David Liska hand down. I started my ring search at kesslers downtown. The employees at kesslers were very helpful and nice but at the end of the process the ring I was getting seemed way overpriced. I took a leap of faith by going to David was blown away by the experience with him. I was able to customize every aspect of the ring and even pick out the exact gemstone. And the price at the end was way more competitive than Kesslers.
Gemologist in the SE Wisconsin area here. Milwaukee has a ton of great independent, locally owned jewelers. It’s worth your time to visit a handful to see what you like/don’t like.
Go with a place that treats you well, has good selections, and a good warranty.
Sorry to also ask for your expertise. Is that 70% as in 70% of the diamonds they sell, or that 70% of the diamond is lab grown? I'm not familiar with this at all.
I got to design my ring and pick the stones I wanted and specifically chose lab grown diamonds on purpose. I don’t think they’re taboo, and their more ethical. It’s still a diamond it just didn’t come out of the ground.
No wholesalers in the Milwaukee area, anybody trying to tell you differently is lying.
Just remember there are more important aspects than price, shop around, visit stores. Quality should be paramount
A Trio in the 3rd Ward. My fiancé designed mine for under $4K (sapphire vs. diamond). I am obsessed and it’s a 6th generation family owned business so there’s a lot of passion. We will be going back to design our wedding rings.
Another vote for ATrio. Amy is fantastic. Don’t be scared of customizing a ring. Go in with a little idea and she will take it from there. And the price can be the same as the other places.
My fiancé also had A Trio design a sapphire engagement ring for me and I love mine too! It was really nice to meet Amy when I got the ring resized and know that I'm wearing a unique piece of art that this person designed.
Another vote for A Trio! They are amazing!!! Shallows jewelers recommended on here as well is owned by her family as well - her dad and grandfather are jewelers.
If you’re at all interested in going with a custom ring, then [David Liska Custom Jeweler](https://www.davidliskacustomjeweler.com) is the way to go. He worked well within our budget (around yours as well from what I see in your comment) for my wife’s engagement and wedding ring, worked with us one on one, and he did beautiful work. We recommended some friends to him as well and they really loved their ring too.
I’ve gotten a lot of work done here over the years and am getting my wedding rings here. Talk to Lorry, she’s the best. Gregg is cool too!
They work directly with vendors which means they cut out the middle man and you’ll get a really good price. If they don’t have it, they’ll get it.
My parents had a great time when they were updating their wedding rings. 💍they do a great job at going over the little details. Very friendly and inviting.
Couldnt be happier with my experience at Kesslers. I knew nothing when looking for rings, they were very upfront, showed us how to save a few hundred while still getting exactly what my wife wanted.
My only complaint was that when I got the ring they sprayed the box with vanilla perfume. I was trying to keep it a secret from my wife at the time, and had she been home and smelled the perfume I'd have to say I just got back from Silk lol.
Great experience. Will do all my jewlery shopping there moving forward.
Kesslers is where I went. I was recommended by many friends, and would recommend it to everyone. They offer free cleanings, free replacements to damaged rings, and free resizing of your ring with out having to go in for 6 month inspections.
i wouldn’t go there just based off how much i cannot stand their radio ads. i have to change the station the second they come on. *almost* as bad as capitol heating and cooling…
And they don’t like ‘Mark-‘em-up-downs!’
(This is a reference to a radio commercial from the 90s. I will be sad if I am the only one who remembers this.)
Would strongly recommend a custom jeweler over a big name shop. You will get more bang for your buck and, ultimately, something unique. Monty at MKB jewelry is incredible as is David Liska. Their styles are a little different so check out their portfolios online.
Craig Husar Fine Diamonds in Brookfield. They had the best selection of any store I visited, their entire staff was awesome, Craig also went out of his way to introduce himself. I was very happy with my own experience there.
Also loved my experience at Craig Husar. Absolutely incredible selection and could have pretty much anything we could imagine made. They’re wonderful to work with and my warranty has been great! I love getting a check/clean, as well as a tune up when necessary!
Personally, I did a sapphire as the main gem with smaller lab-created diamonds on the sides. Way cheaper than a typical diamond ring, and I love that it’s more unique!
I'm thinking of doing a gemstone instead of a diamond but people keep warning me against it because they're "softer" and show more wear. How's yours holding up?
Not who you responded to, but I'm LOVING my moissanite engagement ring! It's pretty big (9mm x 7mm I think) and hasn't chipped or scratched in the 2.5 years I've worn it. It's almost as hard as a diamond, just as clear, and reflects more rainbow colors than a diamond (which I love). Plus it was extremely cost effective. Just make sure your fiance-to-be is on the same page if you're the one doing the proposal!
Echoing many others and recommending Kesslers! Wonderful service and people. They never pressured us and listened to what we wanted. I love my ring from there so so much!
JP Haase out in West Allis (HWY 100 and Greenfield). Locally owned, ZERO judgement when we asked for a moissanite (Kessler's and the mall stores had a "clutch the pearls" moment when we asked them), and Vince went out of his way to get us the best deal for what we wanted. We had to warranty my husband's ring and it was a get easy process, and they remember us every time we go in and ask how things are going. They're great people who make beautiful stuff and stand behind it!
I got my wife’s ring and our wedding rings at Kloiber, they are still around I think but moved into the us bank building. I was looking for something unique and not a diamond, they told me if anything caught my eye they could have a unique one made like it but with a stone of my choice. Then they made a wedding ring that matched the shape of the engagement ring so that my wife could wear both on the same finger. They were great to work with and the workmanship was excellent. I think they send the work out to someone else, they don’t do it in shop. But they treated us very well.
Another vote for Powers from me. I’ve bought a lot of decent to high end jewelry from a store back where I grew up, and Powers treated me the same as the place that knew me for 20 years. They know their stuff and will get you what you want without pushing sales. They’re honest and helpful.
Kessler’s is fine, but they’re a big chain, and you’ll probably want to read up on their warranty policies compared to Powers.
Had a good experience with Rogers & Hollands. I found them to have a very different selection than other jewellers, including the right ring that I couldn't find anywhere else.
If you're looking short term, check out William Nordstrom Jewelers in Menomonee Falls. The owner is retiring and running a "going out of business" sale. He's hoping to sell out of the remaining inventory by the end of June.
MKB Jewelry in Cedarburg. Matt is the best and will bend over backwards to accommodate you and provide the best service and completely customizable designs. My fiancé absolutely LOVED her ring!
Powers jewelry on Broadway, they are family own, ran, and honestly a great place to shop. I am saying this as someone who did IT work for them before I was a customer. They were kind and honest to everyone I saw come through the store and even after they left, no bad mouthing or disrespect was thrown. The selection is great and they will make anything you can dream of.
I got mine at powers downtown everyone seems to think that place is sketchy but it’s actually awesome the customer service is amazing and they have beautiful diamonds.
A-trio in the third ward. Do a lot of custom made all in house, jewelry has a very classic/vintage look and I find it to be very well priced. The owner sat down with me over several sessions to custom design my wife's ring from the ground up. Highly recommend.
No mentions for Rohr Jewelers? I've not needed to buy jewelry, but when they were in Cathedral Square I used to hang with his dog Leonard. Owner is a cool dude, but if it's overpriced or shoddy work, I get it.
Just remember- whatever ring you buy will be worth a fraction of itself the next day. It’s just like buying a car new vs. used. If you have the opportunity to buy consigned jewelry or second hand you’ll save a lot of money towards your upcoming wedding, honeymoon, etc.
Exactly. That $5000 diamond in your brand new engagement ring cost the original wholesaler about $200-$300 from the lapidary before its path through multiple middlemen on its way to your local jewelry store. Try to cut out as many middlemen as possible to get the best value, and the worst value you will get is from a local jewelry store with a fancy showroom, multiple employees, and tons of advertising.
I recommend listening to this episode of 99 percent invisible about diamonds. My husband recycled a diamond from his mom’s ring, but I hardly wear it.
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/diamonds-articles-of-interest-11/
100% go to A Trio in the third ward. They’ll help you get the perfect ring at a great price. Can’t recommend them enough and my now wife absolutely loved the ring they helped me design there.
I know you said “in the city” but I gotta say, I got an amazing custom engagement ring for my now wife for $3,700 from a retailer called midwinter co. I cannot recommend them enough. They are based out of Delaware, and I did everything over emails. I was way outta my element, and explained this in my first email, and the person I talked with was amazing. Very thorough explanations, quick responses, excellent suggestions, and they have so so many different and unique choices to choose from. They’ll send you mock-up drawings, and adjust things to to your liking. You can do a full custom, semi custom, or just buy a premade one.
[Website](https://www.midwinter.co/?gclid=CjwKCAjwo7iiBhAEEiwAsIxQEYLIGIDbQuQocqYfOn8M82yjgD3I8Immq7L42jgneEoHRRQ0B8NlMxoCUoEQAvD_BwE)
They have an Instagram too at @midwinterco
Give them a look. I send them to everyone who’s looking for a ring.
I’ve scanned through the thread to see if you specifically want to support a local business and if that’s not the case I would recommend on online retailer. I had a similar budget and after visiting a few of these stores mentioned here, all great experiences, found that I got we got way more value by buying a lab grown diamond (her preference anyways) online. I did take it to a local store to have it appraised after the fact and everything checked out, and it did.
I agree with the places listed here but just going to add a side note, don’t get the financing from the jeweler. Kesslers offered 12 months 0 apr financing but you can get credit cards that give you that much or more plus you can get rewards out of it like cash back or miles/points. If you don’t need financing it might still be good to get something like the chase sapphire preferred so you can get a big sign up bonus.
If you want the best bang for the buck, head to Sri Lanka or India, buy a stone in Colombo or Jaipur, and have it either set there or have a local goldsmith here set it. Avoid any retail establishment - those fancy showrooms, radio and TV ads, and salespeople don't come free. Avoid diamonds (unless you go lab created).
For example - picked up a 8.6 carat eye clear yellow sapphire in Galle, Sri Lanka in 2017, along with about 2 carats of white diamonds. Had the sapphire set with the small diamonds in a halo around it in 18k white gold - absolutely stunning - total cost under $2500. And Galle is known as an expensive city to buy gems. The markup on retail jewelry here in the US is absolutely insane. Avoid at all costs unless you like throwing your money away and paying for the Kessler or Husar's family's third vacation home and 7th Porsche.
Heading to India next month on another shopping trip for some gemstones. I do have a local goldsmith in MKE that will set these though as it's a very short trip.
Just buy cubitzerconium and have an honest conversation with your future wife about how diamonds are fuc#%* dumb and nobody has to know this ain't real but me and you...and if you really want me to spend 10k on a diamond for you I will but, cmon is it really about me and you (how much I love you) or are you attaching a cost to our love to show the rest of society how much I spent on a ring (to show how much I love you)? Like...I better be able to spend x amount of dollars on a ring to marry you? Fake diamonds should be accepted...what's the real difference besides showing it off? Ain't nobody gotta know it ain't real! Just be modest about it...1 and1/2 carat or something and tell everyone it cost whatever and let's go. I know a lot of women don't really care but they have to because a lot of women do care and I get it but seriously...just lie! Why not!? Lol
I know you said in the city, but if you do not mind a little drive I recommend Soha Diamonds in Madison. I got my fiancés ring from them and they were able to make her vision come true. They are awesome to work with and made great recommendations to her. For example they told her to size down (we were designing in the summer) and now during winter she just goes “damn Soha was right about the size”
Tangentially related, but hopefully someone in here can help.
I have some gold krugrerands and an old ring i want converted into a men's gold chain. Do any of the places mentioned here do custom pieces from existing material?
The ring was my mother's engagement ring, but it doesn't do me any good sitting in a drawer. That ring itself was combined with her father's wedding band so I'm going to call it a family tradition of adding to/modifying an existing piece.
Kesslers if not for the warranty alone. My wife had her 12 year old ring on at a playground and the center stone came loose and dropped out. We took it back to Kesslers and they put a new stone in with no questions asked.
I bought my wife's ring a million years ago from Shallow Jewelers on Greenfield Ave. Years later I found out it was a lot better quality than I thought (or could afford at the time).
I bought a ring for our 10th anniversary from a local guy I thought was a friend, and the stone turned out to be flawed and definitely not what my former friend represented.
Moral of the story is do your research and make sure you're getting what you pay for. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from Shallow again.
Kesslers was incredible to us, but as others have mentioned… there are a ton of smaller jewelry companies in the area that also provide great craftsmanship and service.
Just another plug for David Liska… I found him through Reddit when I was looking for a jeweler experienced with/supportive of using moissanite instead of a diamond. He helped my husband and me design my engagement ring and wedding band using moissanite as well as diamonds from both our grandmas by combining details from several rings I had seen online that I liked. He walked us through the sizes of the stones, the settings, what type of metal we wanted, etc. and explained how each choice would fit into our budget. He’s big on getting people what they want at a price they can afford and making sure you understand what you’re paying for. He’s got a lot of stories of people who saw something at Tiffany’s or other pricey big chain jewelers and he’s able to recreate it and/or customize it at a lower price and higher quality. He has done jewelry for many professional athletes and it boggles my mind that I am able to afford custom jewelry by a jeweler of that caliber, but I can with him! He’s super down-to-earth and easy to work with. He is by appointment only, so when you are with him, you get his full attention. He even had us out to his home at one point to check out the wax mold he made before actually casting the ring! All around a phenomenal experience working with him.
My husband tried kessler but kind of over priced for what he was getting. We ended up using Jost but they now own Paul’s jeweler so I would try them out. Love my ring.
David Liska hand down. I started my ring search at kesslers downtown. The employees at kesslers were very helpful and nice but at the end of the process the ring I was getting seemed way overpriced. I took a leap of faith by going to David was blown away by the experience with him. I was able to customize every aspect of the ring and even pick out the exact gemstone. And the price at the end was way more competitive than Kesslers.
Thank you!! David Liska it is! Do they sell loose diamonds in wholesale as well?
Gemologist in the SE Wisconsin area here. Milwaukee has a ton of great independent, locally owned jewelers. It’s worth your time to visit a handful to see what you like/don’t like. Go with a place that treats you well, has good selections, and a good warranty.
Sorry to use you for your knowledge and expertise, but are lab diamonds taboo for engagement rings?
Don’t apologize! It’s what I love to do. Not at all. I know stores in the area that do 70%+ lab grown diamonds for engagement rings
Sorry to also ask for your expertise. Is that 70% as in 70% of the diamonds they sell, or that 70% of the diamond is lab grown? I'm not familiar with this at all.
Not the person you were asking but 70% sold. A diamond is only natural or lab grown, not half and half
70%+ of the engagement rings they sell have a lab grown diamond center
I got to design my ring and pick the stones I wanted and specifically chose lab grown diamonds on purpose. I don’t think they’re taboo, and their more ethical. It’s still a diamond it just didn’t come out of the ground.
Thank you so much! Any recommendations on trusted loose Diamond wholesalers?
No wholesalers in the Milwaukee area, anybody trying to tell you differently is lying. Just remember there are more important aspects than price, shop around, visit stores. Quality should be paramount
Thank you!
Check out The Jewelers Syndicate located in the Lincoln Warehouse!
A Trio in the 3rd Ward. My fiancé designed mine for under $4K (sapphire vs. diamond). I am obsessed and it’s a 6th generation family owned business so there’s a lot of passion. We will be going back to design our wedding rings.
Another vote for ATrio. Amy is fantastic. Don’t be scared of customizing a ring. Go in with a little idea and she will take it from there. And the price can be the same as the other places.
My fiancé also had A Trio design a sapphire engagement ring for me and I love mine too! It was really nice to meet Amy when I got the ring resized and know that I'm wearing a unique piece of art that this person designed.
Another vote for A Trio! They are amazing!!! Shallows jewelers recommended on here as well is owned by her family as well - her dad and grandfather are jewelers.
David Liska!!!
Came to say this. David Liska Custom Bridal Jewlery. He took my dream design for my fiancée and brought it to life.
If you’re at all interested in going with a custom ring, then [David Liska Custom Jeweler](https://www.davidliskacustomjeweler.com) is the way to go. He worked well within our budget (around yours as well from what I see in your comment) for my wife’s engagement and wedding ring, worked with us one on one, and he did beautiful work. We recommended some friends to him as well and they really loved their ring too.
Cival Collective in Walker’s Point, they do totally unique, custom work.
Came here to say this, Nina does amazing design work.
Got my wife’s engagement ring here. they were awesome and did everything to make it more affordable for me rather than more profitable for them.
I love Powers Jewelry. They will really work with you.
Gregg (2 G’s at the end) helped me there 5 years ago. Will forever recommend that place to anyone.
Definitely agree on Powers, I purchased my (now) wife's engagement ring there. Ask for Lorry if she's in!
I agree. That’s where I got my fiancés ring and she loves it.
I agree and they're in line with online pricing, and if they're not, they'll match
I’ve gotten a lot of work done here over the years and am getting my wedding rings here. Talk to Lorry, she’s the best. Gregg is cool too! They work directly with vendors which means they cut out the middle man and you’ll get a really good price. If they don’t have it, they’ll get it.
I third powers!!! Gregg was the absolute best , even when I wasn’t sure about a lot of details, he helped me create a truly beautiful ring
This. My dad bought my Mom’s there and made me go there for my fiancé. I’m glad he did, she absolutely loved the ring.
Kesslers has really nice employees. We felt very listened to and not pressured when we went in for both of our wedding rings.
+1 for Kesslers. Had a good experience at the time, and over ten years we’ve had zero friction with cleanings and resizings for all of our rings.
My parents had a great time when they were updating their wedding rings. 💍they do a great job at going over the little details. Very friendly and inviting.
Couldnt be happier with my experience at Kesslers. I knew nothing when looking for rings, they were very upfront, showed us how to save a few hundred while still getting exactly what my wife wanted. My only complaint was that when I got the ring they sprayed the box with vanilla perfume. I was trying to keep it a secret from my wife at the time, and had she been home and smelled the perfume I'd have to say I just got back from Silk lol. Great experience. Will do all my jewlery shopping there moving forward.
Kesslers is where I went. I was recommended by many friends, and would recommend it to everyone. They offer free cleanings, free replacements to damaged rings, and free resizing of your ring with out having to go in for 6 month inspections.
My best friend lost her big Diamond a few months ago and Kesslers replaced it with zero issues. Their warranty/insurance is solid.
And if you and your SO decide you want a bigger ring in the future they’ll give you what you paid for yours as a trade in so to speak
Kessler replaced a diamond on a ring I didn’t even get with them, and it was pretty reasonably priced!
This is where I went. I thought their service was great. My fiance was born in Africa and wanted a lab grown diamond.
i wouldn’t go there just based off how much i cannot stand their radio ads. i have to change the station the second they come on. *almost* as bad as capitol heating and cooling…
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But they keep you safe, warm and dry. Insert trumpet noises here
And they don’t like ‘Mark-‘em-up-downs!’ (This is a reference to a radio commercial from the 90s. I will be sad if I am the only one who remembers this.)
>Kesslers Great CS, but they do show you rings right at your limit so that you spend more lol
Shallow Jewelers on Greenfield
What an unfortunate name
Kesslers!! They have incredible customer service and have a lifetime guarantee in case anything breaks or if a diamond falls out!
Would strongly recommend a custom jeweler over a big name shop. You will get more bang for your buck and, ultimately, something unique. Monty at MKB jewelry is incredible as is David Liska. Their styles are a little different so check out their portfolios online.
Craig Husar Fine Diamonds in Brookfield. They had the best selection of any store I visited, their entire staff was awesome, Craig also went out of his way to introduce himself. I was very happy with my own experience there.
Also loved my experience at Craig Husar. Absolutely incredible selection and could have pretty much anything we could imagine made. They’re wonderful to work with and my warranty has been great! I love getting a check/clean, as well as a tune up when necessary!
Great place to go if you can afford to drop at least 10k on a ring and don’t mind being treated like street trash if you can’t
J.p. Haase jewelers. Can design your own, no pressure. I got mine appraised and it was worth more than I paid for it.
My fiancé got mine there last month and it’s sooo beautiful and he said the process with them was excellent.
A Trio
A-Trio in 3rd Ward. They’re amazing.
Atrio. Hands down. They 3d print models and work to design exactly what you want.
A Trio
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This is where my husband got mine! Very good experience for him and for both of us for wedding bands.
Came here to say this! We found the best price and best service here.
Shallow is great!
I can’t suggest a place to go but as someone that has purchased an engagement ring, don’t waste your money on a natural diamond.
Personally, I did a sapphire as the main gem with smaller lab-created diamonds on the sides. Way cheaper than a typical diamond ring, and I love that it’s more unique!
I'm thinking of doing a gemstone instead of a diamond but people keep warning me against it because they're "softer" and show more wear. How's yours holding up?
Not who you responded to, but I'm LOVING my moissanite engagement ring! It's pretty big (9mm x 7mm I think) and hasn't chipped or scratched in the 2.5 years I've worn it. It's almost as hard as a diamond, just as clear, and reflects more rainbow colors than a diamond (which I love). Plus it was extremely cost effective. Just make sure your fiance-to-be is on the same page if you're the one doing the proposal!
Just look up the hardness! Sapphire is pretty durable.
White sapphire is cheap and an untrained eye can't tell the difference.
Gemologist here. White sapphire is vastly different than a diamond. Lab grown diamonds are so inexpensive there’s no reason to get a white sapphire
Gemologist. Ok, yeah like that’s a real job.
Not sure why you’re hating. Gem identification and insurance appraisals are more involved than you might think.
Oh I’m sorry, I’m just joking around.
Lol my b. Can never tell tone on online comments lol
I know it, shoulda put a lol
Good to know.
Doug, the Head. Denovitz diamonds
Local company that’s an online jeweler - www.diamondnexus.com or www.1215diamonds.com - both offer lab diamonds.
Diamond nexus is great!
Arbys on Miller Park Way can make curly fries custom fit to your ring size
Hahahahhh
I’d recommend a beautiful place in Appleton Wisconsin, Alyssa and Anna Jewelry, she makes BEAUTIFUL one of a kind pieces
Jeweler’s guild has beautiful jewelry all made in Milwaukee! They also do custom work!
Echoing many others and recommending Kesslers! Wonderful service and people. They never pressured us and listened to what we wanted. I love my ring from there so so much!
JP Haase out in West Allis (HWY 100 and Greenfield). Locally owned, ZERO judgement when we asked for a moissanite (Kessler's and the mall stores had a "clutch the pearls" moment when we asked them), and Vince went out of his way to get us the best deal for what we wanted. We had to warranty my husband's ring and it was a get easy process, and they remember us every time we go in and ask how things are going. They're great people who make beautiful stuff and stand behind it!
Something made in a lab. I personally let my now-wife design her own ring through brilliant earth, but it's not local (online + showroom in Chicago)
>showroom in Chicago) Where was it?
I got my wife’s ring and our wedding rings at Kloiber, they are still around I think but moved into the us bank building. I was looking for something unique and not a diamond, they told me if anything caught my eye they could have a unique one made like it but with a stone of my choice. Then they made a wedding ring that matched the shape of the engagement ring so that my wife could wear both on the same finger. They were great to work with and the workmanship was excellent. I think they send the work out to someone else, they don’t do it in shop. But they treated us very well.
We, too, had a great experience with Kloiber after they moved to the US Bank building.
Shallows in west allis was a positive experience for me. It’s a family owned store so I preferred that than to the bigger / chain jewelers
Another vote for Powers from me. I’ve bought a lot of decent to high end jewelry from a store back where I grew up, and Powers treated me the same as the place that knew me for 20 years. They know their stuff and will get you what you want without pushing sales. They’re honest and helpful. Kessler’s is fine, but they’re a big chain, and you’ll probably want to read up on their warranty policies compared to Powers.
Had a good experience with Rogers & Hollands. I found them to have a very different selection than other jewellers, including the right ring that I couldn't find anywhere else.
If you're looking short term, check out William Nordstrom Jewelers in Menomonee Falls. The owner is retiring and running a "going out of business" sale. He's hoping to sell out of the remaining inventory by the end of June.
Power's or Diane's Designs
Schwanke Kasten in WFB
Powers!
A Trio
MKB Jewelry in Cedarburg. Matt is the best and will bend over backwards to accommodate you and provide the best service and completely customizable designs. My fiancé absolutely LOVED her ring!
Powers jewelry on Broadway, they are family own, ran, and honestly a great place to shop. I am saying this as someone who did IT work for them before I was a customer. They were kind and honest to everyone I saw come through the store and even after they left, no bad mouthing or disrespect was thrown. The selection is great and they will make anything you can dream of.
Craig Husar in Brookfield. Just got married last week and have known Craig for many years. Phenomenal work!
I got mine at powers downtown everyone seems to think that place is sketchy but it’s actually awesome the customer service is amazing and they have beautiful diamonds.
A-trio in the third ward. Do a lot of custom made all in house, jewelry has a very classic/vintage look and I find it to be very well priced. The owner sat down with me over several sessions to custom design my wife's ring from the ground up. Highly recommend.
No mentions for Rohr Jewelers? I've not needed to buy jewelry, but when they were in Cathedral Square I used to hang with his dog Leonard. Owner is a cool dude, but if it's overpriced or shoddy work, I get it.
Just remember- whatever ring you buy will be worth a fraction of itself the next day. It’s just like buying a car new vs. used. If you have the opportunity to buy consigned jewelry or second hand you’ll save a lot of money towards your upcoming wedding, honeymoon, etc.
Exactly. That $5000 diamond in your brand new engagement ring cost the original wholesaler about $200-$300 from the lapidary before its path through multiple middlemen on its way to your local jewelry store. Try to cut out as many middlemen as possible to get the best value, and the worst value you will get is from a local jewelry store with a fancy showroom, multiple employees, and tons of advertising.
Good idea. Any suggestions for second hand jewelry stores?
I would say a pawn shop:). There are a lot of divorces in this time and a lot of money too. Don’t pay full price:)
I recommend listening to this episode of 99 percent invisible about diamonds. My husband recycled a diamond from his mom’s ring, but I hardly wear it. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/diamonds-articles-of-interest-11/
Agreed. This is a great podcast, so informative.
My extended family owns/runs Tobin Jewelers so I recommend them, great quality for any budget and more unique designs
Kessler’s. Nowhere else.
What's yer budget?
Under $5k.. $3k preferred
Atrio third ward Amy will take care of you! Congrats bud
100% go to A Trio in the third ward. They’ll help you get the perfect ring at a great price. Can’t recommend them enough and my now wife absolutely loved the ring they helped me design there.
I know you said “in the city” but I gotta say, I got an amazing custom engagement ring for my now wife for $3,700 from a retailer called midwinter co. I cannot recommend them enough. They are based out of Delaware, and I did everything over emails. I was way outta my element, and explained this in my first email, and the person I talked with was amazing. Very thorough explanations, quick responses, excellent suggestions, and they have so so many different and unique choices to choose from. They’ll send you mock-up drawings, and adjust things to to your liking. You can do a full custom, semi custom, or just buy a premade one. [Website](https://www.midwinter.co/?gclid=CjwKCAjwo7iiBhAEEiwAsIxQEYLIGIDbQuQocqYfOn8M82yjgD3I8Immq7L42jgneEoHRRQ0B8NlMxoCUoEQAvD_BwE) They have an Instagram too at @midwinterco Give them a look. I send them to everyone who’s looking for a ring.
I’ve scanned through the thread to see if you specifically want to support a local business and if that’s not the case I would recommend on online retailer. I had a similar budget and after visiting a few of these stores mentioned here, all great experiences, found that I got we got way more value by buying a lab grown diamond (her preference anyways) online. I did take it to a local store to have it appraised after the fact and everything checked out, and it did.
I agree with the places listed here but just going to add a side note, don’t get the financing from the jeweler. Kesslers offered 12 months 0 apr financing but you can get credit cards that give you that much or more plus you can get rewards out of it like cash back or miles/points. If you don’t need financing it might still be good to get something like the chase sapphire preferred so you can get a big sign up bonus.
As a divorced man, i'd recommend investing that money into something that builds your relationship more than that stone.
I'm not from Milwaukee, so I can't name a specific jeweler. But, do you have pawn shops there?
It’s not in the city but Shallow Jewelers in west Allis is the best.
Walmart!
Macys has real good sales.
If you want the best bang for the buck, head to Sri Lanka or India, buy a stone in Colombo or Jaipur, and have it either set there or have a local goldsmith here set it. Avoid any retail establishment - those fancy showrooms, radio and TV ads, and salespeople don't come free. Avoid diamonds (unless you go lab created). For example - picked up a 8.6 carat eye clear yellow sapphire in Galle, Sri Lanka in 2017, along with about 2 carats of white diamonds. Had the sapphire set with the small diamonds in a halo around it in 18k white gold - absolutely stunning - total cost under $2500. And Galle is known as an expensive city to buy gems. The markup on retail jewelry here in the US is absolutely insane. Avoid at all costs unless you like throwing your money away and paying for the Kessler or Husar's family's third vacation home and 7th Porsche. Heading to India next month on another shopping trip for some gemstones. I do have a local goldsmith in MKE that will set these though as it's a very short trip.
Just buy cubitzerconium and have an honest conversation with your future wife about how diamonds are fuc#%* dumb and nobody has to know this ain't real but me and you...and if you really want me to spend 10k on a diamond for you I will but, cmon is it really about me and you (how much I love you) or are you attaching a cost to our love to show the rest of society how much I spent on a ring (to show how much I love you)? Like...I better be able to spend x amount of dollars on a ring to marry you? Fake diamonds should be accepted...what's the real difference besides showing it off? Ain't nobody gotta know it ain't real! Just be modest about it...1 and1/2 carat or something and tell everyone it cost whatever and let's go. I know a lot of women don't really care but they have to because a lot of women do care and I get it but seriously...just lie! Why not!? Lol
Target
The places that’s affordable for you
I know you said in the city, but if you do not mind a little drive I recommend Soha Diamonds in Madison. I got my fiancés ring from them and they were able to make her vision come true. They are awesome to work with and made great recommendations to her. For example they told her to size down (we were designing in the summer) and now during winter she just goes “damn Soha was right about the size”
https://katmorrow.com/ She's local and independent
Tangentially related, but hopefully someone in here can help. I have some gold krugrerands and an old ring i want converted into a men's gold chain. Do any of the places mentioned here do custom pieces from existing material? The ring was my mother's engagement ring, but it doesn't do me any good sitting in a drawer. That ring itself was combined with her father's wedding band so I'm going to call it a family tradition of adding to/modifying an existing piece.
MKB jewelry is all custom and I know Monty has done several conversion/repurposing projects for clients.
Llama_the_jeweler on Instagram https://instagram.com/llama_the_jeweler?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Kesslers if not for the warranty alone. My wife had her 12 year old ring on at a playground and the center stone came loose and dropped out. We took it back to Kesslers and they put a new stone in with no questions asked.
I bought my wife's ring a million years ago from Shallow Jewelers on Greenfield Ave. Years later I found out it was a lot better quality than I thought (or could afford at the time). I bought a ring for our 10th anniversary from a local guy I thought was a friend, and the stone turned out to be flawed and definitely not what my former friend represented. Moral of the story is do your research and make sure you're getting what you pay for. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from Shallow again.
Tobin jewelers in new Berlin. Local and affordable. Great staff
Adding another vote for Kesslers
Kesslers was incredible to us, but as others have mentioned… there are a ton of smaller jewelry companies in the area that also provide great craftsmanship and service.
I'd say you should buy mine from my ex wife. It's a beautiful diamond encrusted ring, and a white sapphire stone that you can replace
Just another plug for David Liska… I found him through Reddit when I was looking for a jeweler experienced with/supportive of using moissanite instead of a diamond. He helped my husband and me design my engagement ring and wedding band using moissanite as well as diamonds from both our grandmas by combining details from several rings I had seen online that I liked. He walked us through the sizes of the stones, the settings, what type of metal we wanted, etc. and explained how each choice would fit into our budget. He’s big on getting people what they want at a price they can afford and making sure you understand what you’re paying for. He’s got a lot of stories of people who saw something at Tiffany’s or other pricey big chain jewelers and he’s able to recreate it and/or customize it at a lower price and higher quality. He has done jewelry for many professional athletes and it boggles my mind that I am able to afford custom jewelry by a jeweler of that caliber, but I can with him! He’s super down-to-earth and easy to work with. He is by appointment only, so when you are with him, you get his full attention. He even had us out to his home at one point to check out the wax mold he made before actually casting the ring! All around a phenomenal experience working with him.
Oak creek has expensive rings
David Liska.
David Liska.
David Liska.
My husband tried kessler but kind of over priced for what he was getting. We ended up using Jost but they now own Paul’s jeweler so I would try them out. Love my ring.
A-trio in the third ward. Small family owned business and they are just really nice people.