Yeeeeears ago - 1992 to be exact - my dad bought my mother a beautiful gold and diamond tennis…read morebracelet. I remember this clearly from when I was a little kid. It was so blingy and likely very expensive that she yelled at him for buying it. I, still in elementary school, saw that she was dissatisfied with the purchase and offered to take it off her hands. Surprisingly, she refused my offer. Well, earlier this year, exactly three decades later, she finally gave me the damn thing, along with appraisal paperwork from 1992 saying that it was worth $10,000 even then, before 30 years of inflation. But don't get excited and start planning to rob me quite yet, Internet. She also told me that the guy who sold it to my dad was later federally investigated for selling fake diamonds, so there was a chance it wasn't even real. I needed an appraisal. I looked around, and saw that Ascot Diamonds was highly reputable, so I reached out about an appraisal via e-mail. Paul e-mailed me back very promptly and offered to appraise it for free. I came in at the agreed time expecting it to be a regular storefront but it was more like a serious business office, immediately making me regret my scuzzy short shorts that I had thrown on for running errands. Paul was kind and welcoming and pleasant and sat me down at his desk while he examined the diamonds, weighed the bracelet, and then did a bunch of math on a calculator. He was able to confirm that they were real but that, while the bracelet was definitely worth something, the original appraisal was VERY overstated (so, big surprise, Internet, my bracelet is not worth $10,000, please don't rob me). In addition to giving me this candid but helpful information, Paul offered to recommend places where I could sell it, though I declined, as it is still quite pretty and, after waiting 30 years for it, I'm not ready to give it up. I did, however, point out what I thought was a damage, and asked if he had ideas on where to get it repaired. He looked at it and determined it was just dirt so then he cleaned it for me - again, no charge - and the whole thing is SO sparkly and shiny now. The entire interaction took maybe 10 minutes at the outside? It was so easy and pleasant and helpful, and he really didn't have to do this for me since I am not a paying customer but he did. What a truly nice guy.

Honestly, I was initially fairly disappointed that they didn't have any sample rings to try on…read more That's probably failure on my part for not doing thorough research on the ring shop. Everything is custom made so they only have the diamonds and a few sample holders that you can hold the diamond in with tweezers and hover in the sample ring band. We are in the initial phases of ring shopping so we haven't gotten too far in the process with Ascot. What I will say is I was also initially disappointed with the customer service. The man helping us didn't seem super friendly. He seems passionate about talking about his ring knowledge but not about MY experience if that makes sense. I was probably being a bit cranky that the ring shop wasn't what I expected. So maybe he was giving me the same energy in return. They had tons of diamond choices, but if you're looking for larger carat sizes you might not find it here. He only brought out the carat sizes in 2-3 carat range. I believe they can order what you want, but they didn't have anything in store to try on. When I asked to see a bigger carat for the emerald he said that's all they had (size 3 carat). There weren't a ton of band selections in office to try on either. They have lab and natural diamonds. I didn't see the process but my boyfriend said the prices were reasonable. Just remember they price everything out individually since you're customizing the ring. Also, the ambiance of the ring shop wasn't the best. It just looked like an office which made the experience not feel as special like "wow! I'm in a ring shop and we are really doing this." All of that is part of the experience when shopping. You need to book an appointment in advance. There's street parking, but you have to pay for the street or garage parking. There's no parking validation available. Overall, we might give them another chance once I have a better idea of what it is I want. If you're not sure what you want this might not be the place for you since everything is based on you customizing it. I really want to like this place but I wish they made the experience a bit nicer on their customers. They offer 3D print option of the ring which takes some time but that's the best they can do for us visual folks.

I just needed one link added to a necklace to reconnect it and they quoted me $30. I figured since…read morethe link was so small maybe they just needed to charge a little more than other prices I have seen quoted for this place. When I came back to pick it up, the link they put in was not the same size as the other links on the necklace, which is noticeable because it sits on the front of my neck and also they didn't take out a small knot in the chain. I would've hoped for that price they could have done that. I asked the person checking out if they could try to do that and she couldn't figure it out. So now I'm out $30 with a mismatched necklace with a knot in it. They were done in about an hour.

We had our engagement and wedding rings designed and made here. Outstanding work. And they help us…read moremaintain the rings by cleaning and inspecting them every 6 months or so. Quality!

A little late of a review, but better late than never! My fiancé and I had the best experience…read moredesigning my engagement ring here. Amazing attention to detail, and happy to work closely with us to make sure we got exactly what we wanted. It was really great to see a 3D model to know exactly what we were looking at throughout the process. Very transparent about pricing and upfront about what types of things are or are not feasible that we were looking for in a ring. Highly, highly recommend for engagement and wedding rings!

We had an incredible experience working with Kavish after being recommended Pave Jewelers by a…read moreclose friend. We knew absolutely nothing about engagement rings when we started looking, but Kavish walked us through the whole experience - from educating us on different metals and ring styles to finding the perfect stone to customizing and designing my dream ring. In addition to being extremely knowledgable, Kavish genuinely cares about each of his clients. We came back to design my wedding band as well and couldn't be happier!

What a cute little boutique that my friend and I stumbled upon yesterday. This shop caught my eye…read morebecause it had a sign outside for permanent jewelry. Once I walked in to inquire about that, I was enamored by all the dainty, gorgeous gold jewelry pieces at really reasonable prices. I went in needing absolutely nothing and walking out with the most gorgeous gold martini necklace that also has an emerald accent. The owner, Bridgette was super nice and the vibes in the shop are perfect for treating yourself. All the pieces in the store seemed to be trendy and also high quality. Definitely good to pop in if you're enjoying some time in Alexandria.

One of the best jewelry shops in the DMV! Timeless, dainty pieces that will last a lifetime. This…read moreshop is extremely well managed, staff is always kind and friendly and the jewelry is lovely. Recently dropped in for permanent bracelets and had a great experience - the owner is wonderful and made the process fun for us! Highly recommend this store for all your jewelry needs.

Nearly every time I buy a gift from Covet, it's fun to buy and the person I'm shopping for LOVES…read morethe gift. Key chains, kitchen towels, GREETING CARDS, bumper stickers, socks, earrings, notebooks, etc. And the jewelry, Christmas ornaments and artwork I've bought for myself is gorgeous and unusual, made by individual artisans, attracting compliments.

Why did it take me so long to stop in? What a delightful shop. I was in the neighborhood and…read morefinally visited. Go up the stairs and be prepared to be greeted with unique and thoughtful items. Love the sense of humor, the burning candle made the entire shop homey and welcoming. Prices are very reasonable and they even wrapped my items (beautifully, too, much better than I would have). Shop local! Will be on my regular rotation for gifts (including ones from me to me, the very best kind!)

Great selection of watches! Even though I did not purchase, there was no issue with going around…read moreand trying on different pieces. The Tudor space is also a great fit and the reps who work in it are also very nice!

This is our go-to boutique for luxury watches! My husband and I have shopped here as well as had…read moreresizing/repairs and have always left satisfied. The shop itself is located in Tysons Mall on the same side as Nordstrom. We've worked with Sharam several times who is friendly and knowledgeable, and offers his expertise and opinions as well in a personable manner. I gave him an idea of what I wanted for my first big girl watch and he texted me as soon as they received one! My husband and I are very straightforward when it comes to shopping and Sharam made it easy for us. I've recommended the shop multiple times to our friends as well who have also shared similar sentiments. We'll definitely continue to purchase our timepieces here as long as they continue to stay in the area.

This boutique is lovely! Walked out of European Wax after an appointment and stumbled upon this…read moreplace. Lovely Turkish pieces and lots of jewelry that you can tell is great quality and very affordable! Bought some sunglasses and some hoops, but will definitely be back for more.

Formerly known as Turquoise, this shop had tents during the Sunday flea market in Eastern Market…read moreand a store in Adams Morgan. They no longer participate in the flea market, and since moving to Dupont, they have expanded both their jewelry selection and added home decor. This store is open and airy, and very well laid-out. Per usual, I love Bloom. You'll find the same or similar pieces to Lou Lou or Francesca's here, but at lower prices. The same purse I had just bought at Lou Lou was $6 less here. Their home decor consists of mirrors, pottery and glass pieces (including Polish pottery) and plenty of evil eyes. The owner is always very friendly and he told me they are doing fantastic in this new location, which makes me happy.

I was writing my review for Ballston Mall (which sucks) and realized I should do a review for…read moreExpress Jewelers. I really like this place. I have used it for several watch battery replacements as well as to have the band on my Wenger tightened. But don't that the name fool you. They are not express unless that is what you need. When you need or want them to take their time they will. You see this is the place my now hubby learned about rings and designs and got comfortable making a decision. They were nice and helpful, he learned a lot and in the end felt good about his decisions. They were never pushy. They helped us find designs we liked and that messed well with our personalities and preferences. I hope they continue to exist for a long long time, after all we plan to get anniversary rings. Good place for guys to learn about engagement rings.

Love the new store! Definitely a step up from the old Ballston location…read more I've been buying from Raul & Donald for years, and they are simply the best. Honest, professional, and personable. They have handled pretty much everything I've needed. New items, custom work, engraving, repairs.