I Love Love Neal and Kate at Benchmark Jewelers,, I don't know what Pamela L. Is talking about ,,these are the nicest people in our community. Maybe Pamela is having a bad day..if that is the case then if you don't have anything nice to say ,don't say anything.. I just purchased a gold and diamond ring today at Benchmark for a real amazing bargain. The service was so friendly and helpful and Neal polished up my other rings no charge just as a courtesy. I give Benchmark Jewelers thumbs all the way UP!!!:) read more

Longtime client of over twenty years. Honest. Originally used them to sell gold. Have brought y to be repaired over the years. Beautiful original pieces. Also, have sent several friends all of whom were very happy! read more

This review is quite a few years too late. I was too embarrassed to write it. I was new to San Rafael and brought my Grandmother's heirloom diamond with 3 rose cut rubies in order to have one diamond replaced. The ring had been appraised at several places over the years, both in Illinois, and in California. I came back at the appointed time and saw three small little red jewels on a work table. He said my ring wasn't ready and to come back. I came back paid for the ring repair and put the ring away. Sometime after I brought the ring to be appraised by a reputable jeweler for a sale. The jeweler tested it and said there were not real rubies in the ring. He was the only person who touched the ring at the only place it was out of my sight. Every bone in my body said that he was a crook, but I was too shy in those days to confront him. I would swear to this under oath. read more

I've lived in Marin since 1985. Neal is the only jewelry repair shop I will use. He is honest, kind, and above all, excellent in his craft in every way. Not only that, and the reason I first went to him, was his unique collection of vintage jewelry. My wife loves the turquoise pieces I find there. Ignore the negative comments. Benchmark is the real deal, old school, highly recommended. read more

I have been going to Neal Silverman for all my jewelry, appraisals and repairs for years. I have never met anyone in this business who is so trustworthy and honest. He has the most reasonable prices especially for the accurate appraisal of Jewelrey. I have recommended him to many of my friends and family members. I would never consider going to another jeweler for repairs or appraisals. He truly is one in a million for honesty and integrity as a businessman. And he's a nice guy too! read more

The store is a mess. He does not do his own work. He goes into the city to have it done. He only goes once a week. So a job can take months. He is very in flexible, and insulting. The piece he made me was not as asked. The piece scratched me which entailed three drives to his store and back, while he went back and forth to the city. He rarely checks his email. I do not recommend him. He needs to retire. read more

I am so grateful for the skill and kindness provided to me at Benchmark Jewelry. Truly one of Marin's best kept secrets. Also, they have amazing and unique pieces for sale. read more

Neil is definitely our go to guy for jewelry repairs of any kind. We've been bringing our stuff to him for years and there hasn't been anything he couldn't fix. read more

Great place to bring your unwanted silver,gold and diamonds. The owner and his wife are very honest and nice. No low ball or dishonest appraisals here. You will get the best offer here. Stop no where but here if u don't want to get ripped off. They also have some awesome very nice and affordable jewelry pieces,necklaces & watches to buy. Not to mention he pays straight hard CASH!!! No paper checks given to u or IDs needed to sell. So basically a No hassle honest to buy and sell jewelry shop,can't get no better than that! read more

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Great Place to sell ur gold & Silver! Honest and friendly people who will give u the best deal in town. I always leave here feeling like I came on top! Highly recommended! read more

Benchmark Jewelry - Jewelry Near Me - San Rafael, California

Best price on watch batteries! Also takes layaway on consigned jewelry. Small family business long time in area.

A good friend recommended BENCHMARK JEWELERS to me as I had several items to be either repaired, sized and/or set in gold. I met with Neil, the jeweler and owner. All I can say is that he was terrific in every way. He quickly repaired two of the items, explained the entire process and why and was cheerful and polite always. I showed him a beautiful Chinese broach which a prior jeweler had thoroughly destroyed. I didn't think anything could be done. Neil took the broach and within ten minutes returned with it restored to its original beauty. I heartily recommend Benchmark Jewelers and give it a FIVE STAR rating. Lois read more

Had a simple solder done here to repair a gold bracelet. The price was very reasonable, and the job was completed expertly and efficiently. Nice work by Benchmark! read more

I had my favorite necklace chain repaired several times (because of its less tensility), Neal always did them quick. He also hooked up a jade pendant with my chain. Every visit to Neal and Kate was pleasant, helpful and friendly. It's an honest and crafty store that can bring one satisfaction and beyond. Thanks! -:) Janet read more

I have gone to Neil at Benchmark Jewelry for several repairs and there is no job he hasn't been able to tackle. He can send out items to other jewelers if necessary but he has never not been able to tackle a challenge. He always is so polite and happy to help as well. Highly recommended!!! read more

Once again I tried someplace else, but ended up at Benchmark Jewelry at 718 B Street in San Rafael. I needed a gift box for a ring. You'd think they'd have them at the Container Store, right? Wrong! So I went to Benchmark where I bought the PERFECT box for all of $5! That place is SO good--excellent service, professional repair work, inexpensive battery replacement, honest assessment, skilled restringing. I highly recommend it. read more

Neil, the owner and goldsmith, is not only an excellent craftsman--he repaired a "lost cause" " ring beautifully-- he also shared some interesting history regarding a ring I bought many years ago in the Orient. His work is quality, his return time excellent, and his knowledge expansive. In short, he's a find! (And in response to Marie's comment, frankly I find the craftsman shop charming, not a mess at all.) read more

incompetent. poorly designed piece which scratches when worn. it mostly too embarrassed to wear it.

Great experience with buying a wedding ring. The owner really took time to understand needs and helped design a ring that fit our needs and budget. read more

As I was walking out if this great breakfast joint I noticed this tiny Jewerly place next door. I had my girlfriend's necklace with me and knew she wanted it shortened a bit. So I walk in and meet an encredibly nice lady and asked her if they can shortened the chain. She turns around and ask a real life jeweler working hard at his bench. He tells me no problem and take the chain and says "give me about 15 minutes". I came back a few minutes early and he was already done and charged me only $25. He handed me back the chain and the part he took out. I was astounded to the fast service and the gentle price! I have been to many jewelry stores over the years, but can't remember ever seeing the actual real life jeweler working in plain sight. I wish we had a shop like this one in citrus heights! Thank you guys for being so nice and some really great work! read more

Benchmark Jewelry - I hardly whine unlike Pamela L. from Novato, CA does!  LOL - Jewelry Near Me - San Rafael, California

I was walking by this tiny operation and happened to pop in out of curiosity. Small yes. But filled with little treasures. I had to put on the brakes this day though. I looked into a case, completely not intending to buy anything. And there it was. The item that eluded me for many years. I have large wrists and finding an Indian Hand Made Turquoise and Silver bracelet my size has been difficult. And there it was. Bang zoom, I bought it. The owner was cheerful and happy to make a slight adjustment for me and I wear it proudly. They carry a lot of estate items and if you are looking for something different, you might want to start here. read more

I like this place. I have used them to replace my watch batteries ($10). They're fast and friendly. I'm glad they're around.

While I've done it myself, it's a hassle and I have had my watch battery replaced before, for between $5 and $10, at a couple of jewelry stores. I had gotten a quote for $11 or $12 from Batteries Plus, even with my own battery. I thought that was high. On 1/24/19, I was a couple of blocks from Benchmark when I called about having my watch battery replaced . A pleasant-sounding man answered. I asked about replacing the battery with my own. He asked if my watch was a pop-off (meaning the back). I said no, it's a screw-off (meaning there are screws in the back). He then asked the brand. I said, "A Timex". He said, "Oh, that's easy. I'll do it for $5". I said, "I'll see you in a minute." When I arrived about 3-4 minutes later, the man was gone and the woman, who was expressionless, said he'd be back soon. I left my watch and battery and went to the nearby Safeway for about 8-10 minutes. When I returned, there were two customers in the store. A woman was there to have a necklace repaired. The jeweler asked if the stone on the necklace was a diamond, and when the woman replied in the affirmative, he said, "You need a new necklace." He pulled a much thicker gold chain out of a case and said, "Now, I'm not trying to sell you something you don't need..." in the same helpful way he had spoken to me. I thought, "Well, that's nice and disarming to say that". Then he looked over at me and asked me if that was my watch. I said yes. He then said accusingly, "I asked you on the phone if this was a screw on back and you said no". I said, "No, you asked me if it was a pop-off and I said it was a screw-off." He said, "See these screws? I can't do this for $5". I said, "How much then?" He said, "I'll do it for $20." This is for a $25-30 watch, mind you. His manner was now very different than on the phone or with the woman. It had gone from being friendly and helpful to hardnosed and unpleasant. As I retrieved my watch and battery, I mumbled, "False advertising", but when I got outside, I realized that I had just been baited and switched. I felt kinda hot. I've gotta say, the guy is a smooth liar and con. His lines are well-honed. I just hope the poor lady didn't wind up paying way too much for the "very strong" necklace he was hawking. I now see that there are three more 1-star reviews on this page, three more that are "not recommended" buried in the back, and two more "removed for violating our terms of service", something I've never seen on Yelp before. Check them out (click at the bottom of the page). Why is that with the "not recommended" Yelp reviews stuck on another page, both good and bad?? What's up with that, Yelp? A sketchy dude in a sketchy store in a sketchy neighborhood. I won't be back. read more

I bought a sterling silver ring from Neal and he sized my finger and advised me to have the ring made slightly smaller. He said: "when your finger gets wet there's a good chance the ring will slip off." Foolishly I failed to listen to Neal. Within a few weeks the ring was lost when it slipped off my finger. Recently, I went back to Neal and bought another silver ring and Neal made an adjustment to it at no cost. He is knowledgeable, provides expert service and is a very friendly guy. read more

Neal is amazing. I had 3 rings from my parents wedding in the seventies and I was dying to resize them for my wedding. My fiance and I have way bigger fingers than my mom and dad did back in the day so he wasn't sure he could pull it off. I pushed and got a quote we could live with and I am so happy we had Neal do it. They fit perfectly and look like they were made just for us. I couldn't be happier with the service . Also, he told us two weeks and it was 4 days. Thanks Neal!!! read more

We went to have clip earrings turned into post ones and my husband's wedding ring resized to a larger size. Phone calls were not returned and the owner finally called saying the earrings were ready (they were not as he still had to polish them when I showed up) and that he would call when the ring was ready, we waited 9 days to appear and were told to come back after 2 the next day and both would be ready...they were not. I waited until they were. He did reduce the price of the resizing as he did not add similar gold to the addition. I brought the ring home and it does not fit my husband's finger. Yes, he said to bring it back if we were not satisfied. We will go elsewhere as dealing with Neil was frustrating and we did not find him truthful or responsive. read more

We brought an unusual small filigreed metal lampshade to Benchmark to see if the clip-on bulb attachment could be made as it had been damaged by a fall from our dining table and the clip-on was destroyed. Neil took a look at it and said he could do the job. He had some trouble finding the right type of metal wire to match the existing shade so it took longer than he originally thought it would take but he went out of his way, found the wire by going to a local supplier and made the lampshade perfectly usable again. We really appreciate his taking on this non-ordinary project and are grateful to him for not giving up on getting it done right. So we are enjoying our candlestick lamps again! Thank you, Neil! jane and Tim read more

STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!!!!!!!! The jeweler of this store named Neal, robbed me. I brought a thick wide gold banded ring in to be resized and he melted off the band and sodered on a gold wire as the band and then when I asked him what happened to all the gold on the band? He asked me how much should he put back? He put back a miniscule amount. The band bends easily and practically cuts my finger when I wear it. He ruined my grandmother's vintage ring. He is an admitted thief. I hate this person for robbing the gold off of my ring. Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT come here for any reason. Do not trust him with your jewelry. I would trust any other jeweler but this guy. read more

Neil has worked on my 3 watches for over ten years and I've never been disappointed. He's very conscientious, delivers in the time promised and charges a fair price. read more

The old man was rude! The definitely has no customer service skills. I took my business elsewhere.

I just got off of the phone with this guy - what a jerk! He was so incredibly rude. I could not think of doing business with him. Do not bother to call this chump! read more

I have been going to Benchmark Jewelry for many years and have experienced only the best, most honest and professional service ever. Neil and Kate have repaired many pieces of jewelry for me with much skill and expertise. The pieces are always returned looking more beautiful than when I brought them in and I have always been very reasonably charged. I have also bought several pieces from Benchmark, one of which Kate actually made, in which I constantly get compliments. I think Benchmark is a hidden gem in San Rafael and I am constantly referring them to my friends and family who are very grateful for the recommendation. read more

I can't say enough good things about Neal at Benchmark. I've been going there since he moved to the present location. Whenever I need jewelry repairs, appraisals, batteries--that's where I go. I hardly ever wore my wedding band, but Neal enlarged it and polished it, so I wear it now with joy. They are completely honest--if you want to know if something is worth working on, just ask--he'll tell! read more

This place is a mess. It took over 2 months for this guy to tell me he couldn't repair the pieces I brought in; and I had to go to his place 5 times before he told me this. Avoid this place like the plague! read more

I am absolutely thrilled with Neal Silverman. I inherited a bunch of jewelry from my mother and sister-in-law. I had no idea whether any of it was worth anything. I stopped by Neal's shop based on a neighbor's recommendation for someone who could value estate jewelry. The first time I brought Neal stuff to look at, he was able to find gold looking through the scraps of chains, earring backs and rings. He gave me cash for the gold. When I arrived at home, he called to tell me that he owed me more money. Upon closer inspection, one of the rings was platinum, not white gold. I knew then I was dealing with a very HONEST jeweler. I would never have known the difference! The second batch I brought him contained a very expensive watch that he was able to fix and get working again for a very reasonable price. Here again, I relied solely on his expertise and honesty. I could have easily tossed the watch as something valueless. Thank you, Neal. I really appreciate the way you do business. read more