We loved our engagement ring experience with Jennifer so much that we got our wedding bands from her too! After trying on a bunch of her beautiful rings, we decided on a custom wedding band. It fits perfectly with the curve of my engagement ring. It's delicate and unique and I love it! My fiancé got a plain wide rose gold band. He wanted something different but not too crazy and Jennifer helped us come to that decision. It looks fantastic and makes a little statement without being over the top. We both love Jennifer and highly recommend her. She's a lovely person and her designs are just beautiful. read more

Jennifer designed and created my wedding and engagement rings. They are beautiful. I love them still. Her designs are unique and one of a kind. She's a kind and talented jeweler. I'm so happy I had my rings made by her. read more

Beautiful design and metalsmithing. There's a collection that is on the simple side of most jewelry styles, but the level of detail and finishing are fantastic. read more

I bought my ring from a reputable jeweler in DC. I loved my jeweler but this engagement ring and band have been a never ending nightmare. I've had a rash under the ring for several years. My jeweler tried supersonic cleaning it. Still get the rash. I'm so disappointed I can't wear my wedding ring everyday. The rash is unbearable after 5 years of trying to deal w it. read more

Best engagement & wedding ring experience ever! Once my (now) fiance and I decided it was time to move our relationship into the next stage of life, I began searching for rings online. Searching for a ring online is not exactly awesome - until I found Jennifer's website! I knew she was the designer for me, immediately. I wanted rings that were sustainable, beautiful and unique - no blood diamonds here! We are from New York, but we planned a vacation to California and made an appointment to visit her studio in Santa Rosa. How lovely! Jennifer and her team were so warm and welcoming, we felt right at home. We had a good idea of the rings we were looking to create, but we were able to choose the emerald we wanted and contemplated a few different styles, but stuck to our original design. We spent 2-3 hours playing with jewelry and getting to know one another - an experience that we would have never had going to some jeweler in NYC. Jennifer LOVES what she does and it shines through in her work! Our appointment was in mid-October and we had the rings and were engaged by the end of November! They kept my fiance updated throughout the ring creation process and if either of us had a question or vice versa, communicating was a breeze. We purchased both wedding bands and the engagement ring and are thrilled with all of them; they are absolutely gorgeous and everything we could've ever wanted. Thank you to Jen & her team for such a memorable and pleasurable experience. We loved working with you and are totally in love with our rings and each other :) read more

Jennifer Dawes Designs - Jewelry Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

I am very disappointed with my dealings with Dawes Design. I contacted them to create an emerald, white sapphire, and platinum engagement ring. I do not feel the ring she made for us has the value and craftsmanship that should be associated with a $13k ring. I feel this is a case of "buyer beware". I contacted Jennifer spring 2012 to create the ring. In my excitement, I did not get a breakdown of costs or stone value, but accepted the $13k price tag. This was my mistake. I chose Jennifer because she does have beautiful designs and because she claims to use environmentally friendly materials from ethical sources. The contract was negotiated over the phone and by email, but was never summarized in a formal document. From email, it is clear that the ring was to be: -platinum -contain 1 large emerald flanked by 4 white sapphires -have flush-mounting for the stones and be very durable as my fiancée uses her hands a lot -be created using ethically sourced and environmentally friendly materials When the ring arrived, 1 week before I was to propose, the ring looked fine. It was not accompanied with any documentation or appraisal, just the receipt and what I felt was a cheap box. Initially we loved the ring. 2 months after our engagement, when the excitement settled, we began talking about getting insurance for the ring. This is when the flaws in the ring started to show. The platinum bezel had been soldered on with white gold that was now turning yellow, the emerald was cracking, and one of the sapphires was chipped as it was set in a way that did not protect the stone. We obtained 2 appraisals from accredited appraisers who valued the ring at $5775 and $5500. This prompted a series of emails back and forth between Dawes Design and us. The concerns we had were 1) white gold solder - this was to be a platinum ring and the use of white gold solder was not discussed, revealed, or authorized by myself. We didn't think it looked good. In speaking with other jewelers, white gold solder in a platinum ring is generally frowned upon. My understanding is that in the UK, a ring would not be allowed to be stamped PLAT if it had white gold solder. 2) The reported use of ethical and environmentally friendly goods - We received no certificate to confirm these claims. This was a big thing for us, and we feel we had no proof of this. 3) value of the ring - By contacting her suppliers, we found out that the value of the stones was less than $300. I would never have paid $13k for a ring with such cheap stones, had I known. 4) craftsmanship - the ring, 3 months later, was already showing signs of damage. The choice of setting for the stones made this an inevitable reality, and was interpreted by our appraisers as being a sign of poor craftsmanship. Our communications with Jennifer ended abruptly. We were emotional in our words, and we received a letter from her lawyer notifying us to cease and desist any communication with Jennifer on this matter, or we would face legal action on the basis of slander, or at least that's how I understand it. We contacted a well established appraiser in California, near where Jennifer works, in case there was a local bias. We received a detailed report with an assessed value between $4100 to $6200. She also pointed out many of the same flaws with the ring. She did not contact Jennifer in writing her report, but did contact a local artist to ask about some local "going rates" and practices. At this point, we contacted the JVC. They seemed sympathetic to our story and advised us to have the ring appraised by one of the appraisers that Jennifer had suggested when our conflict arose. We did that and received a value of $5,100, and they too pointed out many flaws. The JVC then stated that they wanted Gail Levine, the Executive Director of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers to view the ring. According to my understanding of the report, since this is a unique, one-of-a-kind ring, the replacement value is the cost that Jennifer Dawes would charge for the ring, as she is the only person who could create it - $13,600. I can't argue with that logic. At this point, we were advised to give up. I contacted Gail Levine personally to ask her about the use of white gold solder in a platinum ring. Her reply surprised me - because of the NAJA Code of Ethics and some other standards, she could not respond without the permission of her client, Jennifer Dawes. Her client! This made me feel quite upset with the whole process. We feel we have been taken advantage of. We have listed the ring on eBay for $1000 in the hopes of getting some money back. My advice to anyone buying a custom ring is to get the cost of the ring justified up front. Get a written contract that clearly states what materials will be used, and do not accept the ring without an appraisal and supporting documentation. I am writing my feelings and experiences so that others may be avoid the same pitfalls I had. read more

Jennifer Dawes Designs - A beautiful platinum ring, but white gold solder is visible at the bezel, as well as inside the ring. - Jewelry Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

I can echo everything said by the previous reviewer. It was a very special experience visiting Jennifer at her studio with my boyfriend (soon to be fiance) and she was very generous with her time as we discussed various ring styles, metals, stones. It's very difficult to find artisans who are so knowledgeable - and even activist about - the ethical and sustainable sourcing of materials, and I feel honored to have a ring made by someone who cares so much about her craft. For some reason, her retailers offer slightly lower prices that buying direct, so you may want to research where to actually order your ring from a local jewelry retailer. read more

Yes, it is obvious that Jennifer's jewerly is absolutely stunning, modern and timeless at the same time, but having a piece of her jewelry is much more than that. Purchasing my engagement ring from Jennifer Dawes was an experience I could have never imagined. She invited us to her beautiful studio which was tucked behind her home in Sonoma county. Jennifer and her staff were incredibly kind and personable. We arrived and her husband, who was building wood-fire ovens, let us onto their lush property where their son was chasing around their 17 chickens. Her assistant brought us out tea, and Jennifer spent over an hour talking to us and helping us create the perfect engagement ring. Even though we didn't make a purchase that moment, she hugged us goodbye, as if the experience meant as much to her as it did to us. We really got a sense of who she is as a person and an artist. Even if you don't have the opportunity to visit her studio, know that you're purchasing a piece of art created by a humble, passionate, and talented artist. And every time someone asks me about my ring (which happens A LOT, strangers even) I always gush about her because these are type of people and businesses I want to support. read more

I have a gorgeous, gorgeous charm necklace, eight stacking rings and a custom anniversary ring made by Jennifer Dawes. They are all lovely and she is an amazing person. She listens carefully to what her clients want, she is thoughtful, spiritual, and creative. My charm necklace commemorates my pets and is simply beautiful. People ask about it all the time. My stackers are colorful and fun and I am going to have more of them made. And my anniversary ring, which Jen designed and made from my family gold, is simply stunning. Next month I am traveling to California to discuss with her a diamond ring I want to have made in memory of my mom. Jewelry is important to me -- I want it not only to look beautiful but to be meaningful and Jen totally gets that. Her staff is terrific -- Deb is a gem and lots of fun -- and I think these women are the very best. Some of the reviews I have read here really make no sense to me. But I'll tell you one thing -- you could not pay me enough to work with brides. Most people manage to get married with generosity, dignity, and grace but some, well, don't. Those who have to work with these self absorbed, entitled ladies deserve a medal! Update: Trip to Santa Rosa to design a ring from my mom's gold was wonderful. These ladies listen! And I ended up redesigning my wedding ring to add diamonds and having a ring made from family gold for each of my step daughters. I love the emphasis on repurposing jewelry and updating and preserving pieces filled with sentiment and love. Kudos to Jennifer Dawes for cultivating an unusual business ethic in this day and age! read more

I absolutely love my engagement and wedding rings! My fiance and I looked at many designers to find a beautiful and unique ring. We also wanted rings that we could feel good about and we were excited to learn that Dawes uses recycled gold, responsibly mined stones and makes everything locally. We worked closely with Jennifer and Deborah over several moths to design my two rings and my husband's wedding band. We were just married a few days ago and are loving wearing our wedding bands! My husband wasn't too excited about wearing jewelry and initially wanted something more industrial like titanium. I wanted our rings to match and suggested a matte hammered gold band. It looks great on him and he thinks the weight and feel are perfect for his hand. His ring is the perfect combination of manly and refined. It took a few days to get used to wearing them and they now feel like a natural part of our hands. My Golden Gate engagement ring is ornate with a center sapphire in a complex blue/green/grey to match my eyes and is accented by a row of tiny diamonds. The band is a plain Canyon in hammered yellow gold. The two rings coordinate beautifully without feeling overly matchy. The entire process from our initial conversation to the delivery of our three exquisite rings was an absolute joy! read more

My fiancé has many attractive attributes, not the least of which is that he's related Jennifer Dawes! So I'm the thrilled, spoiled owner of several beautifully crafted Dawes Design pieces. The most exquisite of these, and most cherished, is my recently acquired engagement stack. The 18k gold Hewn Rose Cut Diamond Solitaire Ring and two Hewn Triple Rose Cut Diamond Jackets are the perfect representation of our union. We're a blended family of six, coming together later in life. I love that the recycled gold and hewn texture nod to that experience. Raw materials with a little history and texture. Then one lively little diamond for each member of our family, bonded together. It's a privilege to own a piece where each stone was hand-selected and each curve crafted specifically with our family in mind. And Jennifer's commitment to sustainable, responsibly sourced materials means I can wear that piece with an easy heart. For me, that personal, conscious hand is what turns gold and stones to treasure. read more

Jennifer Dawes Designs - Jenny H.'s engagement stack - Jewelry Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

There's no doubt that Dawes Design has beautiful jewelry but the craftsmanship is absolutely awful. I rue the day I fell in love with 1 of her rings & chose it as my engagement ring. It began a nightmare that lasted 2 years. I chose the ring because I fell in love with its delicate design & unique aesthetic. I also fell madly in love with its center stone: a really special purple/blue sapphire. But guess what? When my boyfriend bought the ring and sent it to them to resize: they shattered the sapphire. No one, not the store I bought it from, not Jennifer Dawes herself, could tell me how that happened. I have since talked to another jeweler & he told me he doesn't see any reason why the stone would've even been touched during a resizing... Anyway, Jennifer promised she'd find me a similar sapphire. She reset the ring & my boyfriend proposed. I was extremely happy with my ring...until the time came to find a wedding band for it. If you look at Dawes' site, it clearly says her rings are designed to be stackable, which is exactly what I wanted for my engagement ring. To that end, I purchased an extremely thin, delicate pave band to wear with it. When I tried them on together, however, something wasn't sitting right. It seemed like the band was being pushed back too far & also rubbing against the sapphire. I reached out to Jennifer to see if she had any suggestions. She told me to send her both the engagement ring & band & she'll see what she could do. When I did, she told me that she wouldn't be able to get the ring to fit with that band, but if I bought one of her bands (which, according to her was flatter and thinner) it would work. I have to be honest: this was NOT in my budget at all. I was in the middle of paying for a wedding & her band was 5 times as expensive as the similar pave band I bought! BUT it was so important to me that I maintain the integrity of my engagement ring (& keep it as an heirloom forever), that I decided to take out a credit card solely so I could follow her suggestion. I bought her band. She sent my engagement ring back &, about a month before my wedding, sent me the band. First of all, her band did not look any thinner to me than the band I already had. That aside, I tried them on & saw a similar issue as before: the band was being pushed back & sticking out in the back a lot. I sent them a photo. They claimed it didn't look like a problem and that all stacking rings get pushed back a little. We decided I'd wear it for a bit after the wedding & get in touch if there was a problem. Naturally, after wearing it for 2 weeks on my honeymoon, there was a big problem. Not only were the two rings massively uncomfortable together, but the band had gone ahead & scratched my sapphire: exactly what I was trying to avoid! I wrote them pretty upset that they had made me buy a band & supposedly worked to prevent this exact thing from happening. I got several different excuses from them that made little sense. I sent the rings back again. Jennifer told me that this ring was a prototype ring & her similar styles now look different (less delicate), so she was going to try her best to give me this ring back. She was going to raise the entire ornament & that should fix the problem. About 5 weeks later, I got my engagement ring & band back. I put the engagement ring on, only to notice there was a large brown stain on the ring's band. What the heck?! I send her a picture of it & her response: "Oh, oops. It just didn't get cleaned up after welding." Um...HOW?! If you're sending a ring back that you've screwed up multiple times at this point, why wouldn't you look at it under a loupe & make sure it looks correct. This actually didn't even need a loupe to see the stain. It was enormous. Back to California it went again (I'm in NY). It came back to me finally, & I wore it with my wedding band for 3 months. Until 1 day, I took the engagement ring off & saw that, in fact, the band had completely scratched up the back of the sapphire. YES. AFTER ALL THAT. I wrote her, furious & disappointed. Jennifer called me, apologized & said she will remake the whole ring for me & would try to make it look as delicate as the original. After 6 weeks she sent me back a new engagement ring: a hideous, clunky thing that I would never have chosen had I originally seen it in the store. It was nothing like the delicate piece I had fallen in love with. At this point, we decided to have her return my original setting & for her to refund me the money for the useless pave band she made me buy. She did agree to that at least. But I now have an engagement ring I can't wear with my band. It's extremely upsetting to me that the piece of jewelry that I spent so much time looking for & dreaming about is completely ruined. I really would not wish this experience on anyone, let alone 2 people trying to start their lives together with what was supposed to be a lovely, time-honored tradition. read more

This is a wonderful local jewelry designer whose work is inspired by the landscapes of Marin County. She has exquisite taste and the best quality of gemstones. I recently received one of her kinetic rings as a gift - it is a platinum ring with a sapphire set in the middle. The setting resembles a very delicate flower - and it rotates like a pinwheel. I love her wedding bands as well and her necklaces are one-of-a-kind. She custom makes pieces as well. What an amazing talent right in our own backyard. You can find her stuff around town, I saw it last year at Gallery Flux in the Castro. read more

My boyfriend/fiance and I had a WONDERFUL experience with Dawes Designs. Jennifer and her team were very professional, responsive, creative, and kind. We love the elegant, beautiful, unique engagement ring made by Dawes (which we were able to create with the help of Jennifer and her team) -- the ring really reflects my personality and style (unlike many of the Stepford rings out on the market). I have sent many-a-friend to the Dawes web-site since finding it! Jennifer is committed to working in a way that is as sustainable/local/green as possible! I can't wait to get our anniversary jewelry from Dawes in years to come! read more

My parents ordered me a custom graduation ring from Dawes Designs, and I couldn't be happier. Jennifer worked with me to find the perfect stone, styling, and color of gold and made me a ring that is both attractive and sturdily made. I don't like the flimsy feel of many jewelry pieces and don't wear much jewelry in general, so the balance between elegance and strength that Jennifer gives to her pieces gives me a deep respect for her work. She managed to make me a ring that reflected all my favorite things about jewelry, in spite of my extreme fussiness and generally unadorned fashion style. She is a clever and creative designer with a firm ethical consciousness. read more

I will make this short and sweet. I live in Manhattan, and I wanted something original for an engagement-wedding band stack. My now-husband was not really jazzed about the whole ring thing, as he didn't want to purchase a stone from an unethical mine, and the whole giant-Bridezilla-solitaire concept was not his speed. After consideration,, we decided to go for a lavender sapphire, and Jennifer and Deborah ordered six different stones in various hews of light purple for me. I was able to choose the exact stone color and they made me something amazing. I got married in September, and have just now received the wedding band facet of my stack--so it is complete! I love my Lux ring - it is 1.07 carats and a pastel color which I didn't think I would want until Deb convinced me it was the right one. My stack is complete and am happy to meet Jen Dawes at the amazing store I purchased from - The Clay Pot - when she visits NYC this weekend. Her Popular Stacks page on the website guided me to choose the multiple rings that I did. Wonderful products, helpful folks. A great experience overall! read more

Jennifer Dawes Designs - My Jennifer Dawes ring stack - Jewelry Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

"Third time's the charm." This year, we wanted to purchase something meaningful for our anniversary, so I chose Jennifer Dawes Designs for a 14k anniversary band with dark rose cut stones. Although prices were higher than comparable places, we wanted to support a pioneering small business that promoted quality and reflected our low-key lifestyle. I first spoke with Jennifer via email and she assured me that the custom metal ring (we chose 14k instead of 18k), in an already listed design of hers, would be done in a month. We made our aesthetic preferences clear at the time of purchase. Little did I know that it would takes several months - and several rings (!) - before the one we ordered would finally arrive... ISSUES #1 & #2 One month went by, and I received an email from an employee stating that the ring was imperfect, so they would redo it. No further details were given. The ring was eventually sent to me, and the stones were sparkly - definitely not the subtle rose cuts that we had ordered. Also, the stones were much lighter in color than what we had asked for. I emailed the employee back and asked for specifics. She finally told me that the first ring was made using the last of the stone lot, meaning the stones didn't aesthetically "match," so they re-did the piece using "higher end" lighter-colored stones. I am a subtle person who doesn't wear sparkly jewelry, so I was frustrated that the company didn't reach out to me first about this decision. (Imagine purchasing a subtle-looking ring - and stating your stone cut/color preference to the company - and then receiving the exact opposite.) Shipping the ring back to be redone was fortunately not a problem. I still wanted rose cuts in the darker shade, so JDD ordered a new batch. Wait time was close to a month. ISSUE #3 When the new dark rose-cut ring arrived, one stone was loose in its setting. A one-month transaction had by then turned into nearly three months, and the ring was still not right. The ring went back to the company for prong readjustment, while I crossed my fingers hoping this would be the last issue with my order. FINALLY... It took several months, THREE rings, AND 30+ emails/phone calls back and forth, but we *finally* received the rose-cut anniversary band that we had first coveted online. The rustic look of it, and the fact that it's created from recycled gold and sustainably mined stones, makes it perfectly suited for me. Still, my experience with JDD was such a hassle that I wouldn't order from this company again - I hope my experience was just during an "off" time, as I wanted to love working with them! Side note: the ring arrived in a small kraft box inside a funky vinyl jewelry box (the latter made in China with a strong plastic-like scent) when I expected something more earth friendly and aesthetically luxurious, similar to how the company's website looks. Also, no documentation was included about the uniqueness of JDD, specifically their use of recycled metals and sustainably mined stones. read more

Although Dawes has a beautiful website, and gorgeous looking jewelry be warned. My husband and I purchased our wedding rings from them and it was a nightmare. 1. They sent him photos of jewels taken with a phone as the camera was not available...Not sure why they did not just say they needed to wait, but instead sent photos of stones that from what little detail could be made out looked identical. 2. We ordered white gold rings, when they arrived they were yellow...Not yellow gold, just yellowish. We called and they said that was white gold 3. When my husband surprised me later with the engagement ring (we did bands at the wedding and the ring with a stone ie engagement ring later) the "white gold" was yet another shade of yellow. 4. I emailed them asking why this was and could it be fixed. They said this could be fixed and how sorry they were, they never make mistakes -blah blah blah 5. We got the rings back weeks later, with a note that said "if the difference in color is still an issue let us know."...Well, unfortunately, not only were the rings still totally different colors, but they had also "polished" my band so that it was now too a different color (from its original shade and the shade of the engagement ring) 6. We called to ask them about this and they (after assuring us it could be fixed) said there was nothing to be done. 7. We also had them change the stone as the first stone (chosen via crappy phone photos was interesting, to say the least). We chose a dark blue stone. When it arrived it was Purple...not dark purple, not medium purple...it was light periwinkle purple...When asked what happened: "we're so sorry, we never make mistakes, we don't know what could have happened..." 8. After asking that they refund us and allow us to return the rings (which was also unacceptable to them -shitty service is apparently acceptable to them). They told us they would only take back the ring with a stone. Leaving us with bands that won't ever match anything. 9. Several jewelers have also told us that the rings (wedding bands) are garbage. White gold should not be yellow, because of the rhodium plating -making the yellow gold white (which was presumably the "polish" job I had mentioned) It should also stay white for at least six months if not longer (my ring returned to yellow in about 2 weeks)...Not to mention we were told we paid WAY to much for what we got... Overall horrible service..They are nice to start and then when they continue to mess up they suddenly change their tune to "let us fix this or your shit out of luck"...After several attempted "fixes" you realize how awful they are, request to go elsewhere and get screwed... read more

We came to Dawes Designs because we were captivated by Jennifer's unique designs and custom approach. Her commitment to sustainable beauty made the choice even easier. We're so glad we did, because the whole process was a delight from start to finish. Jennifer's mastery of her art was apparent from the minute we entered her showroom. Relaxed, yet with focused creativity, she listened and guided our way to a design that reflected our wishes more beautifully than we could have imagined. She special ordered an exquisite diamond, and she & her staff followed up with flawless service. We'll be back for more, and so will our friends! read more