Update for September of 2021: After having such a great experience last time, I once again take my priceless-to-me heirloom rings to Mercurius. This time it was to get re-banded and re-sized because they were a bit too big. I had such such a great experience last time, it was a no-brainer to have David work on them again this time. First of all, setting up an appointment was very easy and via communication on the website and that whole process was smooth, friendly, effective and timely. At the set appointment date and time we met outside covid safety. Masks were worn even outside - a fact I greatly appreciated. They were friendly, personable, respectful, and knowledgeable. David listened to my requests and also offered spot-on advice and suggestions about what was possible to achieve. I was quoted a fair price and a reasonable time frame when they would be finished. Well, they were done on exactly on time and within the stated budget. They came out 100% perfect - exactly as I wanted and needed. The two rings both look and feel absolutely exquisite - and they are the perfect new size. I'm thrilled! I am absolutely delighted with the entire process from start to finish. THANK YOU, Mercurius! read more

I recently received my third "Cloak" ring from Mercurius. Once AGAIN, they knocked it out of the park! read more

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Amazing service and amazing rings! Had three rings custom designed by David. Amazing design, amazing people, amazing energy. Loooooove the rings! Would recommend Mercurius to anyone. Quality, ethical, great design -- beautiful spiritual astrological rings. Very ethical and honest people, responsive with communication. Would recommend to anyone! Thank you so much read more

Mercurius - Gorgeous cat's eye ring - Jewelry Near Me

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My fiancé and I brought two rings in to make a custom engagement ring. The process was initially great, we were provided a sketch and David helped us design a ring. However, the ring came back and the center diamond was not properly set (it was moving and loose). This required reinforcement and additional prongs. The prongs he then added were uneven and crooked (pictured below). I ended up having to replace the entire head for an extra $400 because I did not feel comfortable taking it back to him again. He had the ring the second time for 4 weeks without any communication about when it was to be done and only responded when my fiancé reached out. A few weeks after my ring was fixed by another jeweler, I asked for return of the unused materials from my 2 old rings. We were told they had been disposed of already and that we were given a credit, which was never discussed or agreed upon in our initial meeting. I think the jeweler is always supposed to ASK what you want to do with the remaining materials as some pieces have sentimental value, as did with my old ring. What was supposed to be a memorable experience turned out to be stressful and sad. I usually don't write negative Yelp reviews but this was a horrible experience. I would bring you jewelry else where. read more

Mercurius - The top and bottom prongs are uneven and crooked. - Jewelry Near Me

David is the best. Ethical, precise, offers fantastic customer service, and just really awesome. Every single piece in this picture is his creation. I had asked for simple, understated elegant--and he delivered. I had already referred one to his shop and will certainly refer many more. Thank you very much, David! read more

Mercurius - Top: Natural Pearl Necklace Left: Natural Red Coral Middle: Yellow Sapphire Right: Cat's Eye - Jewelry Near Me

Friends of ours who recently got married recommended Dave to us for my fiancee's wedding band. They had a great experience with him while he crafted their wedding bands, so they highly recommended him. After working with Dave, we're glad that we took their recommendation! My fiancee's engagement ring is a well-worn antique 1920's Art Deco ring. We needed a wedding band that would conform to the curves and look of the ring, but also look nice worn alone. We had some idea of what we liked and showed Dave some pics of a couple of rings that we'd found online. He was able to design a ring that is PERFECT!! With the budget that we had to work with, we feel like we got a ring that really over-delivers. It's sitting in her drawer until the wedding, but she can't wait to start wearing it. We'll go back to have Dave re-size and touch up the antique engagement ring to bring some of its detail back to its former glory, and we expect to get the same friendly, casual, caring, detail-oriented service we got the first time around. Thanks for the great work, Dave!! read more

Mercurius - Kellogg Wedding Band - Jewelry Near Me

Last winter, my mom gave me a ring she had purchased decades ago in Brazil. The oval citrine was lovely, but the setting didn't suit me. So I reach out to David at The Mercurius about designing a new ring around the stone (and also using two small citrine earrings I had purchased on the same Brazilian trip). While I have a strong sense of my personal style, I had never commissioned a custom-designed piece of jewelry before. I am beyond thrilled with the results! Rather than a sentimental ring I would never wear, I now have a beautiful ring I plan on wearing daily. The price was reasonable and David listened to my concerns: That it sit high enough to nestle against my chunky wedding band, that there be no prongs to snag my clothes, that it have symmetry, a mix of gold and silver (he used the gold from the original setting, which helped keep the cost down), and a hand-wrought look. I'm delighted with the result and my mom is delighted I found a way to wear the stone. The design process was a great experience - recommend! read more

Mercurius - David at The Mercurius helped me create this new ring from a gifted piece of family jewelry. So pleased! - Jewelry Near Me

Not sure where to begin. The process of figuring out jewelry and engagement stuff was super tedious. Going to stores sucked and most jewelers wouldn't do what I wanted done. My experience with David was completely different. Working with him in his home had a completely different energy. Felt totally at ease, he was willing to accommodate anything and when asked gave his opinion/suggestions. Totally sweet guy and the ring is stunning. Needless to say excited to begin planning our wedding bands with David soon! Thanks so much!! read more

I wanted to upgrade my daily earrings, and I found a design I liked, but not with the specifics I wanted. David was amazing to work with, and delivered! I wanted these in 18K gold with diamonds, I wanted the backings to be flat so they don't poke, and I wanted them to be really tight without risking falling off so I could run, shower, and sleep without ever taking them off. David spent a good hour consulting with me in their very welcoming home (we brought our toddler too, and they were super accommodating). Alisa was also very responsive in communicating with me. They also fixed my husbands necklace for free with my order. The price was very fair, cheaper than mainstream companies to get exactly what I wanted, and timely. I will definitely use David in the future for my jewelry needs. read more

Mercurius - Earrings - Jewelry Near Me

Dave is amaze-balls. The end. Ok, maybe you need more details: Dave designed my dude-wife and I's wedding rings (almost 2 years now!) and the process was fantastic, easy, exciting, and surprisingly affordable (especially after visiting those shmarmy custom jewelers on Piedmont - ack!) Hands down recommend working with this super sweet and super talented local artist - in fact, my BFF is having her wedding rings designed here based on our recommendation. Here's why we loved him: - worked with our (rather small) budget and never ever once made us feel bad about that. Jesus, that's reason enough to love him! - the fit like a DREAM. This is a huge deal, that I had no concept of (having never had custom designed rings before) and something Dave was very intentional about the entire time. But seriously, I have never worn a ring and forgotten that its even on - really, this is an unexpected and amazing aspect of having rings made to fit my (chubby little) fingers. - He took our weird ass specific, not exactly matching ideas and actually created two unique but compatible rings. They're different but go well together, surprise! Finally, did not bat an eye on the gay thing - sure, its the Bay Area, but after having planned a big gay wedding, you'd be surprised. So, when someone gives no fucks about that, I'm thrilled. Because seriously, we have more important things to talk about...like how awesome his yard is! Thanks again Dave! read more

Great experience, would strongly recommend. We came in with some old rings and a really vague idea of what we wanted and David did a fantastic job designing something for us. Couldn't be happier with how they turned out! read more

Mercurius - Jewelry Near Me

David is a lifesaver due to his talent and professionalism. My most very favorite earrings from back when I was a teenager finally broke and David fixed them perfectly, shined them up, and got them back to me in a matter of days. And for so little money, I felt compelled to give him a little more!! read more

David is a true master. My engagement and wedding rings were butchered by Poon's Jewelry (San Francisco). By the time I found David, I was filled with hopelessness. I didn't think anyone could save my rings. I was wrong... David carefully examined the items and explained in details how he could repair and revive my rings back to their beautiful state. Seeing how upset I was, he was gentle and compassionate with me. I really appreciated that! I am happy to say that he has succeeded in bringing my rings back to their beautiful selves! If you want to work with a MASTER, David is the one. read more

David made our wedding rings and my engagement ring, and we love them. Mine were platinum and white gold from my mother's and grandmother's rings. My husband's ring was made from two gold rings-- his mother's and her late husband's. My husband is a kind of "macho" man who said he wasn't going to wear his ring. He thought he'd wear the ring at the ceremony, then keep it in a drawer ever after... Once he put it on, though, he didn't want to take it off! My husband never takes his ring off! He sleeps, showers, and works with it on. David knew that my husband works hard with his hands all day, so he made the ring perfectly shaped to the finger bone. It's a brilliant design. I love my rings too-- classic and simple to my liking. It's also awesome that David is a certified green jeweler. I have referred David to every bride and groom-to-be that I know! Several have used him and are very happy. He really knows his craft. read more

DAVE is like my fairy god jeweler. My partner and I came to him with a tanzanite stone and a dream-like idea and he made it better than we could have imagined. We had no idea how involved custom jewelry would be-Dave (and his lovely wife) walked us through the process so wonderfully and thoughtfully. The unique experience of making the ring together was as memorable and fun as receiving the final product. Being a doctor/researcher, I've also done a ton of research prior to finding him and he is by far the most reasonably priced option in the Bay Area that uses ethical practices. His deep knowledge and artistry is profound, he's just lovely lovely lovely!!!! You will not regret going to him! read more

Dave is just amazing. I first met him when I was at CCAC, he's affable, sweet, and easy-going. I recently commissioned him to make a ring from a vintage button I found and fell in love with. I didn't have any direction, I just told him I trusted his design sense and to go with it- I got the ring today and it's perfection. I can't take it off I love it so much and it fits perfectly. I've seen a number of pieces he's created and I am confident that he can make whatever is in your imagination. read more

Dave is an awesome jeweler. We had Dave make our wedding rings; we had a Art Nouveau poster by Mucha, and we told him "make our rings look like the border of this poster." One ring was a wedding band for me, and the other was a teeny tiny wedding ring for my wife, who has tiny hands. Even with a tiny canvas, Dave made the look of the rings match our poster. I've also seen Dave make silver pimp Lego jewelry as well as actual custom pimp jewelry (like a 4-finger ring that has someone's name on it). My ring is made from white gold. I was careless with it and at one point it was bent into a heart-shape, and was unwearable. I was sure it would have to be recast; I was very bummed. I took it to Dave to be repaired and he fixed it right away for a very reasonable price. read more

Dave is rad! If you want unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry, Dave is your guy!!! He made our wedding rings and every time I look at them I fall in love all over again. The design process with Dave is uniquely personal (which alone is worth the 5 stars!) and really brought out the best intention for what we wanted. My husband and I didn't really know what kind of rings we wanted at first but Dave helped guide us with his vast jewelry knowledge to rings we both love! He met with us and just starting talking with us to brainstorm what elements were important to us. We were using the stones from a very special family heirloom and ultimately, with Dave's great eye for design, we developed my bands with elements that honored the original heirloom! After meeting with us, and sketching out several ideas based on our conversations, Dave created a mold for the rings we decided to move forward with. Every step of the way, I was really stoked with Dave's honesty and understanding about our wishes. He was never pushy but listened and worked through the design with us. His expertise with materials and his amazing eye for unique elements made for our most beloved wedding rings. I can say more and more, but just go to Dave!!! It was a wonderful experience and worth every penny to have such one-of-a-kind, meaningful rings! Thanks, Dave! read more

Mercurius - The 4 feathers on each of our bands are hand etched and unique. Mine is white gold and his is titanium. I love our rings! - Jewelry Near Me

Dave is a pleasure to work with. Years ago he made my and my husband's wedding rings. Recently when my elderly mother suffered a medical crisis and her wedding rings had to be cut off of her, I thought of him first. These rings had been on my mom's finger for decades, and one had been custom made and had a diamond in it. I brought him the pieces of the rings and told him I needed them reassembled with hinges custom made so that they could be easily removed if we had another difficult moment. He showed me the options and then designed his own solution and produced in a very short time two gorgeous hinged rings that went back on her finger easily and securely and made us all very happy. I would not hesitate to recommend him again to anyone who wants their jewelry either designed or repaired (or both). I'm looking forward to the next time! read more

Mom's emerald cut wedding diamond had been stored in my safe for almost four years. Just waiting for me to reset it. Mom wore this diamond every day for almost fifty years of her life. When I searched for the one to reset Mom's diamond, Dave came up on Yelp with five stars on every single one of his Yelp reviews. Intrigued, I set up a consult. Our conversation revolved around Mom, how much she meant to me and, eventually, my love of orchids. I am known as Brian, the orchid guy, after all. Dave is without a doubt, one of the most amazing, kind, creative, intuitive and gentle men I have ever met. We worked on several revisions of our concept and then cast the ring with gold and sapphires from a bracelet my mother was wearing when she died. It is the most beautiful piece of jewelry and I will wear it every day of my life. I look at it hundreds of times a day and can feel that Mom is with me. Thank you, Dave. You have done what I could not have imagined and I love this ring. It is more than special, so much more. I recommend that if you are looking to create a special, magical and meaningful piece of jewelry- Dave is your man. Thank you, Dave. Love is a circle. read more

Mercurius - Mom's emerald cut diamond and sapphires. I wanted the ring to be 18K gold. - Jewelry Near Me

DAVE IS THE BEST!!! Fantastic experience! I started the process of engagement ring shopping with very little knowledge of anything. I randomly came across Dave and Mercurius via Yelp and I am thankful I did! Not only did dave design an incredible setting and ring, but he was able to personally guide me through the entire process, including information on various stones, metals, and design process. Around the same time, I even went to a retail jeweler (diamond center in SF) to compare. I was extremely unimpressed and actually quite frustrated. I was very passionate about choosing a unique setting that my girlfriend would like, yet they seemed not to care about my interest. "Just choose a basic setting to present the diamond in and then she can come back in after she can choose something else." Honestly, this sounds like a very basic and unthoughtful approach to an engagement ring. I wanted it to be unique and actually mean something.....Dave understood that. Dave and I chatted about my girlfriends interests, etc. He sketched 4-5 designs, I chose the one I liked most, and then we chose the diamond (he helped me acquire one as well). Dave was always quick to respond to my emails (probably 100 by the end), and very knowledgeable. His craftsmanship was unbelievable (I suggest you check out his website or instagram page for some examples of his work). I will definitely be going back to him when it is time to get the wedding bands made! 100% RECOMMEND DAVE!! read more

David made designing my custom ring such a pleasure. He listened to every request and question, and offered suggestions when asked. The quality is fantastic, and living in the area made it easy to try my ring on before it was completed. Would definitely return for a future piece. read more

I have commissioned my wedding ring to Dave. His craftsmanship is one of a kind. He has been very patient and helpful throughout the design process and helped arrange certain requested elements in the production process as well. I love what he has done and do not hesitate to recommend him to help you with your jewelry projects. read more

I've been meaning to write this review since November 2012. Dave made our wedding rings and we love them! Hammered finish bands really suited my husband's complexion/hands. But he wanted a titanium ring for durability and affordability. All online and brick-and-mortar jewelers told us that you couldn't get a titanium band with a hammered finish. But Dave did it! And it looks great. My husband wanted me to wear his mother's 1960s platinum band. It was pretty scuffed up and worn out. Again, all online and brick-and-mortar jewelers told us that we couldn't use the metal from his mother's band to make one for me with a design that suited me. But Dave did it! And I love it! read more

I can't recommend Mercurius enough, if you're considering a custom piece of jewelry. All I knew was that I wanted a custom engagement ring with a non-traditional stone, and after a nice conversation and some drawing, David had designed my dream ring. They made sure to consider my timeline and budget, and I love the final product so much I can hardly stop staring at it. read more

Dave (and Alisa) are the absolute best. I went to Mercurius to have an engagement ring made about a year and a half ago; although I'm a total neophyte in the world of gems and jewelry, Dave took some of my ideas and came up with a variety of different options, letting me decide in my own time which was best without putting any pressure on me. My partner adores her ring, and we received the same high level of warm, thoughtful, knowledgeable service when we returned to Mercurius this year for our wedding bands. I can't recommend him highly enough! read more

My fiancee and I had our wedding rings made by Dave and they are amazing! When we came to Dave, we had just had a bad experience at another local Jeweler, and the difference couldn't have been more pronounced. Instead of pushing his own ideas, he was extremely patient and helped us design our own rings. This was a dream experience, he made us feel at home and created an atmosphere of co-creation where we were both very excited about the rings! He went out of his way to work with our desires (recycled gold and Lapis inlay) and created two stunning pieces of jewelry. We shared our design ideas and preferences and he gave great input and came up with the final design. We took our time and reviewed a number of designs. He never rushed us and did a great job answering our questions. Dave has an extraordinary sense of style and creates wonderful jewelry. He makes all of his own alloys and I thoroughly enjoyed discussing the technical aspects of our project and the art and science of jewelry making in general as well. Not only did we get rings, but we also left with a greater appreciation of jewelry. I didn't wear jewelry before having this ring, not even a watch, now I am excited every time I look down and see my ring! Seriously, if you want to custom jewelry Dave is your man. read more

Dave is an amazing jeweler and artist. We found Dave on Yelp and met with him to help design and make our wedding rings. He was patient and had excellent suggestions. Just as important he heard us and worked with our suggestions as to the design of our rings. We 1st met with Dave only a month before our wedding. None the less he hand crafted our rings and had them done on time. On top of being a great at his craft he is a pleasure to work with and is professional. Great pluses for an artist. read more

Dave is great! My fiance and I had a rough idea of what we were looking for and he really helped make the perfect matching rings. We wanted matching 24k rings and he created two amazing pieces that we absolutely LOVE! I couldn't recommend him enough! Go see Dave and you will be in good hands. He is also incredibly affordable too! read more

Nothing but praise for Dave. This was my first endeavor making custom jewelry, so I shopped around the Bay area and talked to many of the top rated jewelers in the area. None of them made me feel especially comfortable spending a considerable amount of money with them. As soon as I met Dave, I knew he was the right guy. After some discussion, he sketched out design concepts on the spot and in a short time had a great plan. He even made a wax model within a few days for free - other shops wanted to charge me for this. Last but not least, his wife was very helpful the whole way to stimulate new ideas and provide honest feedback. Price wasn't cheap but seemed very reasonable given the time, skill, and materials cost involved. Fast turnaround, honest guy, and all around great people. I would not hesitate to use him again. PS. My girlfriend loved the pendant, by the way. Thanks, Dave! read more

It was so fun to work with Dave on custom jewelry! I'd had a ring design in mind before getting engaged, but never found anything close and started off with a super simple little Etsy number instead. For our five year anniversary this spring, we decided to ask Dave to custom-make what I'd envisioned. We met a few times and exchanged emails to draw pictures and talk options, and at each step Dave was super calm, helpful, creative, and easy to work with - not pushy about opinions, but offering great suggestions of various options when needed. The result is so perfect: somehow exactly what I'd imagined, but even better at the same time. The creative touches that he added were so well thought out and special. It feels really good not to have to settle with what's out there when what I actually wanted didn't exist. Thanks, Dave!! read more

Amazing work, my now fiancee is not a diamond kinda lady..and DAVE worked with me to figure out what would look great...and the result...got me a resounding YES..appreciate you brother. Thanks for all the help read more

Simply perfect. I worked with David over a year ago to design a ring around an heirloom stone, and couldn't be more pleased with the results. David met with me several times to discus materials and procedures, talk over ideas, and go over sketches and 3D modeled designs. He did an incredible job incorporating my ideas (the good ones, at least) into a beautiful design that my wife (and perhaps more importantly, her friends and family) absolutely loved. We later worked with him to design wedding bands, and found it to be just as pleasant a process. He's an incredible artist - the process took a little longer than we both anticipated, so make sure to give yourself enough time to get everything done (and give Dave a clear deadline with some extra room built in.) His prices were reasonable for the quality and craftsmanship he brings, and he stayed on budget. Dave, if you're reading this, HUGE thanks for all you did to send us on our happily married way. Imagine we'll be using your services again someday for other projects. read more

I bought a pair of filigree fan earrings and was trying to find a matching necklace for awhile. I found a similar piece but it needed some professional adjustments. I found Dave through the Crucible. He was able to oxidize the metal, burnish the edges, cut out some of the metal piece, add a metal loop to it and fix a pearl in the center for me. It turned out great and now I have my matching set! His pricing is very reasonable for the custom work he does. I'm quite satisfied with the whole experience :) Thanks Dave! read more

Dave is the truth. He has earned every five-star review on here. My (then) fiancée and I had a conflict when discussing rings. She wanted something more traditional, flashy and expensive. I wanted something simpler and imbued with more meaning. We ended up sitting down with him and he designed the engagement ring and both our rings in ways that met all of the criteria-both classy/elegant and reasonably priced. The rings he created incorporated symbols and designs important to us and were more beautiful than anything we could have come up with on our own or picked from what was available in any jewelry store. My (now) wife and I love our rings. Not only does Dave do good work, but he is warm and personable. A good business makes you feel like you got way more for your money. A bad one makes you feel like you got ripped off. Mercurius is definitely the former. Anything else would have felt like the latter. I recommend David to all future newlyweds. read more

About a year ago, I had a new stone set in my engagement ring by a different jeweler. They totally botched it, and went to David for help with fixing it. I couldn't be happier with the results! David is super knowledgable, friendly, and VERY talented. I would recommend him to anyone without hesitation. read more

Dave is an excellent jeweler and a pleasure to work with. Having little idea of what I wanted I booked an appointment for me and my fiancé to discuss a custom wedding ring set. The friendly dogs running around helped to set the relaxed tone so that I had ample time to mull over possible stones, settings, metals and designs. Dave showed me a number of pieces and drew some sketches to clarify various ideas. For the band we chose an embossed poppy flower pattern, for the diamond we took a stone from my grandmothers' cocktail ring, and to flush it out we added two Andalusite stones which exhibit pleochroism, i.e. they change color in light. To pair with my ring my fiancé chose an oak leaf pattern that was embossed on a thicker band. I was very happy with our vision but I guess it was a little tricky to actually make. Dave tried a number of methods and fortunately had great success in the end. They both turned out beautifully! Dave also took the time to explain jewelry care, gem sourcing, and the pros and cons of different metals. I even heard about his grand 3-day wedding and got to know his wonderful family. I highly recommend Dave and Mercurius for unique and special pieces. read more

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Phenominal work! I have a diamond ring that needed repair because the stones were loose. I love the ring, but hadn't worn it for 5 years because the last jeweler I took it to said it couldn't be repaired. I took it to David and he did a beautiful job of repairing the ring, quick service and reasonable pricing. Now I just stare at my dazzling ring... read more

Two months later and they're still awesome.. the only piece of jewelry I've ever been able to wear while sleeping :)

You're one of a kind and so should your jewelry be. David aka Atibala will guide the custom jewelry process from concept to materials to every exacting detail. My fiance designed a unique emerald-set engagement ring and David helped finesse the final design which included a wedding band that fit into the engagement ring. My fiance's only complaint is that he doesn't get to wear his own "comfort fit" band until the big day while I ROCK this green ROCK that is completely original, like our love ;) read more