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Inta Gems, Diamonds & Jewelry
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10:30 am - 5 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Garage
- By Appointment Only:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
47 reviews for Inta Gems, Diamonds & Jewelry
Review Highlights
"We ended up buying our wedding bands from here."
(in 7 reviews)
"Peter is very honest and VERY responsive to e-mails."
(in 13 reviews)
"But Steve was able to find something even better."
(in 13 reviews)
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47 reviews in English
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Review from Elizabeth J.
Santa Monica, CA
Updated - 1/14/2012
After such a great experience buying my engagement ring, my boyfriend and I returned to Inta for our wedding bands. We received the same warm welcome and great service. My boyfriend, not being a jewelry-wearing dude, had no idea what he wanted, but the man who helped us was extremely patient and gave him great advice.
While they were sizing our bands, they cleaned my engagement ring for free. Oh, and we got to take home a bunch of those gummy candies--sometimes, it's the small things.
Love this place!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/30/2010
This little stand is located in a hall filled with jewelry dealers. I'd read on yelp how wonderful… Read more »
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Review from Kimberly W.
Los Angeles, CA
1/5/2012
Inta Gems is the best of the best! Their entire team is amazing at finding and creating the perfect pieces for the perfect occasion. They treat you like family and are flexible and generous. They handled my engagement ring from start to finish and made it a seamless experience for my now fiance! They are my life long jewelers and I highly recommend them!!! Ask for Steve or Peter, or anyone on their awesome team.
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Review from Mendie L.
Artesia, CA
12/27/2011
Inta Gems is the only place you should go for your jewelry needs! Steve, Peter, and Jerry are the nicest, most talented Jewelers you'll ever find. They sell only the best and most beautiful products. My fiance and I went here to get our engagement ring, and wanted something unique and special. Steve listened to what we wanted and he threw in some expert suggestions. What Steve made for us could not have been any more perfect!! If you want a totally unique, beautiful ring, get it from Inta Gems!
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Review from Regina L.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 7/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went back a few months ago and had a great experience purchasing our wedding bands. Went back again two weeks ago, and AGAIN amazing service in getting my engagement ring polished prior to the big day!
I'm pretty sure I could've gone to any jeweler to get my ring polished (and I'm sure there are tons of places in San Diego and that I don't need to make the 2 hour drive up to LA), BUT I love Inta Gems and Steve (and the whole family) always treats us so well!
Can't wait to come back for my matching earrings! *nudge nudge to the hubby* ;)2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/24/2009
So I've actually been wanting to go back to INTA Gems for awhile now, but since I live in San Diego,… Read more »
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Review from Vanessa Y.
Los Angeles, CA
My ring turns heads and I've got Inta Gems to thank for that.
When my fiance proposed, my stone was set in a basic Tiffany setting because he wanted me to pick the setting of my choice. After scouring Yelp's top hits in LA's Jewelry District, I realized that 1) most settings looked the same and 2) settings for my size stone were very limited.
I had the unfortunate luck (said with a playful wink) of having a princess cut stone that was too big (thank you honey) for nearly every setting we saw. Most dealers, upon seeing that they could not make an instant sale with us, were reluctant to work on a custom setting with a hard stop due date. Having recently gotten engaged, we needed to have my ring ready within 2 weeks for our engagement party. Every top vendor we spoke to said it was impossible--that is until we ran into Jerry and the folks at Inta Gems.
The moment I looked down at the display case, my eyes made a beeline to one ring. It did not look like anything that exciting, but I knew that with a little merchandising, it could be something truly fabulous. Without hesitating, they said they could deliver. With time closing in, that was enough for us to hunker down with Jerry to create a masterpiece using a basic 4-prong setting. To ensure that my "floating" diamond ring could be created, he called in for backup from the diamond setters upstairs and got the okay.
Thirteen days later, I got the call we'd been waiting for. My ring was done and seeing it literally left me breathless. Inta Gem's dedicated team brilliantly executed my vision based on simple sketches. Saying they met my expectations is an understatement. They delivered a ring that was even more magnificent than I ever hoped for -- and with an extra day to spare to fawn over it some more.Listed in: Next Time We're Eloping...
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Review from Laura S.
7/11/2011
Peter is so great. He's been doing business with my family for years. He got engagement ringe for my cousins, sister and family friends. He also does the Miss California jewels. He designed the crown himself.
It's not up to me about getting my statement ring from here but I know he can be trusted with the best gems and once you buy from him, you marry his family. My sister and him are still close - she's been married for five years already.
GIA! -
Review from Bernadette M.
Studio City, CA
4/7/2011
Did our research and came here because of the high ratings on Yelp. We were both very weary of going to the Jewelry District, and we wanted to go to someone that wouldn't rip us off. We came here and we didn't bother shopping around for our wedding rings. The owner told us if we pay cash, we didn't have to pay tax and there was an ATM across the street. So we walked over to the ATM, and we shopped for our rings while we were walking over there. They were charging us $500 for both rings and we actually got them for $140.
If you come here I suggest that you shop around and get a feel for pricing. They will rip you off! -
Review from Paul S.
Long Beach, CA
Updated - 6/7/2011
Great place for wedding bands Remember that you should be ready to haggle if you shop here. If you're not the haggling kind of person, you may find yourself spending more than you should. Their supply of rings is extensive and respectable. I did not care too much for their engagement stones. Regardless of how they look, they have EGL certified stones. If you've read reviews about EGL, they tend to over-rate their stones. They also have a few GIA certified stones (GIA is the gold standard). Expect to pay a premium here for the GIA stones. I suggest looking around and then returning with a price that you are willing to pay. If the meet your price, then buy it. Otherwise, there are hundreds of jewelers in the area.
But back to my original statement; they have great prices for wedding bands. So, I would definitely consider them once you're ready to buy your bands!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/10/2011
I hope for all of the other reviewers that went to Inta Gem to get their diamond. All that I know… Read more »
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Review from Erica R.
Toluca Lake, CA
9/20/2010
I found this store because I couldn't avoid it...ads on http://theknot.com and searches for certified conflict-free diamonds, plus with all their high reviews I had to check them out.
Well, I will give them credit for actually carrying (some) certified diamonds with Kimberly process certificate since most places did not. But that's about all that rang positive for me.
They were not willing to help me browse and answer questions, it was more about cutting to the chase. Felt more like a car dealership. Like, "tell us what you want, we'll quote it". Straight, clear objectives is what they wanted but not what I had to give at the moment.
Their look is definitely "contemporary", looks like what everyone else has so nothing popped out as special. Basically, if you like what you see on their website and want to quote a specific ring then it's worth a visit. -
Review from Mindy H.
11/14/2010
Inta Gems has beautiful pieces of jewelry, like most of the other hotly raved places on Yelp. The people that work here are much friendlier than those that worked at IOTR (the workers there were cool, a bit standoffish, but not by any means rude . . . but they also made us feel like they weren't going to work too hard to gain our business) or LA Diamond District (Mervyn. . . all I can say is that he's British). You are greeted here by a smiling face and a fruit gummy. This was one of our last stops at the jewelry district, and BH and I were tired.
The only thing that BH and I had trouble with was not the service, but their prices. The diamonds are fairly priced but their settings are almost over priced. They also didn't have what we wanted. We understand that the color and clarity of the diamond that we were looking for is a little out of the ordinary, but places like Eli's and IOTR didn't have a problem showing us what we wanted.
Inta Gems tried to sell us a diamond in the grade and color that we weren't looking for. The settings were also almost 2x the price of other places. The settings were beautiful, but again, not unique because you can ask any jeweler at any of the other stores to craft the same exact piece or customize a piece to your exact liking.
The sales person tried to sell me half a set (total set with engagement ring and wedding band was $3k) for $1500, and had the audacity to say that she was giving us a discount by doing that. I had seen the exact same setting at IOTR for $1095. In fact, across the way at Diamond Center Inc, they had the same set of band and ring set for $1280!!!
Overall, they give good prices for their diamonds, but to offset their lower diamond prices, they hike up their setting prices. Again, nice place, great people, but not the place for us. -
Review from Charles P.
Oxnard, CA
9/8/2010
I went in looking for a nice diamond engagement ring for a friend. I was looking ideal cut hearts and arrows diamonds. It had to be a diamond that displays a ton of brilliance, fire, and sparkle.
They were able to source a few for me, but when I cross referenced the GIA numbers to another database, some of them cross referenced to other online dealers selling them at much cheaper prices. I did inspect a few, and most of them, the hearts are flawed, and the arrows were not crisp. None of the diamonds they sourced met my specifications. Oh wellz, we passed, and we're moving on.
At least they tried, and that deserves a 3. For those looking for above average diamonds at decent prices, Intagems is for you. But if you want high-quality hearts & arrows diamonds that are precision cut, something that other girls will be jealous of when your fiance wears it, this is not the place for me, and likely not for you. -
Review from Amandalynn S.
Valley Village, Los Angeles, CA
1/22/2011 1 photo
My fiancé and I decided to go to the Jewelry District in search for the perfect wedding bands. He had purchased my ring from a vendor that didn't offer a matching band - and it was so unique that finding a band was quite difficult. (I posted a pic so that you could see - photo by Amandalynn K.)
After walking all through the district and not finding ANYTHING similar... we stumbled into INTA. We were greeted by Connie who gently asked to see my ring and held it over top of all of the wedding bands in the rack and pulled out two rings that were similar - both beautiful, but one was PERFECT. She got called off to another person but passed us over to two very competent sales reps, Michael and Winnie.
After debating amongst ourselves for about fifteen minutes we started talking price - they worked with us and got it below our max price range. While I looked at the Chosen One, my fiancé found his perfect ring in the case. They wrote us an even better deal to get the two under our total price range.
Off we went to the nearby Chase Bank to get cash while they worked on resizing my band and cleaning my engagement ring so they glimmered just the same. By the time we returned - my rings were done, GORGEOUS and glimmering... and a perfect fit!
Out of every vendor we saw, these were the most friendly, the most interested in finding us the rings we were looking for, and making sure that it was something we could afford.
Best jeweler in the district - HANDS DOWN. -
Review from Jeff A.
Costa Mesa, CA
8/5/2010
After I proposed to my fiancee our next job was to find her a ring. She decided to yelp the jewelry district and came across Inta Gems which had excellent reviews so we decided to head out to LA from the OC to see what all the fuss was about and I'm sure glad we did.
Going into the jewelry district can be quite overwhelming especially if you have no idea what you are looking for. Luckily, my fiancee knew what she wanted and we went straight to Inta Gems. We were greeted by Peter and he was very helpful. The whole staff is very helpful, but Peter, Connie, and Jerry who are the owners really made us feel at home and comfortable with the whole purchasing process.
Peter educated us on diamonds and worked with our budget. He really gave us a great value for a great diamond. My fiancee knew what type of setting she wanted and she chose the first one they brought out to us. They were able to set the ring for us that day. Peter really made what could have been a nightmarish experience to something so simple and easy.
We have only had the ring for a week and my fiancee has received so many compliments on her engagement ring. My fiancee is also in love with her ring and cannot stop staring at it, I have to admit the ring is very impressive.
Thanks Peter and family for making this experience an easy one for me!! -
Review from Andrew T.
Pasadena, CA
3/26/2011
I am a male, purchasing a diamond engagement ring. I think a lot of these reviews are women posting about the ring they received and the service afterward. So my review is a little different from the norm.
I'm a little fearful of writing this review because of the backlash i might get form Inta Gems. I came here to attempt to buy a diamond engagement ring. I was accosted right away of course, and told them my budget. The lady immediately showed me diamonds, and i wasn't sure what i was looking at. She gave me the gem scope and i had no clue what i was looking at... i didn't even know how to hold the scope and she watched me fuddle around with it without ever offering a hand. I must have looked stupid when i was looking at the diamonds holding the scope incorrectly. She showed me her ENORMOUS engagement ring that she was wearing to compare with the color of the gem she pulled. She gave me a little story about how she has to wear it because her husband got it for her but she doesn't like the color. I thought that was a little ridiculous.
The problem i had with them is that they seemed really aggressive in trying to sell you ANY gem possible and that's why i even bother writing this review. I didn't feel comfortable with purchasing from them because they didn't attempt to educate me on diamonds (of course, i've never bought any diamonds before proposing to my girlfriend). They would just pull anything that was in the price range and if you pointed at one in particular (and i did because i didn't know what i was looking at), they would key in on that and not tell you their honest opinion just that its perfect for me. Eventually they pointed me to a EGL gem to which they described as "such a great deal" and "so beautiful." At least to me, they all look the same and i'm not sure in what ways you can say that this one looks more beautiful. All i knew was EGL does not hold their standards as strict as GIA. At the end of the session, i think the owner told me, if you find a ring anywhere else, come back before you buy it and we'll beat that price. Why don't you just offer me a great price in the first place... i don't want to play this game.
Because I was so confounded, i walked away disappointed and wanting to learn more about diamonds and eventually did a lot of research and looked for someone who would teach me about diamonds. I'm pretty much a diamond expert now because i was so worried about Inta Gems selling me a gem i didn't want. I eventually bought an engagement ring elsewhere in my budget, that i'm happy with. Your fiance will always be happy with what you pick, but you should get something that you are happy about as well. -
Review from Rob N.
Orange, CA
3/31/2010
Every guy knows, when buying a diamond you should pay attention to the 4 C's: Carat, Cut, Clarity and Color....someguys will even argue a 5th C, COST. But lets face it, when a girl looks at the diamond, they look at how big and how sparkly the thing is.
Although I can't help you afford a larger stone, I can help you purchase a sparkly stone with some credibility. Use the Tolkowsky Ideal Cut to try and stay within a certain range, enter the percentages in the Holloway Cut Advisor to measure the return of light/color spectrum and go to Inta Gems to make your purchase.
Few will take the time to anyalyze the Tolkowsky Ideal Cut proportions. According to Tolkowsky, the ideal cut of a diamond is set within a certain range. The tradeoff between maximum brilliance and maximum fire will result in varying combinations of crown and pavilion angles.
Even fewer will take the time to enter the percentages of the depth, crown, table, pavilillion and culet which is necesscary to examine the diamond under the Holloway Cut Advisor. The appeal to using the Holloway cut Advisor is that it attempts to measure the potential Light Return, Fire, Scintillation and Spread of the diamond.
Sure you can analyze other things such as hearts and arrows, but if you've covered the first two recommendations, you are way ahead of the game and anything after that is just too confusing.
Now you just need to go to a credibile jeweler like Inta Gems. Having gone to a dozen different jewelers, I wound up visiting Inta Gems through a recommendation of my younger brothers. The family run business is legit. They've worked with several celebs including: the artist formerly known as Prince, Whoopi Goldberg, Yul Kwon- the korean guy who won on survivor and even designed a ring for Al Gore's daughter. Oh yea, did I mention they designed the Miss California crown?
So now you know that Inta Gems is a reputable jeweler, let me describe their personal approach and great customer service. I work in Newport Beach and their store is in downtown LA. I get off work at 5 and they close at 5. Were they willing to work with me? Of course! We spoke several times via email and phone calls .... and when it came time to visit the store, they were willing to stay later for me. You'd expect them to a be a bit grumpy, at least I would be if I had to work later because of a customer.....one who I had no clue was going to buy my diamond or not. But they were absolutely pleasant to work with. Now, that's GREAT SERVICE!
Jerry and Peter (father and son) were nothing but kind and friendly to work with. Peter's got the great eye for fashion/design while Jerry is the biggest hype man I know :) Very kind man who wanted to make sure you were happy. He kept offering us lychee gummies which were addicting. They are so kind, that they steered me away from buying a more expensive diamond ..... which turned out to be the worse diamond of the two I was considering. As much as you know, they know more....and the best part is that they are willing to share their knowledge with you.
There is nothing bad I can say about Inta Gems. In my book, they are phenomenal. They know their craft, are pleasant to work with and are genuinely good people. We liked them sooo much that we bought our wedding ring from them already.....even though we don't even have a date set. haha
I already know this is going to be our family jeweler for years to come. -
Review from Alvin A.
Bristol, CT
8/14/2011
Couldn't be happier with my recent experience at Inta Gems.
Everyone was incredibly helpful and nice. They made my fiancee feel at ease, and were very patient with her. They have an incredible selection, and were timely with their service.
They went above and beyond at every turn for us and we see ourselves coming to them for all our jewelry needs in the future. -
Review from Diana H.
10/2/2010
The Diamond/Jewelry District in LA is SO overwhelming with 1000's of shops selling engagement/wedding bands. But if you have the time, it's worth it.
Inta Gems is cheaper than sites like Blue Nile and MUCH cheaper than brick and mortar stores like Robbins Bros. I'm really happy with our purchase. We ended up buying our wedding bands from here.
The reason why I wouldn't give them a 5 is because they are not the cheapest in downtown. If I could rate them a 4.5 though, I would.
There are definitely smaller shops that can offer better prices than Inta Gem down the street, but the TIME and effort it would take to go through all the stores would easily take the entire day and multiple trips.
Inta Gems also has a much better selection than the other small shops because they don't have the gaudy jewelry like many of the smaller shops have to sift through.
If you want a beautiful ring and can't waste too much time, come here.
They also have much better service than the smaller shops in downtown. -
Review from Gina T.
Monterey Park, CA
12/3/2009
I decided to buy my mom a necklace for Christmas this year and I heard that Inta was a fabulous place to go to. Right when I walked in, I was welcomed and felt incredibly comfortable. I'm the type of person who doesnt know annnyyytthinng about diamonds and cuts and all that stuff but they happily explained everything to me and I was soo grateful. I almost want to keep this necklace for myself haha
Thanks so much! -
Review from Edgar S.
North Hollywood, CA
Updated - 10/28/2010
Short Version: Beautiful merchandise, supreme service.
Long Version: I just came back for my second purchase in two years, and the experience here was just as great as it was before, if not better! I came in with a very specific request and they didn't have an exact match for what I wanted. It didn't matter; they immediately sent one of their employees out and came back within minutes with exactly what I was looking for, which I though would be impossible. They then had the jewelry put into settings and I was out the door in an hour. An hour! And, with a very fair price. Plus, while I was waiting, they gave me tasty cookies and candy treats. Seriously, where else can you have an experience like this? I highly recommend Inta Gems, Diamonds & Jewelry. Check'em out!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/11/2009
Short Version: Classy merchandise, great service.
Long Version: I am new to jewelry, and had been to… Read more »
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Review from howie f.
San Francisco, CA
9/1/2008
Highly recommended! Steve came very highly recommended from a friend of mine who got his engagement ring at Intagems. I did quite a bit of research, both online and in stores, and originally found something I was happy with at Blue Nile. But Steve was able to find something even better. The diamond I ended up purchasing from Steve (GIA certified) had specs which exceeded the ones from Blue Nile. The result was a ring that has incredible sparkle.
Steve was also able to work with me remotely (I live in SF.). At every step of the way, he emailed me pictures of what he was doing. He sent me a hi-res image of the diamond, along with the GIA cert. For the setting, I described what I was looking for and he found a variety settings that fit my description and emailed images of the settings (along with the diamond inside) as well. Finally, when everything was finished, he sent me an image of the mounted ring, just to make sure everything was as I had expected. Needless to say, my fiance is very, very happy with the ring.
If you're looking for engagement ring, do yourself a favor and visit Steve. -
Review from Jeffrey T.
Cheviot Hills, CA
11/6/2009
What's the toughest part about getting engaged and married besides making that huge commitment? Well it's finding that perfect ring and finding one that is in your budget. You want a ring that when girls see it they say, "Ahhhh that's so beautiful, you are a a lucky girl" and when guys see it they say "Damn that is some bling and she is off limits". Well when I was looking for engagement rings I had no idea where to start or what I was looking for. The only things I knew was 1) princess cut, 2) my budget, and 3) make the future fiance happy.
Well look no further people, INTA GEMS is the best place to buy an engagement ring, or any fine piece of jewelery for you or your loved one. The have the highest quality of jewelry for the best price around. A friend of mine had bought his engagement ring there and he told me I had to go there and I will definitely get the best ring for the best price. Steve helped me with all my needs. He was great, so accommodating and knowledgeable. I told him what little I knew, he asked me what my budget was, what my fiance to be was like, and how big her hand was. He then proceeded to spend the next 1 1/2 hours educating me on diamonds, settings, and suggestions. I felt like I was an expert when this was all said and done. With Steve's suggestion we picked out the perfect engagement ring.
When it was time to finally make the purchase, I contacted Steve and I couldn't believe how accommodating and helpful he was. I was living in Seattle at that time and he made arrangements for me to obtain the engagement ring, propose on my selected date, all without having to travel back to LA.
When I proposed my fiance cried, not because she was happy to be married to me but because the ring was so beautiful and it was the "perfect" ring that she wanted. I really have to thank Steve and INTA GEMS for that. As it turns out, my fiance told me the wrong ring size and we had to get it sized. No problem at all, I called Steve and again he was so accommodating and gave me several options. I doubt any other jeweler would provide these options.
To this day we receive so many compliments about the ring on it's beauty and style. I really can't take credit and I just tell him it was Steve and INTA GEMS. We even were in another jewelery store and the diamond expert looked at the ring and exclaimed what a great quality diamond we had and how stunning it was.
I highly recommend everyone to go to INTA GEMS, you will get 1) the highest quality, 2) professional, friendly, and accommodating service, 3) guarantee on merchandise, and 4) the best price. Without the risk of sounding cheezy, they really work with you, your budget, and want to make you happy. For all my future jewelery needs I will only go to INTA GEMS and Steve. -
Review from Sean D.
Long Beach, CA
7/3/2011
We were referred to Inta Gem from a close friend and were told to ask for Steve. Not only did he provide excellent service, but his prices are unbeatable. My fiancee wanted to design her own ring, so Steve sent Winnie over to us to sketch out her ideas. Winnie was very creative and was able to cater to my finacee's exact ideas. A few days after the initial meeting, we received an email from Winnie with a digital layout of the custom ring. We made some quick changes and sent it off fo the final design. It took about 2 weeks to complete and the result is stunning! Excellent spot, excellent service.
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Review from Maximillian Y.
Playa Vista, CA
5/12/2008
I didn't buy anything from them, but I did have a good experience with them. This place is family owned and Peter (I think he is one of the sons) is very knowledgeable about diamonds, whereas some of the other sales staff aren't as so.
In general this place and most places in the LA Jewelry district are going to be in the same ballpark in terms of price... very competitive but still slightly higher than internet vendors such as Bluenile, Whiteflash, James Allen, etc... So I think if you are shopping in the LA Jewelry district, the key factor is going to be more about trust and how well the vendor works with you to pick out the diamond you want rather than the diamond they want to sell you. -
Review from iris K.
Wailuku, HI
6/20/2011
Excellent service! Steve & his mother was so helpful!
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Review from Carrie G.
Los Angeles, CA
1/4/2010
This is perhaps the best jewelry experience you can get!
Both Steve and Peter (GIA certified gemologists) are extremely knowledgeable work hard to educate their customers on making informed choices. They are never pushy, and are SO HELPFUL! I had come in a month prior based on a friend's recommendation. This place is family owned, so the minute you step in the store, they treat you as if you are family! Once I arrived, I was warmly greeted by Connie and Jerry, the owners, as well as Christine, one of the employees. I was going to meet with Steve to pick out a necklace and matching earrings for an upcoming pageant, and couldn't have asked for better help.
I also recently brought a girl friend by to look at some engagement rings, and was once again given the "Inta Gems treatment." We were also given hot green tea to warm us from the chilly weather outdoors. *YUM* My girl friend had the most amazing time learning about diamonds from Steve, and still raves about "the ring" she picked out there! I also got to see the Miss California crown that Peter had designed. If you haven't seen it, IT IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS and so thoughtfully designed! Peter's work on the crown is truly the epitome of jaw-breaking beauty. Check out the video on their website! That crown is just a small morsel of the quality you experience at Inta Gems. Ahh...thinking about that place makes me smile. Yes, being surrounded by glittery diamonds AND friendly people can do that... :) -
Review from Jenny H.
Encino, CA
2/26/2011
Ok first off, must point out that my fiance went to inta gems october of 2009 - not sure how much has changed since then, but still wanted to add my review since i'm a yelp-aholic now.
anyways, i must say i was extremely happy with the purchase =) he said he loved the selection and the ability to look at alternatives to diamonds, in particular, he wanted to find me a sapphire. they have plenty of loose gemstones to choose from and their website is also really informative about what they have in stock. However, you would definetly get a better experience just going down there yourself. my fiance found them the best option for getting my sapphire e-ring.
now, he took me back there a few months later in hopes of looking for a matching band. to me, the jewelry district is an overwhelming place with all the choices, but i found inta-gems the least intimidating and the people working there were extremely helpful and warm (we also got these lychee gummies which were yum!)
ok now for the reason i only gave 5 stars - keep in mind this was just over a year ago, so much might have changed so please correct me if im wrong! well, like diamonds, gemstones like sapphire, rubies and emeralds have their own type of gemstone certificate that specifies all the details about the stone, and you normally want that to be from a third party. for our purchase, it was a certificate done in-house, which was less then ideal BUT the gem we got was still amazing and everything i could hope for. just a bit disconcerting is all. Just something to keep in mind when/if you shop here. secondly, as i said earlier, my fiance brought me back to shop bands, and i wanted to also have them resize my ring slightly. its a solitaire and its always swinging around my finger and it started to annoy me. the ring is a size 5.5 and im a size 5.25. I talked to a lady at the counter and she said it was "normal" to swing around or whatever, which i was a bit turned off at. i guessed they didn't want to go through the trouble of resizing since we still had a free resizing since he bought the ring. finally, i have found it rather inconvenient to be able to get down to the jewelry district JUST to have my ring's prongs checked/repaired and cleaned for free; something else to keep in mind if you do not live nearby. i ended up buying a band from robbins bros near me and they are kind enough to check and clean my e-ring as well.
overall, it's a great place to go to if you're looking for gemstones, as they have a large selection of LOOSE stones. make sure you ask about certificates and keep in mind how convenient it will be for you to return to do ring maintenance. -
Review from Nathan N.
Fullerton, CA
7/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
Great Prices, Wonderful products, and very friendly staff. I was helped by Peter and Connie and both were excellent. My fiance and I got both the engagement ring and wedding bands here and couldn't have been happier. They even gave me a little shout out on their blog because I'm a wedding photographer! They really know how to treat their customers right!!
The ring was beautiful, my fiance loved it the moment she saw it. The wedding bands were just as amazing, and they had such a variety. I loved how they could put the diamond into the ring of your choice to show you what it would look like. Instead of having a fake CZ in the ring like some of the other places.
They were the 6th place we stopped at downtown, so we definitely looked around.
Thanks again!! -
Review from Penelope r.
Santa Barbara, CA
7/26/2009
Granted, I don't know much about jewels or jewelry. I did some online research on gems and metals, but really, you trust the experts or you don't.
I am, however, very picky, and based on those character qualifications can say that Inta was very responsive, flexible, and takes customer satisfaction very seriously. My fiance worked with them to design a custom ring, and I love the results. We came back to get his wedding band there, and the price we were given was comparable with that of online retailers -- but of course with the much greater security of dealing with an established and reputable brick-and-mortar shop. In fact, the proprietor had encouraged us to go with the white gold version of the ring we eventually got in platinum; white gold costs much less, so it was the opposite of being upsold! Impressive. Worth going, and worth going back. -
Review from SC L.
Los Angeles, CA
6/16/2010
Steve is great!! After many failed attemps to find the perfect wedding band for my fiance we decided to make a final pit stop at Inta Gems.. I'm so glad we decided to go there, we found the most perfect band and he gave us about $250 off the price!
I love my diamond engagement ring but after meeting Steve I kinda wish my fiance went to Inta first. Be sure to check out Insta.. its the first store on the right when you enter the building. -
Review from Michael L.
Placentia, CA
9/10/2009
5 STARS ALL THE WAY!!! I got my wife's engagement ring from here a few years ago and I tell you there is no better place to get a ring than at Inta Gems! Everyone there is so nice and personable they treat you like family. Jerry is great, Connie is great, Steve is great, and Peter is great! I have already recommended Inta Gems to 4 of my friends and they all got rings and their fiances loved it and their finances loved it as well as they all told me they saved significantly over other places they looked.
I have no doubt that you will come out of Inta Gems extremely satisfied! Highly recommended! -
Review from Paul K.
Redondo Beach, CA
11/3/2010
I've only bought one engagement ring in my life and I'm glad I got it here. Very nice staff. Made me feel special.
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Review from Yama R.
Costa Mesa, CA
9/21/2010
I visited several of the other downtown jewelers well-reviewed by Yelp, as well as some others in O.C. recommended to me by friends and colleagues. These friendly folks deserve every nice thing anyone says about them. I had a very particular, and particularly difficult to find, ring in mind. They found the exact stone and setting combination I was looking for, whereas other jewelers offered mere approximations where one variable or other was less than ideal. Price- and selection-wise, they're comparable to BlueNile, but with the invaluable benefit of seeing, touching, and holding exactly what you're getting.
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Review from Jesus R.
Simi Valley, CA
12/23/2010
My wife and I went here on a referral and absolutely loved the personal attention that this family-owned business provided. We were assisted by at least five staff (including the owners) and received undivided attention. We purchased a vintage-looking ring and just love it. Many props to this outfit. You won't be disappointed in the service and they have a large collection of settings and stones to choose from.
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Review from christine h.
Newport Beach, CA
9/3/2010
I was shopping around and not really knowing what i wanted, the team at Intagems are super helpful and friendly. Especially Peter, his knowledge about stones, and settings is amazing. And he will not let you walk away with a ring that you only like, but only one you would love. I strongly recommend this place if you have a limited budget and wants people to care what you care about.
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Review from Erik F.
Compton, CA
6/29/2010
This place made me feel at home. No rush and I just got a great deal here for my engagement ring. Custom...I mean CUSTOM made ring for my wife to be. Let me start telling your my first stop in LA. My first stop was at a place that was very high class for me and too expensive, 2ND stop was good and they wrote down what they had offered me as a great deal. but I told him that I need to see one more shop.
Than i stoped at INTA GEMS.... Erica was great and her aunt Connie was too..she gave me some litchi gummy candy and those r my favorite fruit. Hard to find, just in those asian market, but anyways, then we were talking about the fruit as connie brought picture from her vacation in viet nam.
To make a long story short I showed them a picture of what I wanted. So they see it and Steve I guess Connie son runs out from the building and comes back with a ring that hasn't been polish yet. So I told them I will need it with in 3 days and they told me no problem. I got the same deal from the other place... but at INTA GEMS I got alot more. A thicker ring and larger diamond. :0 THANKS INTA GEMS -
Review from Michelle M.
Glendale, CA
6/25/2008
My fiance wanted to make sure that he bought me a ring that I would love and that he would be proud that I was wearing, so after shopping on line for a few months we picked out the cut and quality we wanted to get. We went to Inta Gems after reading some very good reviews online and we knew we had found the right place on our first visit...Everyone at Inta Gems was helpful in the whole process, (and not at all pushy)...picking out the diamond, finding the right band, helping us find a good insurance company for it...etc. My ring is beautiful, and unique. He also had them replace a rhinestone in his college ring with a real diamond and they did an excellent job...I would highly recommend this place!
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Review from Mary K.
Burlingame, CA
11/28/2009
Highly recommend working with Peter! We found this place on yelp, and was not disappointed! Peter is very honest and VERY responsive to e-mails. Bought husband's wedding band here - they had his size in stock, reasonable prices, and we were in & out in less than 1/2 hour. If you are looking for rings, this is the place to go!
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Review from Michael C.
Alhambra, CA
Updated - 10/2/2010
u might think u got a great ring the first time around, but don't go back for an upgrade!
They charge whopping 30% for restocking fee on the purchased price u made 15 years ago! u heard right; based on the price 15 yrs ago!
When I resell my gold jewelries, it is based on a few bucks (spot) below current market price! So u make money! Diamonds on the other hand, is a double rip off! U loss 30% + inflation from 15 yrs ago! And u pay another inflated price for today's diamond. They rudely say, "It's standard in this industry!"
Naturally, I can't affort the upgrade. Luckily, my wife was understanding. I just had the ring setting change elsewhere to keep her happy.
They even got angry at us for "wasting their time" cuz we could not afford the double whammy rip off to upgrade to a "required much larger size."
It appears my reviews are being deleted. Guess they want to keep people from realizing they are being ripped off.
How come my reviews don't show up anyways?
A friend getting engaged, but I sure won't recommend this place.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/26/2010
u might think u got a great ring the first time around, but don't go back for an upgrade!
They charge… Read more »
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Review from Jason B.
Las Vegas, NV
3/21/2010
This place is amazing. Steve and the rest of the team are always so helpful.. I will be going back here for my wedding bands...
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Review from Vi T.
Irvine, CA
7/26/2009 3 photos
I am the classic scientist nerd who is completely skeptical of all things excessively girly, and is unable to judge one thing "prettier" than another. I scoured the internet for information about choosing a diamond, dealing with jewelers, etc. Being such a geek, I discovered that Marcel Tolkowsky had calculated the dimensions of a diamond to maximize the light output, and I set out to get a diamond of these dimensions.
When I first stepped into Inta Gems, I was a little wary, but was soon won over by their hospitality. They offered us water bottles and lychee gummy candies, and they let me behind their counter to look at pictures on their computer. We quickly found a diamond with the dimensions we wanted, and it was a color D, clarity VS2, which was just as good as what we could have gotten at Tiffany's, but a good deal cheaper. We tried a couple of designs, and came back a few times, but we finally settled on a modified version of one of their own settings. Steve sent us a couple of drawings while we decided on a design, which was really helpful. I'm a chemist, so I was concerned about how prongs on an engagement ring could rip my gloves, as many of my former coworkers had complained. So, we got a bezel set round diamond with a band with pave set diamonds. I was worried that the diamonds in the band would be low quality, like on Blue Nile (they put color H and I diamonds in their bands), but color E and F diamonds were matched beautifully to my solitaire. I've uploaded photos of our rings so you can see how they came out.
So when it came time to pay for the ring, we got what I thought was a great deal, plus gifts of jewelry cleaner and wine. The whole experience made us feel like we got a good deal and that we were personally invested and involved in the design of the ring. They never pushed us to buy ornate designs or a bigger diamond, or really to be outside of our budget, which I have experienced at other stores. (Tiffany's insisted that I should get a 2 carat ring. I wear a size 3.75 ring, so that would have looked so ludicrous on my little finger.)
We went back about 7 months later for my fiancee's wedding band. Since my ring was already so sparkly, I figured it could double as the wedding band. Less load on my little finger, and less dent in my pocket. The funny thing is, my fiancee had been thinking that he wanted a diamond in his wedding band (sparkle envy), so we started looking at those rings. He ended up feeling like they were too sparkly for his taste, and opted for a very plain, yet super shiny comfort band, and Inta Gems never once pushed us to buy anything other than what we wanted. We bought the display ring, got a discount, and they resized it while we ate lunch downtown. They also steam cleaned my ring for free. When we got the ring, my fiancee was so excited to wear it that he put it on immediately and really hasn't taken it off. We'll just come back before the wedding and have them re-polished so they're in good shape for all the pictures.
In retrospect, Inta Gems has been a delight to work with because they honestly care about their customers. I lost my father shortly after we got my engagement ring, and I lost some weight with all the ensuing stress. I came back in to get my ring resized, and Connie could tell immediately that something was wrong, and they did their best to cheer me up. My fiancee loves to talk about his start-up, and Steve is wonderfully patient enough to listen to his stories (sometimes I am not). Someday when I overcome my non-girliness and current budget constraints, I'm sure we'll be back for more.
We usually park in the Pershing Square Parking Garage for a flat $6.60 on the weekends, and this last time we went, we took the time to visit the LA Central Library, which is gorgeous.
