M. Lowe & Company

Pretty jewelry and this might not be a problem for others, but I was disappointed to find that they have a system now that requires you to «buzz in» to get in the front door. I want to be able to easily get in/​get out of a store and see the items/​know the prices without having to ask anyone. I stopped in a few years ago and impulsively purchased a ring – it cost more than I would normally impulse purchase, but very occasionally something just feels right. Very pretty – one of my favorite rings. Recently, I moved back to the neighborhood and stopped by – I did go in quickly, but then walked out as fast as I could. Pretty jewelry – just doesn’t work for my shopping style. Why do stores hide the prices? Having to ask someone for a price isn’t going to make me want to purchase it – it just makes me reluctant to even consider the item.

Awful service. I was estimated three weeks for to size a ring up one size that their in-​house jeweler can do in a day. I understand I’m not their only customer and that they have other repairs, but six weeks from start to finish?!? I’m fond of the jewelry repair guy there, sweet as ever, don’t get me wrong. But that owner has something coming with her attitude that says «oh that repair, which one? oh right, we’ll get it to you in two weeks,» after waiting two weeks, and three more weeks go by, you haven’t gotten a phone call, and you have to go in again just to be told «one more week.» It’s too bad, because their jewelry is beautiful. I’m no longer shopping there.

My favorite jewelry store! I have bought new pieces here, had repairs made, and re-​designed and re-​set old family jewels. The quality of workmanship is excellent and the new and vintage jewelry is beautiful, just my taste. I like that I can find or get help designing jewelry that is elegant, yet casual-​looking enough for my informal lifestyle. Margaret is really creative and helpful and helped me transform an old, non-​descript family ring into a new, antique-​looking Indian style design which I now wear all the time. I drive over an hour to do business with M. Lowe and highly recommend this store!

They ruined my engagement ring.
After our great experiences at M Lowe, we purchased my engagement ring here. The [platinum] ring we loved was a bit too large, but Margot and another salesperson swore up and down that they could resize it, no problem.
Well, they resized my platinum ring with GOLD. So there is a gold stripe on the underside of the band. I brought it back, because I thought it was so odd, and Margot told me that this is «just what happens.»
I checked with another jeweler, who was absolutely horrified and said that the gold has spread into the band and cannot be fixed.

Great selection and wonderful staff. Margo made us feel like royalty even though she knew that we were looking towards the lower end of the price scale.
They carry both modern and traditional styles with some unique pieces from the 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. If you want something that stands out, definitely stop in.
This is one shop where I felt I could actually do a little browsing without being immediately jumped by «sales» people. Low pressure /​no pressure on the sales side.

To Lisa K below, if you wanted some jewelry why didn’t you just ask to see something? Reading between the lines of your review it looks like you want a pushy salesperson to follow you around the store trying to sell you. Most people don’t, and I think that’s why M. Lowe uses the low key approach. I have shopped in the store for many years, and have always been satisfied. I have noticed the slow response, but when I asked to see jewelry, the sales staff was knowledgeable, friendly and very helpful. M. Lowe has some of the most unique one of the kind jewelry in the Bay Area, and its great to have a wonderful piece of very special jewelry from there. Lastly, come on people, save your bad reviews for the big retailers, give the small businesses a break!

We entered the store about 15 minutes before closing. No other possible customers were in the store. The 4 salesclerks were sitting down and not one said a word to us or even looked up. We were having my birthday dinner at Chez Panisse (super yummy!) and we’re one month away from our wedding anniversary. This is a special time of the year and we’re looking to buy me some jewelry (yipee!). But, no eye contact or even a peep from these sad sales ladies means that we’ll never step foot in this establishment again. Bottom line – if you don’t want to talk to people 15 minutes before your little store closes, then lock the door early. It’s not THAT difficult to be friendly!

Friendly, happy and helpful sales people who were not at all pushy. I went in just to see what kind of selection they have and the type of work they do but will likely be back to see if they can make a custom wedding band set!

If you’re looking to design a beautiful piece of jewelry and want expert advice and fabulous service, go see Margo, the proprietor at M. Lowe Jewelry. I had inherited two small diamonds that had great sentimental value, but wasn’t sure what to make of them. Margo suggested various options, made sketches of potential designs, helped me choose a beautiful ruby to complement the smaller stones. She even had computer-​aided designs of the ring sent to me while I was traveling so that we could keep the process moving ahead. Margo was patient (it took me several weeks to make up my mind) and fun to work with. The result is a gorgeous three-​stone, platinum ring that I will treasure always. In addition, I received an independent appraisal by a GIA gemologist as part of the purchase price. It was a great experience from start to finish!

M. Lowe has lots of great pieces in-​store, and a few years ago I bought a necklace and earrings that I love there. In the last month I had a piece custom-​made there for the first time.
About 6 weeks ago I went to M. Lowe to look for a ring to buy for myself for my 40^th birthday. I talked with Michael on my first visit, and we discussed styles, gemstones, and sizes. It took a few of questions to get the information flowing, but then he gave me lots of great tips and information. He also told me that I could have a ring custom-​made and that sometimes it can be even be cheaper than in-​stock items. I did research on-​line and put together a Pinterest board of styles and gems that I like. When I came back to M. Lowe, I spoke to Margo. We went through the Pinterest board and what I liked about each, and Margo listened and quickly got what I was going for. She pulled out an example cast and a variety of stones, and we started putting together a composition. On one more visit we finalized stone arrangement and a sketch of the design, and then I left it in her capable hands. Two weeks later the ring was ready for pick-​up, and it was gorgeous. The only issue was the white gold had come out a little yellow. Margo immediately offered to have it rhodium plated at no extra charge. Ten days later I picked it up, and I absolutely love it. It’s unique and it’s exactly what I wanted.

I went to M Lowe and Co to get an engagement ring. They had a lot of pretty jewelry available off the counter but I wanted to customize a ring to fit my size and also to fit a bigger center diamond.
I should have guessed from the start that I was taking a risk because everytime i asked for something, Margo’s response was a non-​committal «I will ask» or «I will try».
But we went ahead and placed an order based on a ring in the store anyway.
They were supposed to deliver in 3 weeks.
A day before the delivery date, Margo called to tell me the jeweler didnt get the ring quite right. And that she was having them make another one that would be available 5 days later. This was 15 days to the ceremony and cutting it very close.
We waited patiently, and 5 days later, she called to tell us the ring was wrong again. We decided to stop by and take a look anyway. Neither ring was anywhere close to what we had ordered. They were very poor attempts and we cancelled our order and got our jewelry from another very reliable jeweler in San Carlos.
Take away —
1. If you buy what she has, probably a good idea
2. Want to custom make anything, DONT GO THERE!
3. The diamonds she showed us were all heavily flawed and fluoroscent and the price was still very high. We got a much better stone with a beautiful cut in another store for a more reasonable price.

After visiting four other Jewelers in the Berkeley area for a unique engagement ring for my now fiancé, M. Lowe and Co was the last stop. I had a pretty solid idea of what my fiancé wanted: a white gold leafy band, with a teal stone. At M. Lowe’s, I found an exquisite yellow gold ring with a twisted band and leaves surrounding two diamonds. The detail was delicate and elegant. I described what I wanted to Margo, and shared my very limited budget as well as time constraint. They were able to reproduce the ring in white gold, with two teal Montana Sapphires (I had been unable to find stones that fit the colors so well in any of the other stores), within two weeks, and within my budget constraint. They were very friendly, accommodating, and prompt. There were many other beautiful pieces of Jewelry there that are worth checking out (after enjoying some cheeseboard across the street). My fiancé absolutely loves her ring, and we will be coming back to see if they can design matching wedding bands.

Fabulous store, with the most tasteful, unique jewelry. There’s a quiet elegance here, but no snobiness. I’ve always had wonderful customer service, even though I’m not into the 4-​figure purchasing. The old reviews here are annoying, as this place couldn’t stay in business with rude salespeople. Great shopping experience in an area that’s nice to be in too.

I had inherited 10 pieces of unusual jewelry from my mother and didn’t know what to do with them. Contacting M. Lowe, I was invited to stop by and she would take a look, tell me what the stones were and give me an estimate of their approximate value. She was most helpful, thorough and gave me advice re’ how to sell the pieces. She even cleaned many of the pieces, making them really sparkle. I so appreciate her taking so much time to offer her expert evaluations and advice and at no cost to me. A real service as I was struggling to figure out what to do with these pieces.

Unfortunately, I feel better about my poor experience at M. Lowe’s after having read the reviews here. At least I’m not the only one who has felt dismissed by an unfriendly salesperson!
My fiancé gave me an antique, family-​heirloom ring during our recent engagement. It needed to be re-​sized, so I started searching out local businesses for advice and service. I’ve worked in the Gourmet Ghetto for nearly ten years, so I went M. Lowe’s first. Not only was I left to stand awkwardly in the store while the salesperson finished a personal phone call, but after telling her that I was interested in having an antique ring re-​sized, she interrupted me with, «Did you buy it here?» I repeated that it was a family ring, and asked for help understanding the type of work that went into making a ring smaller. She was very abrupt and dismissive. I did not feel welcomed there at all.
The kicker, though, was when she asked what size I needed the ring adjusted to. I told her I wasn’t sure. She handed me a ring-​sizer. Two different sizes seemed to work, but I wasn’t sure how snug it should feel. «What kind of advice do you give people when they are trying to find a good fit?» I asked. She replied: «We don’t.» As I stood there nonplussed, she elaborated: «Well, you wear rings, don’t you?» When I told her «Not really, that’s why I’m asking», she said, «Yeah, I don’t either.» That’s when I knew I’d be taking my business elsewhere.
My fiancé and I will be looking for a wedding band to match the engagement ring, but it sure won’t be at M. Lowe’s. When a customer is asking someone to permanently alter an antique ring, he or she should feel that jeweler is going to take good care of it. The lack of respect I felt today did not translate into confidence that they would offer any better customer service when it came to re-​sizing my existing ring, or assisting with any future purchases.
The text on M Lowe’s website makes it sound like the owners care about newly engaged couples. Perhaps their employees should read it.

This place is amazing. My fiancé and I scoured the Bay Area for a non-​cookie-​cutter engagement ring, and were on the brink of giving up when we stumbled onto M Lowe. I’m a little surprised by the negative reviews on Unilocal because not only was the selection great, but the staff was so warm and friendly and patient. We certainly don’t look like an expensive young couple; we weren’t even looking for a diamond for the engagement ring. But that day, I could almost believe that M Lowe was my personal jewelry box because the staff let me play with ALL of the rings. It was hours before I finally found my garnet ring, and I couldn’t imagine ever finding a better ring for me. Thank you M Lowe!

After scrolling the reviews for M. Lowe, I feel I’m detecting a trend. For shopping, people seem to love this place. However, when it comes to other customer-​focused services, M. Lowe struggles.
And I struggled with its jewelry repair services for an antique ring. I was told my ring repair would take about 3 weeks. 4 ½ weeks later, I still hadn’t received the call that my ring was ready, so I called. There was some confusion on their part about what, in fact, I had requested be done. NOT comforting. We had discussed the necessary repairs in detail at the store. I referred to my receipt to see the notes were incredibly vague — thus the problem. I was told it was more work than they had thought, and the cost would likely double. My confidence was rapidly waning.
A week or so later, the ring was ‘done.’ Unfortunately, when we went in the store to pick it up, my husband noticed they had done only half the job. Blah blah blah — two visits later, they agreed to send it back for repairs and said we could expect a call in 1 week. That time, things were pretty much on schedule, and my eagle-​eye hubbie said it looked all good. Fortunately, there was no mention of additional charges. The ring seems ok, but I don’t think I would return for repairs. I just don’t have the confidence in them necessary to entrust them with such valuable items.

Husband H. and I popped in here on a few days ago between post office-​ing, Cheeseboard-​ing, and grabbing a few last minutes gifts in the wonderful and tasty Gourmet Ghetto. The two ladies there were very helpful and made funny faces at Baby H., who sat in his stroller all happy and full of chuckles while we walked around searching for treasures. I tried on a gorgeous enameled copper necklace that they said was from an estate, but it was a little small on me. Then Husband H. and his amazing eye for lovely things appeared with a beautiful little hammered copper necklace featuring a bird carrying a small, orange fruit in its beak that dangled right in the hollow of my throat. It was perfect, and I’ve worn it every day since. We’ll definitely be popping in a whim again sometime.
The store has new as well as estate jewelry. They have fine jewelry full of sparkling diamonds, rubies, and other precious stones, but they also have less expensive (and to me, more appealing) pieces. It’s definitely worth going in if you’re looking for something special for your loved one or yourself.

I recently had my (now) Fiancé’s ring custom made at M. Low & Co. and it turned out amazing!
I brought in my grandmother’s imperial Jade stones to use for the ring, and being that I have never designed a ring, and hopefully won’t be designing another engagement ring ever again, I was pretty clueless about what exactly I wanted. The employees were very helpful in showing me different possibilities with rings they already had and what my options were for setting my stone. Once I found a ring that I really liked, they took it and drew up a few designs of what my ring would look like.
They were also very conscious of my time. Being that I went to them just under a month before I wanted to pop the question, they had to get started right away. They would constantly check in with me and my mom (who was helping me) to let us know how things were coming along.
I have since popped the question and have given the ring to my fiancé and she LOVES IT! She says it is the most beautiful piece of jewelry she has ever seen, and she is quite the jewelry critic… lol.
Thanks M. Lowe! :)

I went here with my fiancé to look at engagement rings. My family has been going to this store for years and we have had good experiences in the past. We were told we needed to come back to the store when Margo (the owner) was available. When we came in later that afternoon we described the ring we were looking for and gave her a price range to which she responded «oh, no, we can’t do it for near that price» and shook her head at us. Not only was she unwelcoming when we were first introduced, but she did not offer any suggestions on how we could work on the design to stay within our budget, etc. She then told us she would see what she could do and call us later in the week (all the while shaking her head at us). It has now been over two weeks, she has not called. We were able to find several other jewelers able to make the EXACT ring we were looking for in our price range and ended up going with Oaks jewlers on Solano.
Given the economy you would think any owner of a small jewelery store would go out of their way to make customers feel welcomed, but not Margo. I have always loved this store, looking at their pieces in the windows, etc. But after meeting the owner neither I nor any of my family members will ever be supporting this business again.