I truly believe that honesty and integrity are the most important values in life, you either have…read morethem or you don't. Today's modern age of social media and those that encompass it make it harder and harder to gauge folks, and you never really know who and what people are until meeting them in person. Sure, they may have that impressive resume and cover model photo on their profile, but how many stories have you heard from friends or family that have been on those infamous online "dates" thinking that they were going to meet Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston only to find out that they were really having dinner and drinks with Gilbert Gottfried or Rosie O'Donnell. I mention the above only to set the tone for what I experienced a few weeks ago, as I was taken to school so to speak while being introduced to an industry I knew little about. Unfortunately for me, my job was outsourced overseas (for the third time) back in July, and I've had an extremely difficult time trying to fInd something equal to my old position since then. Because of this circumstance, I've been struggling financially and had to make the difficult decision to sell a family heirloom to make ends meet. I'm only being brutally honest because I have the feeling that I'm not the only one who has had to deal with this predicament, which is why I wanted to go into such detail with this review, so that others could benefit from my experiences. The heirloom in question was my mother's diamond wedding ring, and because I wanted to get as much money as I could for it, I wound up doing some extensive research to ensure I knew what I was getting into. Believe me, no research will help as you have to get your hands dirty. The internet is full of websites promising you top dollar for your diamonds (80-90% of value), and they'll even pay for the shipping and insurance on it, but I just don't trust sending my valuables to strangers, especially these days, and worried that not only would they low ball me but possibly send me back a fake if I didn't agree to their terms. With these thoughts in mind, I decided to go local here in the Tampa Bay Area, and after a deep dive on Google, mapped out what would be an epic 2 day journey. My YELP friends, nothing could have prepared me for what I encountered on my escapades through Tampa's diamond brokers. A couple of the businesses seemed to be legitimate, but they were definitely in the minority, as most of the establishments in this area are just plain sketchy. Every experience began to mirror each other as they would begin with the traditional cordial greeting, thinking initially that I was there to make a purchase, but the second I explained that I was there to sell them something the mood instantly shifted to that of a Used Car department. It was as if each business had the exact same script to read from when it came to why they were offering so little for my mother's diamond. To be honest, they were insulting and just didn't give a damn, the complete pawn shop experience. Only one business in this entire area was pleasurable, and you would be insane to go anywhere else. The Terry brothers at Meridian Diamonds are the very definition of integrity and honesty. Scott and Jonathan made me feel extremely comfortable because they did an incredible job of explaining every minute detail of my diamond, as well as the value of each specific characteristic and the existing market trends. They never made me feel inferior, even though they could talk circles around me with their breadth of knowledge and experience. They took their time with me, and gave me a crash course in the diamond business, and in the end, they also gave me the most money than any other place in the area. To say I really enjoyed speaking with them is an understatement, and I guarantee you will have the same experience. If you're looking to buy or sell diamonds in Tampa Bay, take my word that you don't need to go anywhere else. Just an amazing experience overall, beyond five stars.

I took 2 family estate pieces to Meridian and received a quote vs what 2 'competitors' quoted…read more Scott and his brother were both extremely knowledgeable about my rings as well as what the market would offer me and why. Needless to say, Meridian gave me a very fair price for my rings, and I would recommend them to anyone looking to sell and/or purchase. Looking forward to returning to purchase one of their stunning pieces! Well done! B Heros

They seem to have new owners there. Have dealt with them for over a decade. One of the owners…read moreretired. The buying prices have gone way down and selling prices have increased substantially. Has a whole new vibe inside. I definitely won't be returning here. It's a shame, I really enjoyed shopping and selling to them.

Mr. Tung was excellent. Prompt service, friendly, and professional. Gave me a fair price on gold…read morejewelry. Good repair job too. I highly recommend.

My wedding ring needed sizing and repair so I went where we had the ring custom made at the Gold &…read moreDiamond Source on Ulmerton in Clearwater. The salespeople were amazingly kind and knowledgeable including Oksana and Vukasin. But the real star of the show was a great jewelry maker behind the scenes by the name of Kyle. He designed a custom repair that had to be tweaked a couple times. Kyle worked with us until he got it perfect. He is a gifted jeweler. Thank you, Doris Rybicki

My wife and I were in recently to have her ring and tennis bracelet cleaned, and inspected…read more Kathleen Law as usual, was so accommodating. Kathleen has been our jeweler from day one at Gold and Diamond Source. Katheleen always greets with a smile and her customer service and knowledge in jewelry is unmatched! Thank you so much Kathleen, for the quality service you always provide us.

Met Jefferson and Alaska was greeted at the door and was super friendly and professional, I had…read morebrought in my Gold eagle coins and sold them and had a very pleasant sale experience, I didn't feel pleasured or over whelmed at all and received what I was wanting out of the sale... awesome little store and had a great vibe to the place, they also sell a lot of other cool stuff, cool swag and memorabilia etc... great place to shop for xmas presents... Check these guys out first before you go anywhere else... you'll thank me later and I definitely will be back to these great guys in the future...

Wonderful company to deal with. Great prices. I wish I knew about them years ago when I began…read morepurchasing precious metals. Their premium is far better than anywhere else and they are willing to repurchase with best price anywhere. ASK FOR JAY OR ALASKA.

Diamonds International on 22nd Avenue in St. Petersburg is a great place to go for quality and…read moreunique jewelry that is beautiful and well made for a good value. I really like the location and selection that they have here. The staff here and especially Ms. Sandi are very knowledgeable and take the time to make sure that you are assisted. Good overall shopping experience.

Same company as you find in the islands when on a cruise. Always have fantastic customer service…read moreand stand behind their products 100% every time I've had an issue. Super friendly as well. Ask for Victor or Adam, and they will take care of you.

Very professional. Reasonable and very helpful. I Would recommend to sleep m6 friends and family.read more

There is definitely a flaw somewhere in the system with this establishment. I found a huge…read morediscrepancy in what was discussed with me when I drove across town to meet with one of the representatives versus the offer that I kept receiving in numerous text messages and email messages as well. I mean more than half of what was being offered in the text was reduced when I arrived there it made absolutely no sense. My piece of jewelry was said to be pristine by the representative, and she admired it yet the offer that was given to me was nothing short of ridiculous and so insignificant that it was truly a waste of my time to even have bothered to come there and had I known that I would not have made the trip. I truly hope that no one else has to experience this sort of meeting for a possible transaction with them. It was extremely insulting/condescending to reduce something so drastically when they know like I do the true value of the item that I presented.

I deal with Daniel professionally often. Daniel has years of experience and is always helpful…read more If you have high end jewelry or watches Daniel definitely an excellent resource. My wife Nicole and I are grateful for Daniel and his professionalism.

Honesty and professionalism best describes our meeting with Daniel. We would highly recommend him…read moreto our friends.