John and his son always do an amazing job for my jewelry needs. He recently fashioned a pair of cufflinks and a tie-tack from my great uncle's USAAAF WWII collar pins. I get compliments on them all the time. 14 Karats is an Elmwood institution. Not many store like this left these days. read more

Such nice people who have helped me time and time again to clean, repair, appraise my small but sentimental jewelry collection. Places like this are so rare these days which is why I am writing this review. And they have such pretty jewelry for sale, too. read more

The owner helped me find the perfect pair of white gold studs and special ordered me them and had them in stock within a week! I loved my experience and the person who helped me knew everything there is to know about fine jewelry! read more

Dismal customer service. My fiancee and I live in the neighborhood so we started our search here, but we will not be finishing it here. First visit: we told a female employee that we were engaged and wanted to start off by getting sized. We got sized but I actually don't think she spoke a single word to us. We felt self-conscious and wondered if they don't like younger people, or same-sex couples, or people who aren't dressed expensively. Second visit: still quite early in our search, reasonably informative conversation with middle-aged male employee and some try-ons. Third visit, some months later: we were ready to potentially buy wedding bands at this point but same middle-aged male employee was *wildly* rude this time. Example: We expressed wanting to try on two or three band widths. He said quite nastily that he didn't have every width in every size. Didn't offer info about what widths he did have in our size. Example: we tried on a couple different sizes of rings to confirm which one felt best, and as I looked at one size on my finger, I observed aloud that there was a big gap between the top of the finger and the inside of the band when I closed my hand. His only reply to that was, "You've gotta stop doing that" in a dismissive, exasperated tone - as if wanting a wedding band to be comfortable and well-fitting was a totally over-the-top ask. Both my fiancee and I made a couple other questioning comments aloud about the fit of the the two sizes we tried, clearly requesting input from the professional, but he remained aloof and seemed resentful of having to stand at the counter with us. I can't recall the last time I received actively rude "customer service", and keep in mind this was a far more expensive purchase on the line than any other retail occasion. So what on earth is up with this customer service? Fiancee and I both doubt he would ever have been so rude if one of us were a man. We were able to quickly find a better price on wedding bands in downtown San Francisco, and even if the service is totally milquetoast there, it will still be far and away better than the service here. read more

this is the best jewelry store in the SF bay area. beautiful craftsmanship and very open to working with me and my ideas to help me make my most perfect ring. you do not get better than jon and lily at 14K! also reasonably priced read more

I vacillated about writing this review, but after giving it a couple weeks, I decided to go ahead. I have one sentimental pair of earrings I wear all the time and one of the ear wires had broken. I showed it to them and they gave me an estimate of around $20. Because they said it was a fast and easy fix. When I got out to the car I noticed the estimate had been written down as "not much". Right then and there I should've put more money in the parking meter and walked right back in. But I didn't. When I came to pick up my earrings the new wires were much smaller. The earrings don't hang right. In addition to that the charge was $50. What could I do? I paid it, but I felt like a chump. read more

Not impressed with the way I was talked to. I understand that my preference might be very different from the one of the employees, but I did not expect to be laughed at. Will not be returning. read more

We just got a plain gold wedding band, and the services was very straightforward and prompt. We chose the size/width/material, and it was ready the next week. They were patient with answering our questions. Price was very similar to a big box store. Can't wait to wear the ring! They also have a cute dog that hangs out in the store. read more

John and Team did an amazing job on my diamond pendant. The craftsmanship is impeccable. They pay attention to the fine details especially is custom made with specific request. I highly recommend 14 Karats for all your jewelry needs. Thank you so much John and Team! read more

See all

I brought 14 karats a beautiful silver ring with lapis lazuli inlay. They charged what I thought was a very high fee to resize it, but it was worth it because this was a very special ring that I had purchased in Mexico. I was informed that it would be ready within one week. When I tried to check on it, I got a somewhat rude rebuff from the jeweler. I was less than pleased with the customer service but I waited for an additional 2 weeks before I got a quizzical message that there had been some 'problem' with resizing the ring. The 'problem' was that they had cracked the stone in 2 places. Now my beautiful ring has 2 hairline cracks in the stone. So basically I paid a lot of money to get my ring cracked. I don't even think they fixed anything. Please don't let this man resize your ring unless you would like to share my experience. read more

the staff here are so nice! A necklace I had been wearing for 6 months was caught in itself. and they helped me take it out at no charge. they also have really beautiful jewelry. will definitely be going back soon. read more

My friend in the diamond business! Stopped in to see John, the proprietor, of 14 K to look a my ex-wedding ring. Buzzed in, I'm greeted by a couple of canines, one belonging to John and another just visiting. While my piece was being reviewed, I strolled about the cases of custom rings and other jewelry John and the crew have created. Truly beautiful and unique. I know too that the quality of the diamonds and other precious gemstones are the best Mother Earth has born. If not, they would not be at 14 K. If I ever was to be married again, there are two things I know. I'd have the ceremony at The Tunnel of Love in Las Vegas and I would purchase my fiancé's ring from 14 K. read more

14 Karats Exquisite Custom Jewelry - Jewelry Near Me - Berkeley, California

Another gorgeous ring from 14 Karats. I went to a few other stores to try to get a feel for what I wanted but still didn't have a good idea. Went into 14 Karats, saw this ring, and was in love. I went with a bigger stone and two extra diamonds on each side. We are both in love with my ring. read more

14 Karats Exquisite Custom Jewelry - Ring - Jewelry Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Don't go here, these people are rude. 3 out of 3 times they were rude to me. I live in the neighborhood but in the future I will totally avoid. But go to Bills Trading Post, it's always a great and pleasant experience there! don't waste your time with 14 Karats, go to BILLS TRADING POST that is right across the street instead. read more

My fiancé took our rings to get resized and they look worse now than when we got them. The best way I can put it is that the rings look lumpy, not smooth. You can also see where they cut it to resize it. Super bummed. read more

14 Karats Exquisite Custom Jewelry - Jewelry Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great people, great service, great rock and roll posters, and a wonderful dog await you. Jon knows his stuff, and is happy to help no matter if it's a fancy ring, or replacing a watch battery....REAL customer service...... (And always cool window displays around the holidays along with wonderful homemade baked goodies. read more

Excellent custom jeweler and they go above and beyond on their work. I have three custom rings from them and I will definitely be going back. They do everything in house and they will support your custom orders after pickup. read more

I've been going to the 14 Karats for more than 15 years. Jon and his wife lily provide amazing custom jewelry, great service, and good prices. When I got married of course I purchased a custom design wedding rings, and they were exquisite. What's more, every Christmas I purchase my lovely wife a piece of custom jewelry. Every time we visit, Jon greets us with a smile and wee dram of fine whisky or other fine spirit, and during Christmas cookies and mulled wine are available. So if you need a unique bit of jewelry or just want to buy a fantastic set of custom earrings, cannot do better than the 14 Karats. read more

John and the staff at this store are truly experts at gems and are passionate about their work. This shop is unlike any other jewelry store we've been to where salespeople try to woo you with stuff. There are basic rings and there are eccentric/creative/art-ful rings. It is fun to ask them questions about gems and play with their dog Mabel. This is a fun store to check out even if you thought you weren't into gems and rings. My husband got a black diamond on a rose gold setting and I got a color changing sapphire on a rose gold setting. We thought we'd never try out such unique rings but we love them and are thankful for John and the staff. read more

Came here to have my engagement ring repaired (missing stones) and soldered to my wedding band as well as to have an opal eternity band repaired with a missing stone. A friend had recommended the shop to me and I couldn't be happier with the results. The owner isn't what I'd call "friendly" but he's clearly a very talented jeweler and very professional so don't be turned off by that. He's a nice man, just not super friendly. He also has very cool rock and roll photos around the showroom and the best collection of Dia de los Muertos sculptures I've ever seen. Bottom line, the work he did was perfection and I couldn't be happier. I'll be taking any and all jewelry there from now on! read more

John custom made gorgeous rings for us. He's artistic, incredibly reasonably priced, a pleasure to do business with, and an amazing jeweler. Our custom creations were in good hands. We've since had him create a necklace from us and we also sent a friend there to create a custom engagement ring for his fiancé. A wonderful local family jeweler! read more

Needed a gold band split in half and John said to come over now and he would do it while I wait. He was kind and gracious. We've had more detailed work done in the past and have always been pleased. A neighborhood treasure. Thanks! read more

I desperately needed to get my wedding ring and my engagement ring fixed. They were on their last legs. The bridge that was holding all the small diamonds were cracking and I felt that at any moment it was going to fall apart. I brought it into John and Dave and they vowed to make it look more beautiful at an incredibly reasonable price. And boy did they deliver! I bought my ring and engagement ring as a set used from an antique seller. Right now they look better then they've ever looked. Dave did an exquisite job! Thank you 14 karats, your quality craftsmanship is amazing! read more

14 Karats Exquisite Custom Jewelry - My newly perfected rings! - Jewelry Near Me - Berkeley, California

Love them, they were so understanding when Had a stone remounted after my fiancé's ' tragic car accident. 10 years ago. I highly recommend them read more

Unfortunately it seems, I was not attended by the father or son reviewed so well on yelp. I entered this store, given all the wonderful reviews on yelp and found, to my dismay, the most disgruntled lady I have met up with in a long time. I was there to have some work done on an antique ring my mother gave me. I care a lot about this ring, even though it is not the most valuable ring, since it is very light and has very small diamonds. The lady took one look at me and my friend and decided that we were barely worth the time it took her to roughly handle the ring. She basically gave us the impression that not only was she doing us a grand favor by gracing us with her brief attention, but also that we were definitely asking for more than the ring was worth. I would never walk back into this place again. The treatment I received here after having gone to a number of other places, such as Pave and the gem store at Bill's trading post, across the street, was horrible. Not only was her service offensive to say the least, but she also told us that the ring could not be worked on without being destroyed, while at least two other jewelers had said that the work could be done by someone experienced in handling fine, antique jewelry. Her statement that the ring would have to be broken by their jewelers to be modified, left me with the impression that they are not as talented as those found at other locations. read more

Maybe I was giddy with engagement endorphins, but I friggin' love this place. I asked my fiance (ooh... first time I've written that!) to buy me a used ring, as minor guilty nod to the whole conflict diamond issue. The lady from Craigslist seemed nice enough and oozed trustworthiness, but we still brought it here to have it verbally appraised. John, the owner, is exactly the kind of guy from whom I want to buy jewelry. He's a bit crass, uses "fucking" as a frequent adjective (probably not with everyone, if that kind of thing bugs you), and treated us with honesty and respect. Plus, I think the fiance appreciated the the classic rock posters on the walls -- it took away some of that snobby "we're a jewelry store" air, and gave him something to look at while I drooled over earrings. They resized my ring while we waited, on a Saturday afternoon -- I think Tiffany's takes like two weeks! And John gave us good advice about what metals to use for our bands, which we're planning to purchase here. They have lots of beautiful, simple stuff on the racks -- exactly my style. And to think that I literally picked this place at random off a list of jewelers... what luck! (The giddiness still hasn't worn off yet, so I'm a tad exclamation-happy. Sorry). read more

We had our wedding rings made here 11.5 years ago. They were beautiful. Unfortunately my husband lost his about 7y ago and I lost mine two weeks ago. I hope we can get them remade here although we now live in the nyc area. We highly recommend their craftsmanship!! read more

BOTTOM LINE AT THE TOP: Unless they think you're going to drop $$$, they treat you like you're worthless. Been in their a few times: once to look for rings (got great service), and then to great my watch fixed (they pretty much threw me out the front door). With so many other places in North Berkeley that have similar selections and competitive prices, I'd take my money to a place that doesn't treat you differently based on how much money the THINK you're going to drop. Where has all the service gone these days? read more

Walked in to get my wedding rings cleaned and polished and they did it in 5 minutes. What a great place. Very kind, welcoming and personable. read more

When it was time to have our wedding rings made, I wanted to find a jeweler I could trust to make things perfect. Some friends had shopped here, and so we gave them a try. I was impressed that the jeweler worked with us on selecting the right metal and stones, and let us know up front when there might be issues with what we wanted. It was clear that he wanted to make us happy, and provide a piece for us that was what we wanted and would last our lifetimes. I was so happy with the final results, and the experience throughout, that I bought several more pieces of jewelry shortly thereafter. read more

I was actually shopping on college with some girlfriends, and one of them initially found my future wedding ring here. Love the people who work here. All pretty laid back and even let us take the ring outside to see it in the sunlight. I think they knew that my friend Lisa wouldn't get anywhere fast in her heels. My husband loved the non-snobby environment, and John's tellin' it like it is attitude. We let him know that the ring was out of our budget, and he was able to get the price down by changing out the center diamond for one that has a lower rating (of coarse I couldn't tell) but slightly larger. read more

This place is the best. When I wanted to get my wife some pearls for our upcoming wedding - I believe it was the first one (our 3rd will be coming up and we will keep getting married (and having honeymoons) for as long as it takes) and the owner remembered me from my having worked at another Elmwood business 20 years ago. He let me take the pearls home for her to see without leaving my name, phone #, deposit, credit card, etc. We bought the pearls and have had rings resized and repaired and 1/2 the time he doesn't even charge us. This is a great local business to support. read more

I took my grandmother's wedding rings here in hopes that they could suggest a cool new design for my own wedding ring that would encompass all of the stones. John, the owner, took one look at the rings and told me that I'd regret it if I did anything more than resize the rings, clean them up and wear them. He and son Kerry (sp?) said that the rings were beautiful heirlooms that I shouldn't destroy. A custom ring design would mean big bucks for the business, but instead he only suggested a simple and way less expensive resizing. How many owners convince you to spend LESS at their places of business?! I went with the resize and decided to wear both of my grandma's rings when I get married. Well, I went in to pick them up today and MY GOD, they're beautiful. John and Kerry really cleaned, polished and sized them perfectly. I had no idea they could look so lovely. I'm happier than every with the decision not to destroy the rings for the stones. They even cleaned up my engagement ring free of charge! BONUS: there's a small bar located in the store. My fiance enjoyed a scotch while I oogled over my rings, and my friend, who I brought with me last time I stopped in, had a cold beer while I talked with John and Kerry. These folks run a great shop and handmake some seriously beautiful pieces. I'd go back anytime! read more

My fiancé and I have been look for the perfect engagement ring for awhile now since I'm picky and I wanted the final say on choosing the ring. I saw their unique designs online, and we decided to come to the shop to check out all the options. We came in to the shop around noon right as a couple of customers were leaving, and had the entire place to ourselves for a bit. The service was great. Initially we just wanted to browse around in peace, and that's exactly what we got even though we were the only ones in there. They pulled out different ring designs and let us make our own decisions. When we asked questions, everyone was very knowledgeable about all the gemstones, metals, and designs. And everyone was flexible about working within our budget based on the base design I picked out! The one aspect that really made this shop stand out was their service. Since the rings are all custom made, I was just hopping to get the final product in August (in 2 months) before I left town. Initially the jeweler asked me if I can wait until the next week. I was really happy to hear that already, but then, he found out that my fiancé is leaving town in 3 days and won't be there to pick out the ring. The jeweler actually went to the back to look for all the pieces he needed to put the ring together, and as luck would have it, all the unfinished parts of the ring were available. We got my measurements then and there, and 4 hours later on the same day, my fiancé finally got to put the ring on my fingers. We couldn't be happier with the finished product, and it looked even better than I imagined!! I would definitely recommend this shop! read more

My husband and I went to multiple jewelry stories in the east bay looking for a band to match my engagement ring. I looked to Yelp, since neither of us had much experience buying fine jewelry and we wanted to steer clear of chain stores. Somehow I missed 14 Karats, but went to a handful of other places to find the usual boring, overpriced experience. We happened upon 14 Karats on our way to look at another store, and couldn't have been happier. Not only is it a family owned store, you won't find the pretension that comes with other stores. The father and son are very helpful and extremely nice. You can watch the jewelry being made in the back and the sweet dogs are the icing on the cake. The trustworthiness and genuine customer service really made us feel happy giving them our business and my husband regretted that he hadn't found them to buy my engagement ring. I couldn't decide if I wanted to have them make a vintage inspired band to go with a pretty modern engagement ring so they suggested that I take several trays of platinum bands outside--yep, right on College Avenue. Thank goodness I didn't try to get a band online, it would have looked awful! When we decided on a style we gave them a deposit and they said they would give me a call when the bad was done. Two days later, they called to let me know that they had made two bands so I could decide which one I liked. When we went in, neither were perfect, so they worked on one in the back until it was what I wanted. Then the son said I wouldn't really know if it was the right size or style until I wore it for a while, so why don't I take it and pretend I'm married for a few days so that I'm sure its right before they put the engraving on. What?!? I did take it home and he was right. We did that twice until it was perfect. Then they added the mil grain and I have a wonderful wedding band that I am happy to wear--not only because of what it means, but because we had such a wonderful experience buying it. Oh, and they came in about $200 less than all of the other stores we looked at. read more

For over 20 years I have given this family owned establishment my business because they provide quality service and masterpieces every time. Our family uses this business as our go to for any jewelry need. Whether you need custom work, elegant pre-designed pieces, or a not so common repair this is a one stop jewelry boutique. I'll shamelessly tell anyone I feel like family every single time I step through the threshold. Sure one could go to a chain-based establishment and maybe get lesser quality for less, but here everything is guaranteed and unique. People frequently ask about my custom nose rings and I always brag "my jeweler made it", Whether your budget is tight or of no consequence, I am sure you will find something impressive and worth every cent. The Moriarty's entire expert team is friendly and gifted. read more

We just picked up my engagement ring from 14 Karats. It is absolutely beautiful! John (the owner) was great to work with. He gave us pointers on what would work best for the diamond we had been given from my fiancee's Mom (it belonged to his grandmother). Since I am so petite, the diamond is quite large (2.09 karats), and I work with my hands we wanted something modern and simple that I would never have to take off. After much time and consideration I took his advice and designed with him what I thought would be best for me. It is even more beautiful than I could have imagined! Thank you John for all of the helpful advice and sharing your gift with me. John also worked with us on our tight budget by taking in the original platinum setting to cut the cost of the new one. I highly highly recommend 14 Karats, other jewelers we went to had a superiority complex and this place did not. We ended up with a custom ring that we never thought we would have been able to afford. I am adding a picture of my ring so that all can see the perfection that came from 14 Karats. read more

14 Karats Exquisite Custom Jewelry - Custom 2.09 karat semi belzel in palladium - Jewelry Near Me - Berkeley, California

My fiancee and I got our wedding bands at 14 Karats. Originally we went because it's important to us that we support local businesses but it became so much more then that! We were able to custom design our bands just the way we wanted them! They were so helpful, not in anyway pushy, and incredibly knowledgable. Their prices are also very reasonable and competitive too. I highly recommend them! read more

We simply love 14 Karats! Ours is a familiar story... My wife and I lived right around the corner, and when we were just starting to think about tying the knot we drifted into 14 Karats several times to get a feel for what engagement rings we liked. We were always treated like neighbors; the owners Jon and Lillian have such a laid back way of doing business that makes you feel good that you stopped in to look at their beautiful selection. Over the course of several visits they taught us everything there was to know about diamonds and settings. They were frank and helpful about what would look good, what was functional and what they could or could not make. That year for Christmas I decided to get some diamond earrings as a prelude to our engagement. Lillian helped me pick them out, and even tried them on so I could get a sense of what they would look like, all while teasing me about when I was finally going to propose. Those earrings are still my wife's favorites today. So after several visits, after I had finally decided to pop the question, I went in and together with the owners pieced together all of the hints my wife had dropped and designed what we hoped would be the perfect engagement ring for her. Finally, Jon actually told me to go look at some rings from other stores to make sure I liked the design and felt comfortable with the cost. After a week, I couldn't find another store with the same local charm as 14 Karats or with a ring that was as perfect for my wife as the one that Jon and I had sketched out, and 14 Karats had actually given me a great price on the diamond itself. So I returned and ordered the ring, which only took a week to make. When I picked it up I felt like I was holding the Holy Grail, it was so radiant and beautiful, I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Jon joked that I wouldn't be able to wait until the trip during which I had planned to propose. He also gave me his extra tickets to a Giant's game, which made it tricky since I had to invent a story to tell my wife about where I got the tickets! Anyway, the ending is predictable... My wife loved the ring. All of her friends were gushing over it's beauty. Of course we got our wedding bands there. We still drop in to get her rings polished, which is free, and to chat with Jon and Lillian and to pet Twoey and Bubbles even though we now live much further away. Thanks! read more

After scouring jewelry stores all over the East Bay, my fiancé and I walked into the 14 Karats with an open mind. I think it took me less than five minutes to find the ring of my dreams. A platinum, hand-engraved, diamond-lined little number. Still the most beautiful engagement ring I've laid my eyes on. My fiancé bought it and hid it from me for a year before he proposed. When it came time to pick our wedding bands, we headed back to the 14 Karats and worked with the lovely Jon Moriarty aka The Big Kahuna. Jon is straight-forward and funny, always accompanied by little Mabel, the store's cutest little mascot. read more