I had visited some big chain stores and found them shady, pushy and making promises that I had no way to know they could keep. Speaking with Tamara was 100% different. She is honest, and isn't afraid to be honest even if it isn't what people want to hear. After speaking through email and discussing what I wanted and looking at pictures, Tamara told me that she was sorry but didn't think that she was the right person to make my engagement ring. I still wanted to meet in person, and after more discussion, I found that my price expectations were unreasonable for what I wanted. She showed me many examples, and wasn't pushy with anything, even pointing out when she could see that I wasn't enthused about what she'd shown me so far. Eventually, we found the one, and at our next meeting she showed me lab-created sapphires (which I wanted) and I placed the order. When we were in there, she stopped to speak to another couple who wanted to have silver wedding bands made. She told them that she could do the bands for them and it would cost $300-$400 (since they were custom) but at the end of the day they would still have silver wedding bands which would get dinged and tarnished and not look very nice a month down the road. She said that for the same product they would be better off sending $40 at St. Lawrence Market or someplace similar, because just because they're custom, doesn't make them better quality, because silver is a soft metal. They weren't exactly happy to hear this, but it was great for me because it was further evidence of her honesty. She could have said "Yeah, for sure let's do it" and not told them about the cheaper option for the same product. Tamara knows so much about jewelry, everything about gems and different metal types, design, and how things go together. Since she would be designing the ring, I knew that what she said is what I would get; there would be no instances of saying one thing, and finding out later that the manufacturers say it isn't possible, or that it would cost more than what was quoted. She was also really great with my now fiancé. We told her that I didn't want to know when the ring was ready so he could surprise me with the proposal. After that she played right along and wouldn't deal with me for details or payment at all. My email and phone number were not even in the system connected with the order, only his. It was amazing. I received my beautiful custom engagement ring, and heard about how her communication and status updates along the way were excellent. We paid more than we were anticipating, but for the service and getting exactly what I wanted, it was completely worth it. I will never go to a chain jewelry store for custom work again. Getting to speak directly with the person who is going to physically make your ring, and who is honest, is worth any price. Thank you, Tamara! We'll be back for our wedding bands! Also, they do gold trade-in for credit, which was great for me since I had a bunch of gold jewelry received as gifts over the years which I would never wear. She appraised it, told me what weight we had, estimated the value at "at least $400", sold it to people who would melt it down and applied the credit to our purchase. It was just over $500, which was more than I was expecting. read more

Unlike the other reviews here I did not buy any jewelry from Studio 1098. I damaged my engagement ring moving into our house in Toronto and had it repaired here. Did I mention we had just arrived from California and I didn't know anyone to ask for recommendations? My diamond was loose and I wanted to get the repair right away, but also consider a new setting for the ring because this was the second time I had managed to damage it, in the same way. (Oops.) I took it in for repair and they adjusted it very quickly and it looked better than the last repair. Still I made an appointment with Tamara to talk about changes to the ring or a new setting. Like everyone else commenting here that has met her, I really liked her. Really. She was down to earth, not at all pushy, and I didn't at all feel bad about taking up her time talking about a repair. I decided not to get a new setting now (my husband would have never swallowed the price of a new setting after 15 years) and ultimately she decided it's not necessary for now. But she did come up with a creative way to strengthen my ring and lower the height of the stone to hopefully prevent future mishaps. I picked it up today and I'm really pleased with the results. (Don't tell my husband that I like it better now.) And bonus that the repair cost half as much as the maximum estimate! Sweet! I expect that I'll be back come Christmas or Mother's Day. Taking a look at what they had available in the store there were pieces available at a mix of prices and different styles that were priced pretty reasonably for custom jewelry. If you're looking for jewelry, especially a custom piece, I would check them out. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised. read more

My boyfriend (now fiance!) went to Studio1098 to talk about the possibility of custom designing my engagement ring. From the moment I emailed Tamara, I knew that I was going to have a great experience. She returned my email right away with excitement for the prospective new project. Within a few days, we were at the store looking at beautiful stones that she had picked out for us. She was so knowledgeable and was able to answer any and all questions we threw at her about the stones, settings, prices etc. We got a one on one session with her where I did not feel any pressure to buy anything. We ended up leaving that day without picking a stone because I did not see one that I really liked. Again, within a short amount of time, Tamara had researched and collected some more stones for us to look at. Once we found the perfect one, she and my fiance joined forces and took the rest over the rest of the design process. Tamara actually creates the design and makes the jewellery herself, so I knew that I was going to get something truly unique and well made. My fiance proposed in January of this year and I am beyond happy with the ring that Tamara created for us. I feel is a perfect reflection of my style and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful memory of the experience we had of designing my ring together. Thank you Studio1098!! read more

I had a great experience with Tamara at Studio 1098. She is extremely knowledgeable about both gems and what will work in a ring setting, and I went to her studio because of her solid background and experience. I needed some restorations done to a ring I'd purchased elsewhere and she spent time showing me and explaining about the diamond and the ring setting, so that I understood all about it. I found her to have excellent, personalized customer service. I see a few other reviewers saying they weren't happy with Tamara, but I think they're mistaking her upfront, honest and trustworthy approach for something else. She will certainly give you her honest opinion, but that is a valuable quality, and a rare find in the jewelry industry, where so many salespeople are just trying to 'sell' you. The difference is she is not a salesperson, she is both a jewelry designer and artisan who creates the pieces, so naturally she has a great understanding of what will look great and what will work. Studio 1098 has beautiful pieces, I would definitely recommend them, and I will go back! read more

Studio1098 was a dream to work with for our wedding rings. We really wanted to go local and custom for our rings. I didn't want some cookie cutter ring that everyone and their sister has. Tamara worked with my husband to create a gorgeous custom ring and coordinating wedding band within his price point. She presented him with numerous different options at different budgets and he was able to choose the ring he was most comfortable with. Their designs are truly breath-taking, creative pieces of art that I feel blessed to be able to wear. It was wonderful being able to work with the same two people right from designing the engagement ring to picking up our custom wedding bands. It was a very one-on-one intimate experience. Their turn around time was very quick. Fittings in-house within a week, as were engravings. They also have really beautiful custom cuff-links and everyday jewellery. We know we'll be going back to Studio1098 for any "special" jewellery in the future! read more

My fiancee and I had very little time in order to get a custom wedding band to fit around her swirl-style engagement ring that I'd purchased in Asia. We are expatriate Canadians who had been living abroad, and we arrived back in Canada exactly three weeks before our wedding. Prior to arrival, the team at the store worked with my fiancee to see pictures of the ring and provided a realistic assessment of whether a custom wedding band would be ready in time, and what our timeline would look like. Immediately when we got to town, we met with the wonderful staff, left them the ring, and had a hassle-free, professional, and completely positive experience. Best of all, the cost of their service was reasonable enough that I also purchased my wedding band Studio 1098 at the same time. Thank you!! read more

As with the other reviews, this place deserves the 5 stars it had been getting! My fiancé (still weird to use that word) worked with Kathryn on our engagement ring. I knew I wanted an oval diamond with yellow gold but knew nothing else of settings and bands. We had an informative consultation session to hone in on designs and not once did we feel any pressure from Kathryn. In fact, she was excited to be working with those details which got me really excited to. I brought a couple ideas to the table, then Jason and Kathryn went on their own and made my perfect engagement ring! What we got in the end was above Jason's of my expectations. Wonderful personalized service by people who care about their product. We will absolutely be back for our wedding bands! You guys rock! read more

My custom made engagement ring from Studio1098 FAR exceeded my expectations! Working at a cultural institution, and considering myself an artist as well, it was important to me that my ring was made by someone who deeply cared about their work. The time that Tamara took with us truly exemplifies her commitment to her customers as real people and her love for what she does. Tamara and Kathryn (and their staff) are outstanding not just in their GORGEOUS, and extremely high quality work - but equally in the care they have for those they are creating their work for. I adore my one-of-a-kind ring, and can't wait to have my wedding band made with Studio1098 too! read more

My finance and I have been looking for a ring for about a year. I had scored the internet and we had been to many different stores and all of the rings were "nice" and "almost" but none were THE one. We happened to be at the One of a Kind show actually looking for a different designer, when I saw a framed image of a ring that I had saved and looked at many times. At the booth they had the ring and as I tried it on, I literally got goosebumps. It was THE one. Tamara was wonderful and so incredibly warm and informative. I never thought that day that I would be out purchasing my dream ring with my finance. We are both so thrilled. Thank you! ~ C. read more

I have been meaning to write a review of Studio 1098 for a year now. My husband had my ring designed by Tamara and it is the most beautiful ring and means everything to me. My husband took a fossil into the studio and Tamara designed the most beautiful engagement ring that has so much meaning! I worked with her after the engagement on the the design of my wedding band and I can't say enough about how happy I am with my rings! I have been married for almost a year and everyday I am more pleased with my ring and its amazing design!! Tamara and her staff do wonderful things in their studio! read more

Tamara was such a pleasure to work with when it came to having a custom engagement ring made for my (now) fiance. She really made me feel comfortable throughout the entire process, which is saying something since I had absolutely no idea what I was doing going into it. When my timeline sped up, they were able to accommodate me without any issues and the ring was ready in no time. Tamara even accurately guessed my fiance's ring size! Most importantly, the ring is absolutely stunning, we couldn't be happier with the work. We are excited to go back to Studio 1098 to have wedding bands made. read more

We used Studio1098 for custom wedding rings. There was a small mishap in the process, but the team went above and beyond to completely remedy the issue. I truly believe you can measure how good a company is by how they respond when things go wrong, which does always happen. We were actually blown away by the team's response. The service was truly outstanding, personal, and customer focused, and the craftsmanship is outstanding. An excellent, personal, boutique experience, where customers definitely come first. You will not be disappointed! We will be back for sure. read more

Tamara designed and made a truly beautiful engagement ring and matching wedding band for me. She was in touch and wanted my input throughout the process, worked within my budget, and handled everything in a very friendly and professional manner. If you have a general or specific idea in mind about what you want your jewellery to look like, go and see Tamara and let her make it happen! read more

I got my custom engagement ring made here with a pink sapphire and I absolutely love it! Tamara and Kathryn did an incredible job with the ring and they were extremely patient and friendly during the whole process. Thank you so much! read more