FAQ
Do you charge more for your concierge service?
No we don't! You only pay if you purchase a piece from us and we offer an additional discount for clients that pay via check, cash, zelle or bankwire. There is no set minimum required to work with us.
The experience of working with us is dramatically different from traditional retail stores. When you walk into one of these behemoths, you’re in for a high-pressure, intimidating, bewildering tour of massively overpriced diamonds with brand being touted above all else. They are there to sell you what’s on hand, and that’s all there is to it.
In contrast, when you contact Concierge Diamonds, our initial conversations generally aren’t about specific diamonds at all – they are about your goals for your engagement ring, proposal, and marriage, and an assessment of your options. Then, we go out to the market and curate a selection of stones tailored to your specific needs, and discuss those with you until we find the perfect stone for you. Once that’s done, we work together to create your ideal ring. So when we’re done, you have exactly the stone you want, with exactly the ring you imagined, for much, much, MUCH less than you would spend for something comparable at these retail palaces.
Additionally, James Allen, Blue Nile and other sites take inventory lists of stones that diamond dealers (like us) own, and post them online with a small markup. These sites don’t actually own any stones. They’re re-selling stones that are in the wholesale marketplace, sight unseen. In contrast, we go directly to the sources of these stones (including our own inventory and others), and personally inspect every stone we offer to our clients before showing them. We think it’s irresponsible to recommend a stone we haven’t actually seen for ourselves, and Concierge Diamonds doesn’t work that way.
Our pricing is very competitive with all these big sites (typically a bit lower), and the service experience, expert guidance, and personalized selection are FAR superior.
How much should I pay for an engagement ring?
We’ve seen the TV commercials that say you should spend three months salary on an engagement ring, and we think that’s terrible advice. There is no set number you’re “supposed to” spend. An engagement ring is meant to be a symbol of commitment, so it should cost enough to make you consider the purchase (it shouldn’t be an impulse buy!), but it shouldn’t cost so much that it becomes a burden. That’s no way to enter into a marriage! If you have questions contact us and we will help you determine a number that will work for you.
Have A Look At This Video We Made if you’re still uncertain as to how much you should spend.
We work with clients with a wide range of budgets. We’ve worked with budgets from less than $2,000 all the way up to the million dollar mark.
What can I expect during my online or in-person consultation?
Online / Out of Town Consultation
We work with clients all over the world. Our first conversation (via email, phone, or Skype) should cover the basis of what you want and how much you want to spend on a ring. We’ll also cover the 4 C’s, your ring design, logistics and timing.
From there we will go out and source a selection of diamonds that are a fit for your needs and narrow our selection down to about 3 – 5 candidates.
From there we will send you over high-res photos and videos of the diamonds. We will deliberately not go into detail about each stone because it is imperative for our clients to assess the stones for themselves.
Know that we have done the legwork for you and narrowed down the diamond lineup (or curation) to our top picks for you from about 30 – 40 stones. Nothing we show you will be out of budget so there are no “gotcha!” surprises you will have to worry about. If there is an instance where one stone will be over budget we will tell you upfront.
Why do we do this?
Simple – you’re not buying a certificate you are buying a diamond. If you rely on the paperwork alone you will be disappointed. Color and clarity in diamonds are subject to the person who was grading the diamond that day at the lab and are therefore subject to human errors. You should never rely on a certificate but trust the eyes of a private jeweler to work as your proxy to help you narrow down your selection.
There are many cases where we have stones that face up completely white with an H grading and had our client simply looked at the paperwork; they might have passed over a really good stone that we know could get a better grading from a lab.
We do tell you the 4 C’s of each stone but we don’t go into detail until you’ve had a chance to look at the diamonds (or photos and videos) on your own. Once you have done that we will do another call or email session to discuss the characteristics of the stones and what you like and what you don’t.
From there we will eliminate any candidates that are no longer a fit until we get to our winning stone.
After you have selected your diamond we require a 75% deposit in order to hold the diamond for you and begin work on your ring. At this phase we will also discuss the ring design in more detail, confirm finger size and other info (dates, shipping info, etc). You will receive a sales order and we offer a small discount for clients paying with cash, bank wire, Zelle or cashier’s check. Credit card/debit card purchases are subject to our regular non-discounted pricing. Please Note: Some financial institutions may charge a bank wire fee, so please inquire with your financial institution for any additional fees you might incur by paying via this method. If you have any questions about the steps involved in a bank wire, contact your bank or call us at 213-261-4330.
Your ring will then go into production once the deposit has been paid and depending on how elaborate the design is or how soon you need your order by, you can expect your final product from anywhere between one to six business weeks.
Deposits will reserve your particular item for up to 60 days. At that point if an item is not paid in full, your deposit converts to a credit with Concierge Diamonds which can be applied to any other item of your choosing in future. Deposits are nonrefundable.
If a CAD is required you will be required to sign off on the CAD before we complete the ring. CADs are not a mandatory step in creating a ring and therefore not all designs will call for them.
Once you approve the CAD, we will make the ring. Before we ship the ring, we will send you high-res photos and videos again of your ring for your final approval. You will be required to approve before we ship, however if there is something incorrect about your ring, we will work on it until it’s 100% perfect for you and ready to ship. Your balance must be paid before we can ship.
Your ring will be sent via insured delivery in a nondescript package.
Reviews and engagement photos are not required but take a look at our social media pages and you can see how much we love hearing from our clients.
In-Person Consultation
We work with clients all over the world and sometimes we are lucky enough to meet our clients in our offices downtown.
While we do take walk-ins depending on availability, we strongly advise you to call us in advance to set up an appointment. We do not have inventory or mountings in stock and need to ensure we are prepared for your visit.
During our first conversation (via email, phone, or Skype or in person) we should cover the basis of what you want and how much you want to spend on a ring. We’ll also cover the 4 C’s, your ring design, logistics and timing.
From there we will go out and source a selection of diamonds that are a fit for your needs and narrow our selection down to about 3 – 5 candidates to show you at what will typically be our first meeting.
If we have done our job right at the offset we will have a selection of viable diamond candidates for you to review and view in person at our offices.
We will deliberately not go into detail about each stone until the end of our session because it is imperative for our clients to assess the stones for themselves.
Know that we have done the legwork for you and narrowed down the diamond lineup (or curation) to our top picks for you from about 30 – 40 stones. Nothing we show you will be out of budget so there are no “gotcha!” surprises you will have to worry about. If there is an instance where one stone will be over budget we will tell you upfront.
Why do we do this?
Simple – you’re not buying a certificate you are buying a diamond. If you rely on the paperwork alone you will be disappointed. Color and clarity in diamonds are subject to the person who was grading the diamond that day at the lab and are therefore subject to human errors. You should never rely on a certificate but trust the eyes of a private jeweler to work as your proxy to help you narrow down your selection.
There are many cases where we have stones that face up completely white with an H grading and had our client simply looked at the paperwork, they might have passed over a really good stone that we know could get a better grading from a lab.
We do tell you the 4 C’s of each stone but we don’t go into detail until you’ve had a chance to look at the diamonds on your own. Once you have done that we will do another call or email session to discuss the characteristics of the stones and what you like and what you don’t
From there we will eliminate any candidates that are no longer a fit until we get to our winning stone.
After you have selected your diamond we require a 75% deposit in order to hold the diamond for you and begin work on your ring. At this phase we will also discuss the ring design in more detail, confirm finger size and other info (dates, shipping info, etc). You will receive a sales order and we offer a small discount for clients paying with cash, bank wire, Zelle or cashier’s check. Credit card/debit card purchases are subject to our regular non-discounted pricing. Please Note: Some financial institutions may charge a bank wire fee, so please inquire with your financial institution for any additional fees you might incur by paying via this method. If you have any questions about the steps involved in a bank wire, contact your bank or call us at 213-261-4330.
Your ring will then go into production once the deposit has been paid and depending on how elaborate the design is or how soon you need your order by, you can expect your final product from anywhere between one to six business weeks.
Deposits will reserve your particular item for up to 60 days. At that point if an item is not paid in full, your deposit converts to a credit with Concierge Diamonds which can be applied to any other item of your choosing in future. Deposits are nonrefundable.
If a CAD is required you will be required to sign off on the CAD before we complete the ring. CADs are not a mandatory step in creating a ring and therefore not all designs will call for them.
Once you approve the CAD, we will make the ring. Before we ship the ring, we will send you high-res photos and videos again of your ring for your final approval. You will be required to approve before we ship, however if there is something incorrect about your ring, we will work on it until it’s 100% perfect for you and ready to ship. Your balance must be paid before we can ship.
Your ring will be sent via insured delivery in a nondescript package or if you are local you are welcome to come pick it up at our offices.
Reviews and engagement photos are not required but take a look at our social media pages and you can see how much we love hearing from our clients.
How long does the process take?
It depends on the client. Sometimes, we find just what the client is looking for right away, and other times it takes a few rounds of conversation, selection, and refinement of the search. We’re happy to invest as much time as needed to find the perfect stone.
Once a stone has been selected, we custom make the engagement ring we’ve helped the client design. Typical production time is a few weeks, but this can vary widely (simple solitaires are much quicker, and some incredibly elaborate designs have taken months to execute!)
We recommend that clients contact us 60 – 90 days before they want to propose to allow us time to correct anything about the ring that isn’t 100% perfect before the big day.
If you need it faster, we can often accommodate rapid production. Nominal additional costs may apply.
Do you have a showroom & keep pieces in stock?
We are not a jewelry store, so no we do not have a showroom.
Everything we make is custom to our clients’ specifications. And believe it or not this can cost less. We believe that an engagement ring should be made for you, the way you want, the way you like it and not made to look like something 10,000 other people are wearing. Additionally, the quality of our materials and our manufacturing process is much better than those pieces that have been mass-produced overseas.Take A Look At This Piece About Why Custom Is Better.
I don't live in Los Angeles, can I work with you?
Absolutely.
Do I get an appraisal with my purchase?
Our custom pieces all come with an appraisal. You may request an appraisal for a lab grown diamond piece: the piece will be appraised for the purchase price you paid. All pre-made pieces do not come with appraisals. An appraisal may be requested for a piece for a fee: the fee covers the cost of evaluating the piece and properly documenting its specifications on the appraisal. For more information, please contact us directly.
How do I insure my ring?
We advise you add it to your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. We do not insure rings but if you need more advice we’re happy to help you.
Do you take credit card or bank wire?
We do, however we offer a discount for clients paying with cash, bank wire or check. We apply a 3.5% discount to your order when you use one of these options. Please note: Some financial institutions charge a fee for using a bank wire. If you have any questions about the steps involved in a bank wire, contact your bank or call us at 213-261-4330.
Please note that we do not accept PayPal or Venmo but we do accept Zelle.
Is shipping included?
When you purchase a piece of custom jewelry from Concierge Diamonds, shipping is free to clients located in the United States. Clients are responsible for shipping both ways when sending their rings back for sizing, repairs or servicing. See our section on servicing, repairs and warranties for more information on what is covered or email us at info@conciergediamonds.com if you need more assistance or help calculating shipping fees. Concierge Diamonds is not responsible for lost, damaged or returned shipments. Please provide us a tracking number when returning your pieces to us for servicing.
Return Policies
Custom Pieces
All of our rings are custom made by hand in Los Angeles. Being a custom item, they are therefore not eligible to return. However, we offer an upgrade and exchange policy for some of our natural, certified center diamond, in which they may be upgraded for another diamond. Contact us to learn more and
discuss your options at 213-261-4330 or info@conciergediamonds.com. These policies are subject to change at any time.
Ready to Wear Pieces
All items ordered through the website are FINAL sale.
Warranty Information
We warranty all jewelry we sell to be free of manufacturer’s defects, and in the event that such a defect is discovered, we promise to correct it at no charge to the customer. However the warranty is voided if a third party other than Concierge Diamonds makes alterations or adjustments to your jewelry, including sizing. We cannot be responsible or accountable for the actions of a third party. Clients are responsible for covering the round trip cost of shipping the product to us in accordance with our shipping policies.
Our rings are manufactured to the highest quality standards and are warrantied for life. Your manufacturer’s warranty covers defects on the ring that are the fault of the manufacturer. However there is a difference between a manufacturer’s defect and damage caused by daily wear and tear.
We are happy to repair rings and fine jewelry that have a lost stone due to normal wear and tear but this kind of repair is rarely the result of a manufacturer’s defect, and most often a result of daily use.
Think of your ring as a brand new set of tires: as the years and miles pile on, the metal will be worn down just like the rubber of your tire. Sooner or later, a little TLC will be needed.
Similarly, diamonds and metal aren’t indestructible and your rings are inevitably going to take some knocks just due to the nature in which we live our lives, no matter how careful we are. We’re constantly knocking our hands against things: keyboards, doorknobs, walls, desks, car doors, etc. All that daily use is bound to cause some wear and tear on your ring, which is why annual servicing for your jewelry is critical.
To use the car analogy again: if you never changed the oil or never rotated the tires, the car is bound to start running a little ragged, especially if you drive it every day.
This is why we offer all of our custom engagement ring clients a complimentary annual servicing package that includes cleaning, polishing, prong tightening, etc. Even though our rings are of exceptional quality, they’re not indestructible.
On occasion there are manufacturer defects that cause diamonds to fall out of rings, but this more commonly happens in rings that are mass-produced overseas in factories that are not custom-made to your center stone. These rings also have less precious metal content and are more prone to breaking because of porosity. Porosity, tiny little holes in the metal, happens because these manufacturers cut their costs by aerating their precious metal mixtures (meaning they pump air into the metal mixtures) to lighten it and create more volume.
We are happy to inspect the ring and if we determine that the repair is covered under our warranty we are happy to repair it. If the damage is found to be the fault of the wearer, we are still happy to complete the repair but it will not be complimentary. All repairs must be approved by the client in writing for us to begin work.
We advise checking with your ring’s insurance to see if repairs not covered under warranty will be covered under your policy.
For rings with ruthenium coatings, we will provide one (1) complimentary recoating of your ring or piece of fine jewelry over the lifetime of your ring. The cost of additional coatings and servicings done to ruthenium coated pieces are the responsibility of the client.
Upgrade Program
All of our rings are custom made to our clients’ specifications. Being a custom item, they are therefore not eligible to return. However, we do offer a diamond upgrade policy, in which your center stone may be upgraded for a new diamond. Some exclusions apply, such as lab grown or created diamonds, salt and pepper diamonds, very large and/or valuable diamonds typically those in excess of $20,000 USD, and semi-precious stones such as rubies, amethysts, sapphires, etc. Contact us to learn more. If you are not satisfied with your purchase after receiving your item, we will make our commercially reasonable best effort to adjust your order until you are 100% satisfied with the product. You may be responsible for additional labor, materials and design costs if you deviate from your original design. Contact us to learn more and to discuss your options at 213-261-4330 or info@conciergediamonds.com