When I first entered, I wasn't sure what was behind the doors... then upon walking in, I found a…read morevery nice family-run business, and some of the most unique and beautiful rings I had seen in the 11 Portland jewelry stores I searched through for my engagement ring (smart boyfriend!). I found an art deco style ring with a 1.6 carot fancy brown diamond in the center, and I couldn't get it out of my mind. I went back to visit it and try it on three times before we put a down payment on it. H&R staff were very patient and supportive of my decision-making process- and also really enthusiastic about the ring I loved. Marc worked with us to create a specially made wedding band with white diamonds to contrast the yellowish stone on the ring I selected. They proudly created a perfect piece that was exactly what I imagined and described to them. I am VERY picky about jewelry, and had a hard time finding anything I really loved when ring shopping. But this ring is so beautiful, nothing compares (in my opinion). The price was reasonable, the jeweler created the specially made band within a month, and as soon as it was done it was analyzed by the gemologist, a photograph was sent to me (which I loved), and it was at my front door, with a friendly man asking for a signature, within two business days (and I was back home in NY at the time!)! This business was personable, professional, and took great pride in the jewelry they created and sold. This means a lot to the costumer, as I was confident that I would get the highest quality ring they were capable of presenting. And I did. When purchasing something as important as engagement and wedding rings, I found that I was also selective about what type of jewelry store I wanted to support. I found those who ran this business and helped us in our selection (Marc and his parents), to be the type of people I would want to support in their endeavors. They seem to love their work, and they make beautiful art pieces to fit your style and personality. I loved collaborating with them to create exactly the ring I wanted!

I brought a ring here to potentially sell or use as collateral for a loan. I left with a useful…read morereminder that confidence and competence are, in fact, two entirely separate things. The young man behind the counter informed me that the center stone was essentially a flawed or lesser-grade white diamond. I explained that it was a fancy yellow diamond, which is an actual diamond classification and, depending on the stone's characteristics, can command a substantial premium over a comparable white diamond. I offered some very basic information that can be found with approximately 30 seconds of internet access. His response was: "Go sell it to Google." An inspired piece of customer service. Apparently, Google is now the appropriate destination for anyone foolish enough to arrive at a pawnshop with inconvenient facts. He then explained that he had received formal training as a pawnshop operator. I was genuinely impressed. I had not realized there was a formal educational component to being aggressively certain about things one has not bothered to verify. I suggested, somewhat facetiously, that perhaps he had missed Yellow Diamond Day during his training. Rather than checking the stone, considering the possibility that there might be something he didn't know, or simply saying, "Let me verify that," he chose the more traditional pawnshop approach: doubling down. To be clear, I have no objection to being told that my valuation is wrong. That's literally why one goes to a professional. What I do object to is paying someone for their expertise and discovering that their primary credential is an impressive willingness to argue with information they haven't investigated. Maybe he was correct about the diamond. Maybe he wasn't. Unfortunately, his response provided no particularly compelling evidence either way. The entire interaction had the unmistakable energy of someone who has watched enough Pawn Stars to believe that saying "Best I can do is..." constitutes expertise. If your goal is to have your jewelry evaluated by someone who is curious, knowledgeable, and willing to verify what they're looking at, I'd suggest continuing your search. If your goal is to be condescended to by a man who apparently believes his pawnshop training makes him the final authority on gemology, this place may be exactly what you're looking for. Five stars for confidence. The rest are still being appraised.

They are very transparent and everyone are so nice and friendly! Will surely be back again to sell…read moremy unwanted jewelry!

I spoke with Dennis on the phone and quickly found he is very personable. Had best prices for…read morerounds, bars, 90% coin. First time I called, they sent me a quote. Second time, he gave me a quote but said he could only send check several days out with the state of the market. We agreed and Dennis followed through on his word. They have private parking in back. Highly recommend.

I had a great experience at Columbia Coins in Oregon. I stopped by specifically looking for World…read morePhilippine coins, and even though they primarily specialize in U.S. coins, they still had a surprisingly solid selection of world coins to choose from. John, the owner, was awesome to work with. We had a really good conversation about coins, and he made the whole experience enjoyable. He was not pushy at all and gave me plenty of time and space to make my decisions, which I really appreciated. I ended up picking up a few pieces and was very happy with the overall experience. Shops like this are what make coin collecting fun, knowledgeable, friendly, and no pressure. I will definitely be coming back the next time I'm in Oregon. This is a must-stop for any collector, whether you're experienced or just getting into coins and bullion.

Very rude when I called to inquire about how they go about with buying and selling of coins. When I…read morewas asking a question he cut me off and was just rude . Poor customer service very poor phone etiquette rush me when inquiring about their services and hung up on me before I was done inquiring.

Oscar is one of few that I feel is honest. It's REALKY hard to find in this line of business. As…read morelong as I'm living in Portland, Oregon, I will never go to anyone else except to Oscar with Portland Gold Buyers! I highly recommend to all!

Beware of Oscar at portlandgoldbuyers.com. I placed my trust in him and his company on a $100k…read moreGold deal and it cost me over $3,100! The challenge for most individuals buying or selling precious metals is that they don't do it very often and they must negotiate with dealers who do it every day. I had 22 gold coins I needed to sell and ended up talking to Oscar at Portland Gold Buyers.com as my first stop. He convinced me that he was giving me a fair price on my coins and I , unfortunately, trusted him. I then went across the street to Affordable Jewelry and Precious Metals (394 SW Washington Avenue) and found out they would have paid me $3,100 more for my 22 gold coins. I then talked to Oscar and asked him to match his closest competitors price and he refused, so, my decision to trust Oscar cost me $3,100. I am not telling you to not use Oscar if you should choose to do so but what I am telling you is check for pricing somewhere else first (like AJPM across the street who actually shows their pricing on a live screen in their office). Based on my experience, if you don't have a good understanding of market price when you start negotiating with Oscar, you are going to lose money as he is focused on maximizing his return on your metals even if the pricing he offers is not reflective of the true value of your metals. Just a heads up and good luck with selling or buying your precious metals at the best price possible!

If you need a gem appraised, this is where the jewelry stores send their inventory. They will give…read moreyou proper documentation that holds up in court. They answer the phone, and complete the work on schedule.

We were rushed. The consultant, Mark, didn't even sit down while he was "consulting," and we were…read moreworking off of someone else's desk (and the "someone else" was working there too.) We paid $150 for 1/2 hour consultation and we were there about 20 minutes. There were a few stones he couldn't identify and we felt he was guessing on some of them. I felt like we were bothering him. We will never return.

Highly recommend the team here at Estate downtown in Portland. You can always find great deals and…read moreamazing value. The service is incredible and they will be honest with you which is highly appreciated. Looking forward to checking their selection out here again soon!

Honest appraisal of value for our family's silver collection and an owner that establishes trust…read morewith you right away. Highly recommended.

My partner and I were in town recently, and Judith Arnell Jewelers was our first stop in our search…read morefor a jeweler to partner with. David was knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and he spent the time getting to know my preferences and style even though I sent him inspirational photos ahead of our appointment. David showed us four moissanite stones - two oval cuts and two emerald - and a variety of settings. Being informed shoppers, we stopped by two other jewelers and made the very easy and intentional choice to partner with David. A few days after returning from our trip, we received a CAD rendering of our ring, and ~2.5 weeks later, we received photos of our ring. It is even more stunning (I had goosebumps!) than I imagined it would be. Partnering with David and Judith far exceeded my expectations. We so appreciate their warm and thoughtful approach, cumulative experience in the industry, and how easy it was to relate to them. I am even more thrilled that we have a ring to act as a symbol of our commitment to each other - one that comes with a wonderful story. My favorite part of our ring is the fact that David was able to melt my grandmother's wedding band into my setting! Just a few tips if you are looking into alternative stones and/or looking into designing a custom piece: -Call ahead so that David can procure stones for your visit -Send a handful of inspiration photos prior to your visit David and Judith: So very glad that our paths crossed... this is just the beginning! Thank you for your kindness and warmth as my partner and I navigated these waters together for the very first time! Ps. Please express my thanks to the teammate that took the photos of our ring!

We purchased both my ring and my soon-to-be-husband's ring from Judith Arnell Jewelers. A handful…read moreof my friends had recommended that we work with her, and we're so glad that we did! Judith is just so wonderful. She made us feel at ease during my custom ring creation process, and my man was able to find a beautiful, platinum ring from her collection. Go with Judith - you won't be disappointed! :)

Older business in an older part of town but don't let the store appearance be a concern. The owner…read morewas very polite and kind even though I only had a small bracelet repair. He did it while I waited and I am very happy to have the bracelet back in working order. I have small bag of broken gold jewelry that has been sitting in my drawer for a long time and feel comfortable that I will be treated fairly so will return. I recommend this business based on my experience.

Doug was great to work with on our custom engagement ring. Other jewelers had not wanted to take on…read moreour complicated design idea but Doug was excited about engineering a stable and elegant solution. We love our ring, it was completed quickly and our costs were exactly as quoted. Highly recommend them! Post receiving the ring we had some small adjustments to make. They were taken care of immediately within a day or two I had my ring back and perfected with no added cost. Business being done the right way.