Barsky Diamonds, Philadelphia

I went in here looking to upgrade to nicer ring for my wife. We've been married ten years and I couldn't afford more than a tiny ring then. I came in with a 7500 budget and after I told the guy, he waited on me AND another customer. I almost left, but then a beautiful ring caught my eye. I bought it for my wife for close to 3500. We went out to dinner and I gave it to her. She put it on and during the ride home, a diamond fell out. We went back to barsky to get it fixed. Guess what? They put in a lesser stone and then another stone fell out. I got some of my money back after threatening them with a lawyer. We kept the ring and paid close to a grand (most of what we got back from barsky) to get it fixed elswher. Now the ring is fine. My wife is sentimental and wanted to keep it but honestly I wanted to throw at their smug faces after the crap they gave me telling my wife she wws beautiful trying to distract her from the wrong they did. My wife is beautiful but barksy lies. Never again. I just bought a pin from the shop on the corner in pave diamonds for my wife and she loves it.

My husband got my engagement ring from here. I was happy with it for 8 years. Then I decided to get it upgraded with a custom setting. It took 4 months to get! It has been a nightmare getting any updates, feel like I get the run around every time I call. If you want to propose with a custom ring, and you insist on getting it from Barsky, go right after your 2nd date. That way, when you want to propose, you might have a better chance of having the ring done by then. Very disappointed and will never use them again.

We are out of town and ventured to Philadelphia specifically for the broad selection and higher quality of diamonds than our area had to offer. After spending the day, we settled on a gorgeous and rather expensive ring. My fiancee and I were both pleased. Unfortunately since that time, we've had to return the ring 4-5 times due to loose stones. Understandably stones do come loose, however, 5 times in less than 2 years is indicative of a problem. The ring has NEVER been worn around the house, to bed, to clean, to shower, etc. nor has it been been bumped or dropped. THere is no reason for stones to be loose that often when it is hardly worn. No doubt Barsky can make you a stunning piece, but unless you live close enough to run it in to their shop every few months to have stones tightened, I'd avoid buying there. Seems to be a common complaint.

While I appreciate the family-feel, the dogs running around, and how much time people have taken to help us- I have had a number of problems with my ring despite only having had it for about a year now. So far the problems have included- 1) two stones falling out 2) upon replacement, another stone was cracked 3) the stone settings were found to be too high (making the edges vulnerable to starting to crack) so they had to be lowered 4) another stone just fell out today... They've been wonderful (so far) about replacing them without cost- but I do leave there with the feeling that they think I am abusing my ring...My work right now involves computer work only so I really don't think it's my fault. The ring is beautiful but I wouldn't recommend going here unless you're planning on living in the area and can take the time to keep going back for these repairs.

After shopping for engagement rings for several days Barsky Diamonds had the best selection. Chris was able to help me figure out what I wanted. After a mistake they took all the time needed to fix the problem. They even give coupons for free parking in the appropriate lot. Once we bought the wedding band we had ordered the wrong size and they replaced the ring with the correct size for free. Every time we go back to get the rings cleaned they always make us feel like family.

I loved this store, it was a happy medium between in your face but way too expensive Steven Singer, and dullsville (but nice) SandR. They are a family owned business and they work with you. They also have the cutest little dogs wandering around in the store! They totally surprised me with how flexible they are and thier willingness to work with you. I highly reccomend going here for anyone!

I had diamond earrings made at Barsky's and it was a terrible fiasco - what should have been a joyful experience was a nightmare. The salespeople (especially Rick) are talking heads who do not listen. The quality of the workmanship is poor. I only hope that what they say is gold really is gold and what they say are diamonds really are diamonds. When all was said and done, I ended up with crooked earrings with the posts on backwards so you have to insert them into your ear from the back (which, of course, you will never see in any mirror). AND, I overhead another couple at the store begging for resolution of a problem with an engagement ring they had just purchased at Barsky's - the diamond had fallen out of the setting twice. That's right, it fell out once and they brought it back for repair and it fell out AGAIN. STAY FAR AWAY.

Not an avid internet user, this is highly unusual for me to offer input in this forum and yet I feel so strongly about supporting this family owned business that I am compelled to write about our experience spanning almost 10 years. On the recommendation of my parents, my husband and I first went in while shopping for wedding rings. We have since taken the trek into Philadelphia many times to find that "something special" that would mark various occasions - 5 year anniversary, the birth of our children, birthdays, etc. We had always used the same salesperson, Ray Feldman, a wonderful and gracious man who never failed to greet us with a warm smile and a firm handshake. When visiting the store last week, we learned of Ray's passing, and through a knot in our throats discussed later the idea of finding a new jeweler as our connection was lost - after all, Ray had served us through the higest of the highs in our life, and now he was no longer there. We decided we would buy just one more piece - a special ring celebrating the birth of our daughter and one that I would eventually hand down when she was older. So today was going to be the last visit for us - we were to pick out the stone for this ring and move on. And like all visits, we stayed longer, talked more, and thoroughly enjoyed our time much more than expected. The ring was not finalized (but will be soon, I hope!), but did I ever walk out with a stunning pair of earrings!!! And do you want to know what the best part was? Meeting and being helped by a man whose name I believe is Nathan Barsky (forgive me if I am wrong - I am terrible at names!). He was so very kind, professional, and relaxed - he helped us further hone our decisions regarding the ring and promised to look for the perfect stone for us. And you know what? We believe him. He is not schmoozy, schmaltzy, or slick. He is a man whose family has dedicated themselves to the jewelry business for over a hundred years, who seems to know and understand their customers and what their needs are. And he understands that although we are willing to splurge a bit, we are not of unlimited income, thus we have to be on the realistic side when shopping for heirloom pieces. I think we were surprised when we left there today, as we realized that although Ray is no longer going to be a "part of" those special moments in our lives, Barsky's Diamonds will continue to be. Maybe you think I am a little too sentimental - it is afterall, just a jeweler in an area surrounded by countless other jewelers. That is just not so - Barsky's - their relaxed atmosphere, dedicated and knowledgeable staff, and lets not forget the clincher - their vast array of jewelry from which to choose, is more than just a jeweler to us - the institution that is Barsky's is woven into the highlights of our lives with the pieces we have selected to commemorate them. With that said, we look forward to future visits, to meeting the various staff members, staying longer, and smiling more, than we ever planned. And ps - no one, I repeat, no one, has ever cleaned my jewelry as thoroughly as their staff has! I walk out every time with jewelry that looks brand-spankin' new! That, folks, is worth the drive in to town all by itself!!! Cathy B.

My fiance and I are getting married in two weeks time and chose Barsky's diamonds because the salesman assured us that he could make our custom wedding rings in 4 weeks. Most other places had told us that they would need six weeks for the job and we needed it to be done a little more promptly because we are going abroad for the wedding and I did not want to have to worry about the rings the last minute before we leave the country. After nearly 7 weeks and much anxiety about worrying if the rings were ready, we were called and told to collect our rings. Much to my sadness, the diamonds in my wedding ring were very poorly set and very crooked. I used to work for a jewelers and I was horrified that any quality jeweler would give us something in this condition. After explaining to 'Nate' that I couldn't wear this ring my whole life, he sighed, clearly frustrated and shouted back to the man in the workshop 'this one needs to be remade!'- Probably not the first time something has had to be 'remade' by the way he said it. A wedding ring is a considered purchase and not cheap so the fact that they tried to give me this ring was very disappointing- I'm not sure if they thought I would not notice even though the mistakes were really terrible. I don't normally complain about things but I was truly shocked at the quality of this ring. Very glad I did not get my engagement ring from Barsky's as the diamond would probably have fallen out by now. I am also saddened by the fact that other people have experienced the same thing. Barsky's comes across decent when you first walk in because they have a great selection, but I would not reccommend if you want to be sure that the setting of your ring is secure. We leave the country for our wedding in less than a week and Barsky's assures me it will be fixed....not sure what the condition of the fixed ring will be. Go elsewhere for your rings, and do your research about the jeweler you buy it from. A quick google search on Barsky's beforehand would have saved me the heartache.

I first meet Mr. Harlold Barsky and his wife somw 27 rys ago. I have been doing business with them personally as well as sending them new customers. They have treated my family and myself as part of their own family. I just wanted to personally thank Nathan for helping me replace the ring I most recently lost. He gave me a very good deal due to my situation as well as being a loyal cutomer. Special thanks to Mr & Mrs. Barsky as well as Jeff, Seth and Nathan. You guys are the best. Nick B.