First of all, I don't understand why Yelp has decided that the ONLY review of Northwest Gemological Laboratory (NGL) it should show (and include in the search results) is a 1-star rating that reads as though the person went down a checklist of "common customer service complaints" and just listed them without specifics. When I searched his business out on Google and I saw the solitary review with a 1-star rating, I thought it was a joke--it was that unbelievable to me!
I have done business with Ted at NGL for almost a decade. I have had the opportunity to deal with him professionally many times, as well as witness how he treats and interacts with other clients. He has always been friendly, professional, and has a great, wry/sarcastic sense of humor. His office is organized and he has a solid security system in place to keep the jewelry safe while it is in his care.
He doesn't pull punches when providing advice or guidance for new or existing clients. If he doesn't offer a particular service, he will happily refer them to someone who does. If they need assistance with a special project (an estate appraisal of many jewelry items, for example), he will work with the client to determine what actually needs to be done for insurance and other purposes as well as the pricing--which has always seemed to be very fair.
I have not had experience with Ted's Gemology classes, but his personality, manner/clarity of speaking, and his sense of humor indicate to me that the courses would be enjoyable and educational. Based on the feedback from other people (including the "filtered" reviews on Yelp), I am sure this portion of NGL's services are also a good value.
NGL is one of the best places to take your jewelry to be independently, accurately, and affordably appraised for insurance and other purposes. I am sure his other services are equally comprehensive and professional.
Don't discount NGL because of the poor and poorly-written review (which then of course directly advertises for another competing business). The "hidden" 5-star reviews read much more like actual reviews written by real people who actually did business here and discussed specifics of their experiences.
Ted has owned and operated this business in downtown Bellevue for decades, and I think that says a lot. read more