantasy. This is not to say that my ring is less than fantastic: It is, but we are happy as well to have done business with someone who knows and cares enough to keep your head out of the clouds when choosing a ring.
HIM: Okay, I was the one who did all the looking for the ruby. And I can tell you honestly, without having been put up to writing this, that I talked to several very friendly (including 5 of the highest-rated) jewelers in the city who all did/said at least one thing to turn me off. Whether it was talking up a stone that even my amateur eye could tell was middlin' at best, or insisting that 550 platinum was "the real deal"... Margie never did anything like that. She let her gems do the talking, and her rubies were so far ahead of what I saw anywhere else. Any question I had, she answered not with the standard "I can find that out for you" that I got everywhere else, but with a direct, honest, no-bull answer. She's a one-woman show, and she knows the game well. She doesn't buy what she thinks will sell; she buys what she knows is quality.
She's busy, so sometimes that comes off as aloof, but once I had spent a little time with her (second visit), I found her to be warm, quirky, and very charming. It sounds like she's great for diamond-shoppers, but I can highly recommend Margie for the gem searchers as well.
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I saw the reviews on yelp and thought it would be a great place to start looking for a new setting for my engagement ring. I brought my fiance there and made the mistake of not making an appointment. We were practically scolded by the owner that we didn't make an appointment, she looked at my ring through a loop and said it was dirty (it's 1.5 carat diamond in a basic tiffany setting, $29,000 ring!). She asked if we wanted a setting with more stones in it, trying to upsell us. The price doesn't matter to us, we'll spend the money when it's the right thing. She treated us as if we were borderline acceptable to even show a ring to. I'll never go back and I hope that she reads this and is less judgmental to her potential customers. Whew! That feels good to write! I've only seen one other one star review for this place, does she pay people off to write such big compliments?
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It's hard to say much about Goldberry's that hasn't already been said. Margie managed to find exactly the diamond I was looking for at an excellent price, and (almost as importantly) with no BS. I'm so glad I found her shop and stopped negotiating my way down Union St. It's been almost a month since I got engaged & my fiance still stops whatever she's doing every few minutes just to stare at her ring. If you're interested in getting engaged, GO TO GOLDBERRY's.
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I'm a lucky recipient of a beautiful and stupendous Goldberry engagement ring. The quality of my three stone princess cut diamond ring is exquisite. Margie is great to work with. Her care and patience in helping to pick out the most perfect ring for me was so much appreciated. I highly recommend anyone that is looking for beautiful jewelery to see Margie. I hope to be a ongoing customer.
***Second review****
We went back to see Margie for our wedding bands, once again she didn't disappoint. She really works with you to help you figure out what you really want. It shows that she loves what she is doing by the time she spends with you. We again found perfect rings.
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I assume we dealt with Margie but she never introduced herself. After determing that we weren't into the colored stones and just wanted a regular diamond engagement ring, she was brusque and completely unhelpful. It was pretty clear that she had no interest in our business.
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My fiance and I discovered Goldberry through Yelp. (Thanks everyone!) (My fiance proposed without a ring...because he knew that I'd probably want to pick it out myself...:)
In our search for the perfect ring, we initially visited all of the top rated jewelers in the City (shops in Union Street, Union Square and South Market) but were not impressed with any of the stores. The sales people in these shops were either too busy to talk to us or for some reason did not provide the level of service that you'd expect when you're about to spend lots of $. Also, I didn't feel comfortable with the quality of the jewelry in some of the stores. Luckily, we found Goldberry at the end of our search.
When we met with Margie for the first time, we both knew that Goldberry would be the place that we'd buy my engagement ring. We were immediately impressed with the quality of the jewelry and the level of service from Margie. Long story short, we bought the engagement ring from Goldberry and couldn't be more pleased with the ring:) We even ended up buying our wedding bands from Margie.
(Now I'm saving my money to buy earrings:)
By the time I went to goldberry, I'd been looking for an engagement ring for months. My girlfriend, now fiancee, wanted a padparadscha sapphire. Margie, the owner of goldberry, found an amazing one for me: an AGTA laboratory certified unheated natural padparadscha sapphire cut to sparkle every bit as much as a diamond.
Padparadscha sapphires, as I learned, are a pinkish-orange or orangy-pink color often likened to that of a sunset. They're beautiful, extremely rare, and usually highly suspect. Almost all are artificially enhanced in some way. Most are heat treated to enhance color, an accepted practice so long as it is disclosed to the buyer. (It often isn't.) Less scrupulous folks will diffuse beryllium into sapphires and then try to pass them off as pads.
Suffice it to say, before I could find a stone, I had to find someone I could trust to buy one from. I found Margie. A few things distinguished Margie from other jewelers and designers. She's a member of AGTA, a very reputable trade group specializing in colored gem stones. Many of the gems in Margie's collection are certified by reputable gemological labs like those run by AGTA or GIA, so you know the stone is what it purports to be. And from the photographs on Margie's website, her stones seemed to be quality.
So, I scheduled an appointment to see Margie's collection. I was not disappointed: She had rubies, blue, pink, purple, lavender, and star sapphires, emeralds, and of course diamonds. Everything looked like it was of excellent quality, which boded well for my search for a quality padparadscha.
I happened to catch Margie right before her trip to an annual colored gemstone convention. At the show, she looked for padparadschas for me, but didn't find any that matched the description I'd given her.
However, Margie contacted a dealer she knows as a good source of Sri Lankan sapphires who was at the same convention. He had a padparadscha that AGTA's lab didn't get back to him in time for the show. He sent it to Margie and, after I examined it in Margie's sun filled studio, I bought it.
When I saw the stone, I couldn't believe it. Hue, tone, saturation--the whole bit--perfect! It really does have the color of a vibrant sunset. It amazes me to think it came out of the ground that color. And the cut is amazing, too. It catches light like a very well-cut diamond.
(Incidentally, I was originally thinking of a three-stone ring, a pad flanked by trillian diamonds. A setting like that would have detracted from the stone I bought, and for that reason, Margie actively discouraged me from getting a three-stone setting. No up-selling at goldberry.)
Margie really came through. She absolutely deserves every star I've given her. If you happen to be looking for rare colored stone like a padparadscha, you want to go to someone with the connections to find a quality one for you and who you can trust to get you the real deal. For me, that person was Margie.
Goldberrys was fantastic. Margie worked with me to create the perfect ring and made it faster than I thought possible. The ring is very beautiful and much better than everywhere else I looked.
I'd just moved here and needed to find a custom jeweler to get an engagement ring for my fiancee. I already had the diamond so Margie put it in a custom platinum setting. She's very knowledgeable and made me feel comfortable making such a big purchase. I'd recommend Goldberry to anyone looking for wonderful custom platinum jewelry.
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When I started looking for an engagement ring, I thought for sure I would wind up buying it at one of the big name stores (Tiffany, etc.). The interesting thing was when I did web searches on jewelery stores in san francisco, Goldberry constantly came up as a result. Every review I read on Goldberry was positive. I was still a skeptic, but I thought that I needed to give Goldberry a try.
Once I met Margie, I knew I had come to the right place. She's a no nonsense, straight forward kind of person which I found refreshing. While I had come in with an idea of what I want, Margie helped clarify things by explaining everything you could possibly imagine about a diamond. Color, clarity, light performance, etc.
The way she works is that she actually *reccommends* you go out and search for the stone you want, and then let her know. She then goes out into the diamond market and will shop it for the best price. There's no fancy lighting schemes, no tricks, and no deception. You give Margie the budget, and she will go to work for you to find the best stone available.
I'd reccommend you shop around first. Even go to the big name jewelers. Let them wow you with their fancy stores and big talk. Find out what you want, then go to Margie, and she'll go to work for you.
Trust me, you won't be disappointed.
Goldberry completely changed my perspective and attitude towards the whole engagement ring buying process. Prior to discovering Margie (the owner of Goldberry), I had spent weeks visiting store after store throughout SF and the peninsula. Some places were ridiculously overpriced for what they offered. Some acted like used car salesmen, while others flat out lied to me about what they were selling. A friend finally turned me on to Goldberry and, after an initial call, my spirits picked up. Margie worked with me to figure out what's really important in a diamond that fits my specific needs and then searched the entire market to find all that matched.
After sitting with me for over an hour pouring over a variety of diamond certs, we narrowed it down to three stones which she then had flown in for review. Once they were in, she again sat with me, going over each of the three diamonds to help me pick the best of the lot. It turned out that the nicest one was actually the cheapest of the three but, due to how she works, she had no incentive to stick me with the higher price tag. I truly felt like she was my partner in the entire process. So not only did I end up with a beautiful diamond, but I got a better deal than I could have found anywhere else!
The next day I brought my fiance in to meet Margie and finish the ring selection. She made the whole process such a great experience that she's landed a major role in the story of our engagement. The ring turned out beautifully, the diamond was nicer than any I had come across previously, the price was will within my budget, and I ended up finding a jeweler I can trust and enjoy working with.
There's no doubt we'll be heading back to Goldberry for our wedding bands. As a side note, her store and display items are breathtaking. The designs are all so elegant and the rubies and sapphires have to be seen to be believed. She truly has an eye for picking gems!
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Margie is doing this because she likes to do it. As owner and operator, her personal touch and expertise is on every stone and setting.
People fly in to shop here by appointment because the experience is unparalleled. There's no one else in the store, you sit down together in an open white room and take your time. It's an intimate space. You don't need more than that when the selection is excellent and you're the only customers.
Her platinum settings are exquisitely simple and elegant. The selection of stones, even for those seeking various colors of sapphire, is of the highest quality. Her service is impeccable, she follows up, and she insists you bring your purchases back for regular cleaning, at no cost, forever.
There is no "but". She worked with our relatively low budget without blinking. Her prices are based in reality, not on some crazy overhead or walk-up location prestige gouging scenario. We're stoked.
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If you're ready to buy some beautiful jewelry, be it a diamond engagement ring or an emerald bracelet, I can't imagine going anywhere but goldberry. The quality at Tiffanys is SO overpriced - you can get such better diamonds elsewhere. Margie at goldberry gets you the whitest, biggest diamonds for the price. And she's Bob Dylan's ex-girlfriend, so you get a story too! She'll walk you through the whole procedure and spend as much time as needed teaching you about jewelry so that you can make an informed decision and get the best bang for your buck. And her simple, beautiful lines are timeless. HIGHLY recommended.
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I echo Sarah R.
Flat out one of the best Jewelers in the bay area and I mean it! Your stepping up to the real deal here. She will create anything for you but her real love is for gems. Margie will save you money over Harry Winston/Shrieve/Tiffanys as she has very low overhead, and your jewelry will be unique not some cookie cutter ring. She is a wonderful woman and artist who will make sure all your questions/needs are answered and who I will return to time after time. Now, if I can just find some more money!!
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Goldberry truly is an amazing place. If any of you are reading this and thinking about purchasing one-of-a-kind jewelry, do yourself a favor and check this place out. I recently purchased a stunning diamond engagement ring with Margie's assistance and could not be happier that I decided to use her services. She takes the time to first get to know her customers and what it is they are looking for in a particular stone. Then she scours the market and finds the best product available for the best price. Nothing else came close to the exceptional service provided by Goldberry and I would be remiss if I did not tell every single person I know that was looking for original jewelry to see Margie before purchasing elsewhere. She provides outstanding service and the quality of her work is unrivaled. Do yourself a favor, see Goldberry. Trust me.
Premium quality and clean lines in platinum and fabulous gems in beautiful colors are what you get with Margie at Goldberry.
I knew I wanted something contemporary and very wearable (i.e. not going to get caught on everything), and Margie's work drew me in immediately. I didn't know much about jewelry and gems before I walked in for my appointment, but I came out of it an expert. The focus at Goldberry is quality and beauty, and prices reflect that. Margie is both forthright and accommodating, will work with you within your budget to make you something that you'll love without the typical sales pressure.
Margie is patient and generous with her time and knowledge. I feel I'm getting exactly what I want in my engagement ring. We're going back for wedding bands, most def, and hopefully much more in the future!
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If you have been stressing on where and how to buy an engagement ring you MUST check out Goldberry. Every place I went (I went everywhere) salespeople kept trying to talk me into a ring that I did not like, showed me stuff that looked basically exactly the same as in every other store. I also looked at loose diamonds. Other jewelry stores and diamond dealers had some choices in loose diamonds but never exactly the perfect diamond that I wanted or could afford.
At Goldberry Margie Rogerson, the proprietor, spent time with me on the phone before the appointment. Goldberry is by appointment and it is totally worth it because you get personal attention and as much time as you want without the pressure. Margie explained how diamonds are graded and asked lot of questions about my budget and what was important for me in term of quality versus size. It is confusing purchasing a diamond and generally the salesperson lost interest and moved on to to someone else when I asked too many questions. My conversations with Margie turned out to be a crash course on diamond grading and cutting. She actually searches for the diamond and "found" the diamond for me. I got a much better quality diamond than I thought was possible in my budget !!!
I was also quite concerned about getting the right design for the setting but when I went into Goldberry there were so many beautiful rings with rubies and sapphires I almost changed my mind about buying a diamond. (If you want a sapphire or emerald or ruby the colors of Goldberry's gems are pretty amazing.) In the end the choice in settings was whatever I wanted because Goldberry custom made the platinum ring just for my diamond. A far cry from all those hideous mass produced junky looking settings without stones I saw elsewhere.
I definitely will bring my fiance into Goldberry for our wedding bands. The selection of eternity and wedding rings in white diamonds and pink diamonds and unusual colors of sapphires was also impressive not to mention the whole collection of earrings, necklaces, pendants and bracelets.
(Bottom line: the first and last place you need to go to buy diamonds or other fancy rocks)
"Great value"
"Unparalleled customer service"
"Brilliant quality"
Aren't these just tired old phrases you hear on cheesy late night TV commercials? Yes, but at Goldberry it's totally a place where it's actually for real!
I was very fortunate to have one of our friends recommend Goldberry when I was looking for an engagement ring back in October for my lucky lady ;) Before going to Goldberry I had visited a couple of jewellers I had seen on TV and dropped in on stores in malls being pretty clueless to the whole engagement ring buying process. I had a lot of faith and trust in my friend so I decided to check out Goldberry; I mean, what did I have to lose but a ton of money? :) Am I EVER glad I went there.
Goldberry itself is a pretty showroom painted all white that gets a continuous view of the sun because it faces southward - the only reason I mention it is that when you look at the diamonds in the sunlight they really dazzle the eyes! Margie (owner and proprietor) takes appointments to see clients and despite being extremely busy she always takes her time with each person no matter how much money they're spending and everyone gets very close attention. I had the very distinct impression that she only wanted to get the highest quality diamond for me and I never felt like I was being hustled or looked at as just another joe who could add to her bottom line.
On my first visit, she carefully explained the diamond buying process to me where I would give her the parameters of the diamond I was looking for (the 4 C's) and my price range. She would then look for matching diamonds and upon finding a selection (5 in my case but it's very possible to get 15-20) she would get the certs (official labs issue certificates for each diamond stating their assessment of the diamond's characteristics) and the diamonds themselves for me to come in and examine and select one. She also explained some of the shadiness that can be involved in the diamond buying business (I'll let Margie explain that to you) - let's see any other place tell you stuff like that upfront!! In my case I was looking for an emerald cut diamond and she found a really beautiful one that had just gone on the market and I was the very first consumer to have a look at it (needless to say I snagged it). After the big part of selecting the diamond a setting for it is chosen and after that a wax of the setting from which the actual ring will be created from is made. The final part is ok'ing the wax setting and having the diamond shipped off to be set permanently in the ring.
I just went to Goldberry yesterday to pick up the wedding bands and Margie wanted me to bring in the engagement ring for cleaning at the same time. I found it endearing that she really wanted to clean the ring so that it would look it's best and I can tell you that after only about 4 months of wear the cleaning made a HUGE difference. By the way, cleaning the diamond is complimentary for life.
When it comes down to it, you can go to any old place and get a diamond for your significant other but when you're dropping that much money doesn't it make sense to go to someone who has your best interest at heart, genuinely wants to take care of you and wants to get you the highest quality diamond there is?
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Beautiful and creative jewelery design. Love the store's simplistic style and design.
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when i saw the beautiful and lavish engagment ring my friends
bought at Goldberry I was truly impressed. There were 5 perfectly
matched rubies nice size and gorgeous color set in platinum. So
I wanted to see for myself. When I walked into Goldberry in Laurel Heights, I was pleased to find an immaculate and minimal white space with nothing to detract from the wonderful jewelery and colored stones shown in clear sparkling cases that seemed to float. While the owner, Margie, took to time to educate me about color, cut and value, I was impressed that she urged me to shop around and come back so I could more clearly understand what was important abut buying a great stone. Would Shreve's do that? She spent a lot of time with me and as the store is open by appointment only, she sees only one customer at a time, which I really appreciated because I had so many questions. Margie was patient with me and seemed to want me to acquire the best stone for the money.Her knowledge of gemstones is extensive and as each ring and stone is displayed individually I was able to see the quality of each one. Emeralds, sapphires, rubies of every color and size set in platinum made choosing one difficult for me, but Margie guided me to the best choice within my budget and I am very happy with the whole experience and will go and shop there again. My best recommendation!
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This is the perfect jeweler to go to if you are looking for a classic, elegant, and gorgeous engagement ring at a very good price. I was referred to Margie's store from someone else that had purchased their ring from her, and I have to say that I am very glad that I decided to go to her instead of someone else.
I had already spent a lot of time (a couple of months) going to jewelers all over Los Angeles and Orange counties, but for the kind of diamond I wanted (a cushion cut in a platinum setting), I either found the prices to be too high at the big retailers, or I felt uncomfortable and distrusting at the smaller stores. After talking to Margie, I found her to be very accommodating and helpful, especially considering that I was not in San Francisco (I live in Los Angeles), and I had a very tight timeline in which I needed to complete the purchase. Like other reviewers have noted, she is very knowledgeable and informative about the gems she is purchasing for you, and will spend as much time as you need finding out what you are looking for, and also going over what information you need to know to purchase the perfect ring. And yes, she asked me about my budget over the telephone, but I didn't find that an invasive question, especially since it is an important one, and her main reason for doing so was to find me the best diamond that she could locate that was within my budgetary constraints.
She found a selection of diamonds for me to choose from, but I finally chose a perfect cushion cut diamond, one that literally took my fiance's breath away when she saw it, and still does, actually! (and so far, the reaction has been consistent among everyone that has seen it so far!). I am incredibly happy that I purchased my ring from her, and would recommend her store to anyone that is serious about their engagement ring purchase.
Like most men who are in the market for an engagement ring, it is generally their first introduction into the world of buying Diamonds. Basically clueless...... Every jeweler will give you the quick FOUR C's overview (Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat), but Margie at Goldberry takes it to a whole other level. Her system for finding you the right diamond is incredibly thorough. She initially sat down with me and gave me a 1 hour overview of the entire process behind selecting the exact diamond that you want. After you figure out the specifications around the diamond that what you want, she goes out into the worldwide market for certified diamonds and brings in a selection for review. The cool thing is that Goldberry is not trying to sell you their inventory on hand, because they don't carry any. They only bring in certified diamonds from all over the world based on your specific criteria. She doesn't care which diamond you buy, because Goldberry doesn't have any expense invested in your selection of diamonds (just the shipping cost to bring them into her store).
I just bought my diamond and platinum setting last week from Goldberry. I met with Margie probably 8 times throughout this process (this was my choice). She makes herself available for all questions or concerns. You definitely don't have to worry about quality when you buy something at Goldberry. After spending time with Margie, you realize very quickly that she knows what she is doing, and she won't sell you something unless it's perfect. Additionally, her pricing is competitive. She'll actually recommend that you go to other jewlers to price shop. I like that about her.
Overall it was a good experience. The diamond ring is absolutely beautiful, and the best part about it is that my fiance thought so too when I proposed. I would definitely go back to Goldberry again.
I love this place and I still have never been there.
I just got engaged two weeks ago. I received a diamond so beautiful that I get comments from strangers on the streets daily. Margie (owner) was able to find my fiance exactly what he wanted when we were told by our appraiser last week that my diamond is virtually impossible to find (square cushion cut, 1.7 carat, perfect color D).
Margie clearly in this business for the love of the gems/diamonds. She will only show diamonds of a certain quality -- she isn't in this business to just get a sale, she just wants to create beautiful jewelry.
Another perk is that she told me to come in monthly for complimentary cleanings just to make sure it keeps its sparkle :)
I am saving up to buy a very cool ring in this store and have been in there several times to see the collection. I hate all the gaudy stuff at most jewelery stores and because Goldberry specializes in high quality colored stones and diamonds set in platimum, you will only get the real deal and it will be very tastefully done. Margie, the owner, works by appointment only and because she doesn't stock a large inventory or have a huge overhead, she can bring you amazing stones at the very best prices. Two of my friends have purchased from her and are very happy with their rings. If you are serious about purchasing a diamond, sapphire, ruby or emerald, or other colored stone in *platinum*, check it out.....designs are pure and clean - no gaudy crap. Because Goldberry is not your typical retail location, you get personalized service and the highest quality when you are ready to buy. Since I've met Margie, I won't go anywhere else.
Margie's services are ideal for those who want to select the perfect stone for them, and have it set in a simple, elegant setting that will highlight the gem. What sets her apart is that she will work with you to set the criteria for the diamond, search the market for exactly what you want, select the best possibilities, and then have them sent to her so you can examine each stone in person. We were very interested in cut quality, and she spent time to discuss the new ratings and to help us evaluate the stones when they came in. She charges a flat fee for her service, not a percentage of cost, so we felt no pressure to buy a particular stone or spend more. She is more like having a personal buyer than a store salesperson.
I would strongly recommend going to Margie when you have already browsed some jewelry stores and educated yourself on the basics of the diamond and ring that you want.