A google search for the best place to find engagement rings in NYC led me to discover the diamond district once again, a place I had heard of but somehow never been by despite being born in NYC. But there are many, many shops to choose from in the diamond district--and I could tell this from my Mom's kitchen in Bensonhurst, as I was googling it. When I finally arrived, it was ever more apparent. And aggressive. Like the red light girls in Amsterdam, many of the shops on ground level as I walked through the diamond district had beautiful girls in the window literally tapping on windows and motioning for me to come in. Or little men trying to shove flyers for their shops up the block into my hand, and they were all so short I wondered if they were related. Perhaps the family is in the flyer business.
But after an extensive search, I found Peter Germano. And I can't speak highly enough of this man, or his business. Despite having being an appointment only business, he worked with me on short notice, because I was only back in my hometown for a short period of time. And unlike the stores that line the street of the diamond district on ground level, with the come hither girls and midget flyer boys, Peter's shop is in a suite high above that bad chaos, in an office building around the corner from the diamond district proper.
The experience in the shop was great, and Peter squeezed me in early and dealt with a bit of an awkward situation like a professional (usually you get the ring then propose to the girl, not the other way around and with the girl tagging along nonetheless).
Unfortunately for me, a decade long relationship ended the day after. I was given an ultimatum that would have forced me to go against everything I stand for and everything my family stands for and more importantly the contract I signed and will honor; "death before dishonor" is not simply the tattoo I got as an 18 year old living in a very uneasy and violent period in our international relations, but it is also a phrase that just happens to be branded on me but represents something deep in me that I looked at or reminded myself of on multiple occasions when others ran and they faced the same consequences that I would face should I have made the wrong decision in the ultimatum my ex-fiancee gave me.
And Peter not only gave me a full refund, when I know for a fact that he actually lost money by eating the labor cost and the ring cost (the literal ring, not the rock) because I was forthcoming and honest with him and occasionally in life, albeit rarely, you meet someone who has value. Someone who doesn't run. And he respected that I am not a rich young man, but one day I plan to start a career in NYC when I return home for good, and I'll find a girl who understands the value and necessity of sacrifice, although I would never ask it of her.
And in two days, I will literally be across the globe. But I wanted to write this review to thank Peter for being so incredible while I was down, and I'm sure the vultures tapping on the windows for me to come inside their shops would have never heard my situation out, let alone given me a full refund; I've learned one unfortunate thing about humanity in 2013, and that's most folks do kick you when you're down if there's profit to be made or just for fun. But Peter lent me a hand.
And when the time does come, I don't care where I end up settling down in America, I will come back to Peter for the ring. Because not only is the shop of the highest quality, but his character is as well. And I'll end it there, because my break is over, but I can't speak highly enough of my experience during an admittedly/obviously rough period of my life. read more
