We'll I admit that I was a bit OCD about my ring. Good grief! Poor JC was sick and had a lot of work to catch up on. So no wonder I didn't hear from him. Needless to say my ring is beautiful and it fits perfectly. Lesson learned! Good things come to those who wait. read more

Goldworks Gallery - OES custom ring - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

Hi! my name is Oliver and I have no words to describe how disappointed and angry I am at his point!! Went ,LITERALLY!!!!, almost three months ago to the store with some of my jewelry in order to fix a gold chain 22K and also to get a 2.82 carats Aquamarine set in gold ( getting in set in a pendant) I brought another 18K gold chain plus a Pisces Gold pendant that I was wearing in order to getting them melt and use them both, for fixing my 22k gold chain plus making a bezel on the aquamarine stone. He gave me a 115$ credit for the 18k gold chain and the pisces gold pendant, so he can use that for the work he supposed to do. (which only the pendant itself was more expensive than that initially when i bought it) he also tested some of my diamond studs and so. I left in that store about 1500-1700$ worth of jewels . He told me that it would take two weeks for him to do his job. after three weeks i call him and he told me he was sick with covid and that it would take a little bit longer for him to finish his job. A month and a half later didn't hear from him so i called to the store and he picked the phone up and i asked him about my stuff...he said he was working on it and that my stuff was already in the back working on it. Today i was twice in his store in order to collect my stuff (almost three months later) since i had tried before but he didn't pick up the phone and on his mail box message said They were out of the office till the 14th of sept. Tried a million rimes to leave a message but the mail box is full. All I want is for him to pick that damn phone or be a man and called me so he can explain what's going on and so i can collect my stuff and go to a different place were they are more reliable , professional and people can trust without all this mess!!! I wish there was no star for this review...I think one star is way too much! read more

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Not really knowing where else to start I began my search for a wedding ring online, then mall stores and big-box places but I was thoroughly disappointed by those options. Too expensive. Too flashy. Can't try it on in person. Don't want to buy blood diamonds. Agh! Who knew buying jewelry could be so complicated? Take a lesson from my expirience - skip the mall and the pushy sales people and mass produced rings at inflated prices. Come down to Goldworks Gallery and find your dream wedding band. The moment I walked into Goldworks Gallery in North Park I knew that this was the place I would find my ring. On a quiet Saturday afternoon I met JC - he was working behind the counter in full jeweler head-gear. (Charming and industrious, like something out of a steampunk novel). JC runs the shop and he is certainly one of the nicest people I've met. From the outside this shop looks like any little strip-mall - but inside you'll find a treasure trove of beautiful handmade and vintage jewelry. JC helped me look through countless rings, discussed making a custom piece, and essentially worked our way through a big portion of his collection all while trying to figure out what I wanted. No sales pressure. Just honest interest in his craft and my dream wedding ring. When he opened up a box of antique and vintage rings we hit the jackpot. 1920's antique art deco wedding ring with Egyptian-revival style etching on the band. Elegant, unusual and absolutely gorgeous. All it needed was a stone setting and a little re-sizing. No big deal for the expert in the house. A few more brief visits to work out the details and I had myself a perfect wedding ring and at a fraction of the cost I would have paid elsewhere! read more

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So, I needed to find a professional jeweler to do some custom work for my wife's wedding ring. We went to a highly recommended jeweler in UTC, and we ran into a slick talking used car salesman. He gave us a $1200 quote for one thin ladies sapphire band. And he told us that his ring would not line up quite evenly with my wife's ring, and it would leave an obvious space. He actually said that she would get used to it though. Here goes the hook...But, he said, if you want "custom work", we can line up the ring just right. But the price is double for custom work. Umm,...the salesman kept telling me that his shop designed the wedding rings for Phillip Rivers and his wife. I like the Chargers and all, but so what? I don't play football, and I don't have thousands to drop on a wedding ring. Then, we stumbled onto Goldworks. Right off the bat, we knew that we had the right place. From the no frills North Park location to the local owner JC making us feel like valued clients. We explained what we wanted, and he said he could make it happen. He delivered. And he did so within our budget. He designed a set of TWO intricate white gold sapphire bands to cradle my wife's wedding ring. First, he made a resin mold of the rings, then asked us to approve them before he cast them. He did both within a few days time, and they were so good, that they look like they were a matching set. My wife gets so many compliments on her wedding ring and bands, thanks to Goldworks. What makes them different? First off, JC is a proven artist that has been designing jewelry for years. Second, is the fact that all work is done in the shop right there before your eyes. They keep everything in house. My advice is to get as far away from the malls as you possibly can. Then go see the good people at Goldworks, you will be glad you did. P.S. See picture of ring in my photos. We did our best to balance them. read more

I used Goldworks Gallery for my wife Engagement ring. I told him that I had a budget that I want to work with, He give 3 options of diamonds to choose from. After I made my selection of the Diamond JC made a CAD drawing of it with the ring that he designed for me. I was able to see the ring on CAD without going to the store and it looked AMAZING. J.C also did an amazing engraving inside the ring not in English yet in Hebrew like I wanted. Maya my wife loved the ring and I loved the great service. Please take a look at the CAD drawing. Thank you Goldworks for this amazing Engagement Ring. read more

I have been going her for years (since 2003) for jewelry cleaning, repairs to Native American made pieces and even had a couple of custom pieces done here. The work was always superb, that's why I went back. My last visit fell so short of the mark, that I don't think I can go back. In mid-Feb I dropped off a watch and two rings for some minor adjustments, polishing of stones and cleaning of silver. I was finally able to pick them up today, 2 months later and frankly, I was disappointed. First, it took numerous phone calls and two trips, one from No. County to get my stuff. Next, the required work wasn't done. While the stones were all polished, none of the silver jewelry was cleaned, as I had asked. One of the stones in the watchband was still loose, the setting was supposed to be tightened up. The watchband, which is quite large, was still filthy and had a green substance in some of the crevices, which wasn't there before. All in all, I'm just disappointed. I normally would have taken the time to speak with the owner about these shortcomings but it took so long to get my stuff back, I just didn't even want to think about leaving it there even longer. I'm sad to say that the service just wasn't up to their usual standards. read more

Goldworks Gallery - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

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We consulted with the owner, JC Dumas, designing our custom wedding rings. He helped us come up with beautiful designs which he then masterfully produced. We couldn't be happier. We have since purchased a turquoise bolo tie that he designed plus earrings and a couple of rings. JC is polite and thoroughly professional. I don't hesitate to recommended him to friends and coworkers. read more

Goldworks Gallery - Men's diamond wedding ring with two turquoise inlays. - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

Been going here for years. Honest and trustworthy place. The owner is a great guy. Repairs or new purchases, you will not be disappointed.

JC did a wonderful job resizing down my engagement ring -- it looks indistinguishable from how it did when I brought in (but now it fits perfectly)! Took around 20 minutes and was very reasonably priced. Highly recommend! read more

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!! BEWARE!!! I went into Goldworks gallery after reading about them on yelp. I went in the first time a year ago to have my engagement ring swapped from a prong to a bezel setting. Seemed simple enough. I ended up having to take it back not ONE but THREE times to correct mistakes JC had made!!!! and its still not right!!!!!! The first time: The band on my engagement ring is molded from a twig which I love the texture of, so JC suggested keeping with the wood theme and carving a wood grain detail in the side of the bezel rather than just having it plain. He said it would take 1 week. I waited and waited and waited. I called several times and he seemed to be unaware of the timeline I was promised... annoying. Finally after 3 weeks I got my ring back and it was horrid!!! The wood grain effect ended up looking like a sloppy mess as did the rest of the work. So disappointed we ended up giving him a second chance to fix it.... The second time: My wedding was only 3 weeks away so I needed the ring ASAP. We decided to just do a plain bezel this time, again seemed simple enough. Again the timeline I was promised was pushed back.... and again after receiving my ring it just didn't look right, the color of the gold didn't seem to match. I ended up having to live with it as my wedding was just around the corner. Finally I took the ring to another jeweler to confirm my suspicions and I was right. HE USED ROSE GOLD INSTED OF YELLOW GOLD!!!! Again we take it back and this time ask for our money back. He refused and promised he could fix it. Reluctantly we let him try again.... The third time: After taking the ring back a third time to have him fix his rookie mistake or using rose gold instead of yellow gold. We got the ring back in the time promised. The ring looked fine and we thought all was said and done and we could put this behind us. A weeks later THE STONE CAME LOOSE!!!! Now my ring sounds like a rattle! I am so upset and disappointed! I will not be returning here again EVER!!! read more

My fiancee and I designed our engagement rings with JC. Pros: He listened to what we wanted. Tried to find it in a catalog, no luck, so he worked his magic (I have no idea what goes into this process!) to create digital images for us to approve to have the waxes made. We wanted dark amethysts - two stones with two different cuts. He found them. It took him to LA, but he found them! He responded to my email inquiries in a timely manner. The only con is that it took him longer than we originally thought it would to finish the rings. He estimated about one month, and it took a little more than two. In the end, we have gorgeous rings for much less than we could have managed at any chain jeweler, with a personal touch! Plus, there is a resident goldworks cat. A major plus in my book! read more

I've known JC for years and he's always been a pleasure to work with-his positive energy and commitment to customer service is so refreshing. He designed a beautiful piece of jewelry for a mother's day gift last year. He took my ideas, came up with a fantastic suggestion that incorporated all of them and designed a pendant with everyone in the family's birthstones in it. It was so gorgeous - made my mom cry...in the good way! Thank you so much, JC - you're the best to work with on jewelry design! read more

Once again, JC has surprised me in the best way possible, with a piece of Jewelry that has surpassed my expectations. This is the second time I have bought something from Goldworks, both custom made, and the second time they it is more beautiful than I could have imagined it myself. A few months ago I was looking to buy a piece of relatively simple jewelry for my girlfriend's birthday. I had a cloudy idea of what I wanted, a simple diamond on a simple setting, and I went to a few different places to see what they had, and all that I kept turning up was generic, unoriginal blah. Go to boring chain stores and you get what you pay for. I've always believed in supporting the little guy but I am relatively new to San Diego so I didn't have a particular place that I knew of or wanted to support. I was over by fashion valley mall, about to open the car door and decided to see if yelp had anything to offer. It turned out Goldworks was a couple miles away they had a five star rating, meanwhile the best any of the chain stores had to offer was a two or three star. So I drove to Goldworks and when I got there, I was pleasantly surprised to find two very helpful people who were willing to create EXACTLY what I had in mind, not steer me toward some piece of crap they had marked down like the other stores did. He even turned yellow gold into white through a chemical process, and found the exact diamond, even coming in below my budget, making me feel like they wanted a repeat customer instead of a quick sale. Well, that's exactly what they got and the second time using them, I was possibly more pleased than the first! My girl won't stop talking about how pretty her ring is, and I couldn't be happier with how good it looks on her finger. A personal thanks to JC and Christina for everything so far, and you know you have a customer for years to come. -Evan read more

Literally and figuratively, a "hidden gem" har har. Do not be put off by the entrance or clutteriness of the shop. JC is awesome and this review may be biased by that opinion of mine. He designed a beautiful engagement rings for me and even added a wedding band that wraps around it all Escher-like. He took some time to make sure all of the emeralds matched, and he worked with my then-fiance to pick the most beautiful purple sapphire (they are somewhat rare). He was super flexible working with our work schedules to accommodate us whenever we needed to come in to make decisions throughout the process of designing, molding, and sizing our rings. He even made a rustic silver wedding ring for my husband. A+, great work, warm, pleasant, and professional attitude, and the price was more than reasonable. Thank you JC! And, we will be back. read more

Goldworks Gallery - Jc designed the most gorgeous, meaningful, and unique engagement ring on the planet! Indigo sapphire, emeralds and daimonds - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

kept my jewelry that was brought in for repair. excuses for two years. in the interim I moved out of the area. kept calling asking pleading begging him to post it back to me and I would pay the shipping. I he could not do my repairs just mail items back to me. I truly hate to give bad reviews, but he has my items and never returned them to me. it surprised me since I thought he was a good guy and honest. guess I was wrong. makes me sad. read more

Simply the best jeweler in town. Better rates, personable service and more. Like to be hounded by sales people, go to the other guys... Like a one on one experience with a veteran jeweler see JC. read more

I went into Gold works after I was quoted $500 to retip the prongs on my engagement ring at a chain store. Once at Gold works I was told that all I needed was my stone to be tightened because my ring has 8 prongs. The price was perfect too. I met JC and he let me know that he could create custom wedding bands for my me and my fiance. Great communication throughout the whole process and had the rings finished before the date we requested. We both love the rings and it's awesome that they are original. The price was reasonable too. read more

What a Great place!!I Went there today with my future husband in order to search for wedding bands. The store has very beautiful pieces at excellent prices, and we found a gorgeous pair of rings, that were sized the same day at no extra cost. I started crying when I got the ring in my hand! It was so beautiful! and JC is a really good person, honest and friendly, that make the process of ring-choosing really easy and pleasant. I have no words to say how grateful I am... So, if you are looking for the best quality in jewelry at decent prices, don't hesitate and come here. You won't be disappointed. I know that I'll definitively will come back for all my jewelry needs from now on. read more

WOO!!! Had a necklace custom made for Mother's Day, JC outdid himself. My mom loves it and was showing it off to her sisters all day. :) :) :) Thank you Goldworks Gallery. read more

Wow- we have our wedding rings made by JC over 22 years ago and we keep coming back...he is a fine master goldsmith, jeweler and an all around artist. I have had the pleasure of working with JC in the classic car arena as a volunteer and he has a keen eye for details...whether it be jewelry or automotive. We come in every two years or so for a ring tune up and have never had a problem that he could not address. read more

One day I was telling JC that I had a two rings that needed new looks, kinda like when we women need a new hairdo? He was great; he took a look at the rings, got an idea of what I was thinking & went hunting for just the right stones. He made wonderful changes to my original rings, I now wear them daily again, and each are complimented on often! JC & staff also repaired a necklace & 3 other rings, I just could not be happier with the work! The design work (by JC) which you can see by visiting his store is top notch. If there is ANYTHING jewelry wise that you even think you are looking for, definitely go see JC. read more

Stay away from this store, the owner had a ring of mine that needed to be sized and when I got the ring back one baguette stone was missing from the ring. I called and asked what happened to the stone and was told that I brought it into the store that way. NOT TRUE, I took the ring to another jeweler and he informed me that the stone had been pried loose from the setting. Look at the other older reviews for this store and also check out the BBB website which has a scathing review of this business. Go somewhere else. read more

The clasp broke on my favorite silver necklace and even though I felt naked without it, I procrastinated for months on getting it fixed. Last time I had the clasp replaced it was a huge ordeal - I waited for weeks and had to keep calling for updates, plus the cost seemed excessive but what did I know. Finally decided I really needed my necklace back around my neck so I checked Yelp for small independent jewelers close to my neighborhood. Out of several good possibilities I decided to try Goldworks Gallery for three reasons: excellent Yelp reviews, extreme proximity to my house, and the positive vibe of the woman who answered their phone. I dropped off the necklace on my way to an appointment and was helped by the woman I talked to and also JC, the owner. They were both friendly and funny and seemed very competent and knowledgeable. If I hadn't been in a hurry they would have replaced the clasp in about ten minutes while I waited. (Ten minutes instead of weeks?!? Makes me think the other place just lost it for a while.) Now I wish I could have waited so I'd have more time to browse all the interesting stuff in the display cases. When I came back an hour later, the new clasp was perfect and the chain and pendant were beautifully polished. The cost was way less than expected (JC offered to charge more if I was unhappy about that) and the work was impeccable. I highly recommend Goldworks Gallery - nice people, great work, and an all-round positive experience. Next time I need anything from a watch battery to custom designed jewelry, I know where to go! read more

The guy that runs this place is an amazing jewelry designer and is a wizard when it comes to repairs. I would recommend this place to anyone in need of custom, unique, or just a jewelry repair. read more

I searched high and low (jewelry stores, estate stores, online, etc.) for the perfect pendant to wear on my wedding day. I went into Goldworks Gallery by chance. I was browsing the assortment of beautiful custom and estate jewelry they had on hand, when I saw the exact thing I was looking for.... The only problem was that it was a ring, and not a pendant. "NO PROBLEM," said J.C., the owner and master jewelry designer, "we'll make it into a necklace." He sat with me for a moment, discussing exactly what I wanted, and in minutes designed the perfect piece to wear with my wedding dress. I was 100% thrilled with the price and the time that it took for the staff at Goldworks to create the piece. I wore it at my wedding, and received at least a half-dozen compliments: gorgeous, elegant, etc. Thanks, J.C. and team! However, before the wedding but after receiving my new necklace, I also went to J.C. to create my wedding ring. Again, perfect. And I know no one else has the same one. Now I go back to Goldworks Gallery for everything as the staff is also extremely competent and friendly. I trust them with all my jewelry needs. read more

I went to Goldworks to have several rings made larger. The staff is professional, friendly and they were reasonably priced. I wanted to keep the business local and they made me feel very welcomed. They also have a sweet heart of a mascot cat which was a plus read more

Great customer service! The shop is so full of yummy things that it takes your breath away. Vintage is my area and their selection in to drool over. Go there! read more

JC never fails to amaze me. I've taken plenty of my rings in to get cleaned they always look great by the time I pick them up. I've also taken in a few of my watches to get adjusted & the woman that helped me both times was very friendly, polite & knowledgeable. I'm always admiring the stones as well as the selection of vintage wedding rings...so you can bet where mine is going to come from someday ::sigh:: It's no wonder this independent business has its success...just look at the skill & innovation behind it. read more

JC and his staff are amazing and very knowledgeable! I brought in my wedding rings and an antique diamond ring that had not been looked at for years. JC fixed all the prongs that were loose making sure none of my precious gems were in danger and then cleaned and polished them afterwards. They shined for weeks! Price was incredible! I highly recommend Goldworks Gallery and will be introducing my husband to the beautiful store selection soon. read more

Beautiful job! Wonderful to work with. JC listened to what we needed personalized and made it happen exactly as we'd envisioned. James, the engraver, did a lovely job on my glass project. They sent me a proof, made my requested revisions, and promptly completed the work. Definitely will keep this place in mind for future. read more

Came in once to sell some junk silver, he paid a good price the first time so i figured id go back. The second time he says "oo this is not a good time come back in about a half hour". It was 1230 and he closes at 1. If u dont want my business just tell me guy. read more

Changed a watch battery for myself and earring back for my wife, great price and friendly staff, glad I found this store!

JC helped me find a special bracelet for my wife. I had been looking on line for something specific and the prices were ridiculously high. I told JC what I was looking for and how much I was willing to spend and he found it in a few days. It was perfect and my wife loves the gold bracelet. JC is my jeweler for life!!!! Craig Y. read more

JC designed my wifes wedding ring and it turned out amazing!!! He was professional, detail-oriented and the craftsmanship was very impressive. My wife is EXTREMELY happy with her ring and people comment on it everyday. Thanks Again JC. read more

I was told about this amazing man and his gift! Then I told others! JC is an artist and a great jeweler. The other great skill he has, is to fix anything you have that has been broken or needed to be repaired. He can do it! My clients have brought their jewelry to him to fix and then some of them had him remake it into a new works of art! I feel very comfortable telling everyone I know how great he is. You can also catch him at the Del Mar Antique Shows, give him a call and you will see why he is the best! read more

My fiance and I recently decided to repurpose an heirloom diamond ring that once belonged to my grandmother. JC had the best idea to make this ring perfect! It turned out more beautiful than we expected. He is very creative, professional and honest. We'll be back! read more

JC is awesome! Really has your best interest in mind! Fixed wife's missing diamond, gave us a larger diamond for a very reasonable price. Made special arrangements to pick up same day. Thanks! Momma is happy! read more

I came to Goldworks Gallery based on a referral for JC Dumas by my future father-in-law while in San Diego for the holidays. I was looking at purchasing an engagement ring third party and wanted to get an appraisal of the ring. During the appraisal I felt JC was extremely thorough in his evaluation. He pointed out some minor flaws that were previously unknown by the seller. Further, he answered all of my novice questions and offered me excellent advice. With his help I was able to secure the ring at a fair price with the knowledge of what I was getting for my money. I was so pleased with JC and Goldworks Gallery that after getting engaged my fiancé and I returned there to have the diamond reset to her preference. Again, we worked with JC and he was very patient with us, answering all our questions and making recommendations on which settings would provide the optimal security and light dispersion for the diamond. We ordered a custom setting with a separate ring and prongs. JC had it prepped and ready for us by the next day as we needed to return to Vancouver at the end of the week. We came by his store again and he let us observe the process for setting the diamond in its new home. Both my fiancé and I are extremely pleased with the service we received and are happy to have our jewelry guy. I will recommend Goldworks Gallery to anyone I know. And the ring looks fantastic! read more

My honey's diamond"fell out" and was lost 6 months into wearing the band. Eek. Super bad deal. We will have to pay someone else to start over. Sad. read more

My experience was somewhat like Linda A.'s. Had I written a review a year earlier I would have given them a 5 star. Over the years I have brought misc. items for repair and was always very satisfied with the work. In June I brought some gold-filled glass frames in for repair. I was told, it being June & wedding season, it would take a little while. No problem. Then, in September, I brought a few other items for repair & ordered a silver chain for some beads. Over the next few months I would check periodically for an update. I was always told, my work was coming up next. The frames were apparently a bit of a problem. They had been repaired before by him & became damaged again. I could not pick up the other items becasue he likes to complete everything at one time so nothing gets lost. Finally I gave him a deadline in January because I needed the glasses so I could have the prescription refilled. (Meanwhile I had been using an older pair for 6 months and which also needed to be repaired.) I show up a few days after seeing the optometrist. He tells me he will have it "tomorrow." By now I had found another jeweler who repaired my other damaged glasses in an hour & with better workmanship. He returned everything immediately. I asked about the silver chain that was to have been ordered in September. Says he does not have it because he does all the work at one time. That being the case, what became of it since he was to have ordered it 4 months earlier? Was he going to get it sent to him "express" so it would be ready the next day when the glass frames were allegedly going to be ready or was he just pissed off in general and couldn't be bothered w/me anymore? I know he does lots of special orders & designs, but if my repairs were so inconsequential he should have just told me & I'd have gone elsewhere. A waste of 6 months w/nothing to show for it. I had intended to have a pendant made w/some gold & a loose diamond I have. Not now. I'm going elsewhere. I know this review won't make much of an impact. I'm sure he makes very good money with the special orders & designs. He can't be bothered w/the small stuff. Sad to say, I won't go back. read more