Re-fined

2^nd time fixing a thin silver choker for me. It cost me $ 20 this time last time it was $ 10 and the guy didn’t even clean the necklace. I’ve never gotten a piece of jewelry back from a jeweler dirty. I will never support them and I strongly suggest you don’t.

I walked in with a simple question about a bracelet I’d gotten as a gift, and they were very helpful!

Update: I did end up getting my customized wedding band here, and I am so glad I did! It’s beautiful and absolutely perfect. I get compliments on the set all the time. Another great experience!

Update #2: is anyone else who’s given this business a poor review been contacted by the owners in a really unprofessional manner? I just received a message from owner Mike D.: «your [sic] a very evil person — karama [sic] will catch up to you. have a good one.» This is honestly starting to feel creepy and threatening. I left a one-​star review for this business well over a year ago — why are they still contacting me? (And in such an unprofessional manner no less). I had to report the business to Unilocal and have them blocked from messaging me. (Before this they were calling my husband to get me to change the review — but not offering to rectify the poor service they provided).
I also received a message from «Robert G» (account:
). The subject line of Robert’s email is: «lieing [sic] bitch». Robert writes: «nothing better to do– fucking ugly lieing [sic] asshole.» Not sure whether he’s connected to Re-​Fined or not, but both messages from Mike D. and Robert G. contain incorrect spelling, use of a hyphen, and lack of capitalization.
If anyone else who has experienced anything similar from these guys wants to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, they may do so at:

My fiancé and I went in to just get a ring guard; which cost $ 25!!! I should’ve said something the minute he quoted the price, but I saw my fiancé happily pulling out money to pay for it– no, the ring guard is not a precious metal and yes, you can go to any other jeweler and they will only charge you $ 5. Beware, unless you’re willing to pay 5xs the cost!!!

I had a pretty comical experience here, except for the fact that I purchased maybe a $ 60 necklace for $ 360! Story as follows —
–We paid $ 360 for a necklace, which was supposed to have hand-​crafted stamps with my childrens initials and birthstones embedded in the stamp. Pretty standard request.
— They charged me for a black diamond, and used an inferior stone in its place
— The necklace took nearly two months to make, when the quoted time was two weeks
— The stones were not embedded into the stamps as requested and noted on the invoice, they were hung off the chain. It had taken so long to ‘handcraft’, I just accepted the incorrectly made necklace (my bad)
— A stone broke off of the necklace within two weeks of purchase. I was accused of hitting the necklace against something. Twice.
— The stones were pulled from another brands necklace, as confirmed by Re-​Fined owner Mark Davidoff accidentally, when he offered to replace the missing stone immediately, pointing to another identically set stone on a regular necklace. He soon realized his error and has backtracked.
— I have had the necklace looked at by a reputable jeweler, he said the necklace with remaining stone is worth no more than $ 40. So unless the stone which fell off was actually valuable, which I doubt, I just got ripped off to the tune of around $ 300.
— Upon asking for a refund, I was told (by Mark Davidoff — the owner, in person while I was in the shop) that I am ‘a bad person’. Why I asked? Because I ‘do not appreciate handcrafted jewelry’. Also, ‘another owner’ phoned me to discuss (who sounded exactly like Mark — coincidence??), and I was told that he does not want my business.
You cannot make this stuff up! I can’t even be angry, the whole process from start to finish has been so laughable. These guys are clowns peddling their ‘handcrafted’ nonsense. Lesson well learned!

I have walked by re-​fined many times, with it being a small jewelry shop in my neighborhood. You must stop in and check it out if you love simple tasteful jewelry. Avi was a pleasure to work from start to finish. You can tell that he puts love and care into every created piece. I bought a beautiful necklace that I am looking forward to wearing. Definitely check out this spot-​neighborhood gem.

I bought a perfect vintage engagement ring — for my wedding ring. I sincerely enjoyed the experience from start to finish.
There is a fabulous selection of engagement rings here. I highly encourage all the Brooklyn couples /​girls /​guys to put this on their radar when looking to pop the question. The wedding bands we well curated as well.
There is also a fabulous selection on non-​wedding jewelry. There are beautiful pearl choices; fun ditsy rings and earrings; statement pieces; etc. There is a lot to find here.
I had a wonderful experience with customer service as well. The ring needed to be sized and it was done so within the weekend I purchased it.
I believe the value is appropriate at market prices as well.
This is one of my new favorite spots! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I really wanted to like these guys. When I talked to them when I dropped my items off they sounded like they knew what they were doing. But no. I had them repair several items for me and upon examining them when I got home I saw that the work was sloppy and poorly done. I am so disappointed and upset… they actually totally ruined one ring when they sized it. It had a nice sturdy band and had 19^th century hallmarks on it (the hallmarks were on the side, away from the part that was touched by the sizing). When I got it back, the band was half the width it was when I brought it in and the hallmarks were gone — polished off for no reason. I am certain that both of these things — the thinning of the band and the removal of the hallmarks were totally unnecessary because I spent many years making jewelry myself. The only reason I didn’t fix the ring myself was that it’s been a long time since I worked in metal and because I don’t have a space to solder. :(

I cannot express how glad I am that I came into this store today. I don’t know where all these reviews on Unilocal came from. First off the workers behind the counter were such nice people and helped me find what I was looking for and the price I wanted to pay. Also my wife needed some watches and jewelry to be repaired and they fixed it really quick and cheaper than everywhere else in the neighborhood! I would recommend this place to everyone. My daughter just told me she saw a beautiful pair of earrings in that store I went with her to the store and they helped me with the price, my daughter and I left very happy! I hope this place stays open forever and I will definitely be back!

I should have read these reviews before I took a piece of family jewelry in to be sized here. When I picked it up the setting was loose, and when I asked about it I was given a gruff unapologetic response and that I would have to pick it up another day. I took the ring as is instead afraid that when I came back for it they would insist on more money. When I got home it took me about three minuets to pressure the stone back in place myself.

I’ve been in search for a place where I could have my rings re-​sized and get rid of a few gold ones as well. When i walked into Re-​fined, I took a few looks around the store to see what they were all about. It’s very hard for me to trust people, yet alone someone who will be dealing with my fine pieces. There was a gentleman who helped me out by the name of Mark. Him and I had had a lot of work done since then.
Instead of just getting rid of my pieces he offered to recreate something that I would like, that it was better and i wouldn’t be loosing money. Now STOP! that right there is a plus for me. He could have just thrown me any number and I would gladly take the cash for the gold pieces. But instead, we ended up making a few stunning pieces out of the junk I had.
I was surprised when I saw the negative comments below. I know dozens of people and local residence who shop there and are absolutely happy about it. One lady, Gina, told me they even delivered a piece that she had repaired there once because shes wanted to wear it and couldn’t get to them and to the event in time.
I’m happy to say that I get my jewelry and gifts refined at Re-​fined!

The inventory is very eclectic and the employees who assisted me were very accommodating. I am not educated as to comparable price points at other custom and antique jewelry dealers so I can’t speak about my opinion on whether I feel their pricing is fair or above market value. I can only speak about the friendly and prompt service I received. I will return to this store, and the next time I am looking for something specific I will certainly make this shop one of my destinations. They seem to be extremely experienced and knowledgeable and they have inspired me to become more informed about fine jewelry and watches and the value of precious metals and stones. Give this store a chance-​even if the few negative reviews on this site are true, I would guess that they were isolated incidents and not the norm.

STOP + READ
We were first drawn in to the eclectic and beautiful jewlery displayed in the cases that we saw from the sidewalk. We decided to check it out, my engagement ring is a family heirloom, belonging to my Great Great Grandmother. They claim to work with estate and antique jewlery so in trusting that we gave it a try when the center prong needed replaced.
Here is where it gets good…
They took my ring and without telling us, sent it off to some random repair shop in the city. My husband picked it up 3 days later (they made him run across the street to Rivet, their other shop, to pay) only to find the setting squashed from it’s original setting. Leaving on our much anticipated honeymoon just one week later we were hesitant to have them re-​do the work but Michael told us if it couldn’t be done in time he’d call and let us know. Without word they sent the ring back to the unqualifed repair person and we called to find out where it was days later (of course Michael never called us). We picked up the ring the day before leaving to find it completely raw/​unfinished and looking like a cheap piece of costume jewlery. They stripped the character of this classic beauty that’s been in my family for over 100 years. I was devestated and demanded a refund. Avi (Michael’s minion) went on and on and on, speaking in circles and taking no ownership for this shotty work. Explaining that he shut down the register already (3 hours before closing mind you, obvious lie) and he can’t do refunds anyway, we’d have to come back when Michael was in. He had no idea when that would be, maybe Sunday he says. These men are crooks and extremely shady. We told them since they made us pay at Rivet then Rivet should be able to process a refund and give us our money back. They wouldn’t hear of that common sense.
We always support local business in the neighborhood but we need to get these guys out of there. They ruin all that’s good in a small business. Disgusting.

This place has beautiful, beautiful jewelry. Vintage engagement rings that very from modern to art deco/​eduardian. Second hand pieces (Cartier love bracelet was sittin’ pretty when I was last in there) along with a variety of very cool, very expensive watches.
I’ve bought a pair of gold filled earrings here that they were kind enough to «double dip» for me after my inquiries about shelf life and tarnishing.
I can definitely see people’s frustration with Re-​Fined — when asked how much a new initial/​gem stone necklace cost (that they designed and made there) I was given two different prices and then told that I could buy it for another (even less price). This made me question the legitimacy of the pricing and left me wondering if they are being fair with their prices, which seem very, very high to begin with.
That said, their Satya and Tashi jewelry is comparable to other stores or online prices (I bought Tashi earrings this time around). Makes sense since these designers most likely set the price.
The take away from this review? Seems like perhaps you can find a true gem be it vintage or new, but beware of the prices and maybe even bargain a little?

DEFINITELY get a written quote when dealing with these people. Better yet, find somewhere else to go… The owners are liars and complete dirt bags.
I brought three pieces in to be fixed and the scumbag owner told me he could fix them in just a few days and gave me a quote. Two weeks go by (apparently they were waiting on one piece or another to fix the necklaces. Who knows) and when I came in to pick them up, one piece was not at all fixed (it was actually in worse condition than when I brought it in) and two were fixed with crappy clasps. On top of that, he over charged me what he originally quoted and basically called me a liar, claiming that what I was told was «impossible.»
He talks his way around the truth and acts like a complete scuzz bucket. These people do crappy work and are completely dishonest. With this winning combination, this place will NOT be in business for long.

I went I this store to get a bunch of charms put on a charm bracelet and another resoldered. They quoted me $ 50 for the charms and $ 60 for the resoldering, so I decided to only get the charms put on. It was agreed that ring would be put on each charm, and I thought it was a little expensive, but figured they are a local business and they would do a good job. Upon going to pick it up, not only were some of the charms simply fixed on with their original clasps (in essence just clipping them on, which I could do myself!) but I was told it would $ 145! They said the quote for $ 50 was for the other bracelet and chalked it up to a misunderstanding, hence I have given two stars rather than one. They were quite good about agreeing to meet me at $ 50, but now I still have a crap looking bracelet that I paid $ 50 for! Get a written quote when dealing with these guys.

I went here for an engagement ring after reading a short write-​up that NY Mag did of this place. They have some nice pieces, and I spoke to Owner 1 about engagement rings and what he could offer, etc. I spent a couple hundred bucks on a nice bracelet I knew my GF would like and left feeling pretty good about the place and the options.
Over the next few weeks, Owner 1 sent me pics and descriptions of stones that would enhance a ring I had liked, and I was on board with spending some extra money to get a nicer diamond and make the piece personal. So we agreed on a stone and talked details and price. I went in and dropped a down payment, which he asked for to get started replacing the stone. I made some proposal plans and scheduled it just before a planned trip to see my family so I could announce.
When the ring was done, Owner 1 sent me some pics, and I was excited to go pick it up.
Pause here. A number of small things had transpired during this 3 – 4 week process that I will not take your time to describe, but suffice to say that when it was done, I went to pick up the ring with excitement and some small level of apprehension about the deal’s integrity – probably nothing abnormal for this kind of purchase.
When I arrived on the appointed day, Owner 1 was not present. Owner 2 was behind the counter – someone I had met briefly on a previous visit to the store. He showed me the ring. It looked nice. He then produced a piece of paper that said «Appraisal» at the top. It did not list the name of the store, it did not name the appraiser. It did not list any authority or standard that governed the appraisal. It contained several lines of handwritten scrawl presumably describing the ring and its characteristics, and it appraised the ring at about 180% of the value I was paying for it.
I asked Owner 2 to help me parse out the handwritten lines, and saw that the listed center stone was only 30% of the karats of the diamond we had agreed on.
When I pointed this out, I was told it was a typo that occurred because Owner 1 had done an appraisal just before this one and simply mixed up the entries.
I was concerned. This is not the kind of transaction where one wants to see mistakes. But after a quick phone call, I was assured that Owner 1 was on the way and would correct the mistake. I took a walk around the block. Owner 1 texted me to apologize and say he had been held up in the city. I asked him what his ETA was and he texted back that it could be «a little while.» I arrived back at the store 90 seconds later. Owner 2 announced that I had just missed Owner 1, who had quickly completed a new appraisal, then rushed out. He produced the new appraisal to show me the corrected figures.
I was very concerned. I told Owner 2 about the texts from Owner 1, but did not receive a credible answer. Disappointed but willing to investigate further, I said simply that at this point I was going to need an independent appraisal of the ring.
I left the store and the next day I found a jeweler close by who had been around a while and had excellent reviews online. I called and was told they could do an appraisal. I explained that I was hoped to purchase a ring but wanted an independent appraisal. They said no problem. Owner 1 agreed to take it over.
I was feeling like everything was going to work out.
30 minutes later I got two phone calls. Owner 1 called and told me that they refused to perform the appraisal because he was a competitor. I hung up very concerned. The appraiser then called and said they felt «very uncomfortable with the situation». They «didn’t want to get involved» and apologized that they could not complete the appraisal.
I was totally crushed. I felt this confirmed my suspicions that I was getting ripped off. I checked my impressions against a couple of trusted and level-​headed friends to make sure I wasn’t off base, and somewhat to my disappointment, they were even more emphatic than me that the deal was bad.
I went back to the store the next day. Both owners were there, and I said I was not comfortable moving forward. They (perhaps understandably) would not agree to let me take the ring for another appraisal without buying it, and there was no way I was going to give them more money at this point.
I quickly got down to the question of the deposit. They were indignant and refused to acknowledge that anything had gone wrong. Owner 1 told me the appraiser was a distant relative and there was bad blood in the family that lead him to refuse the appraisal. (I was unconvinced). At a couple points Owner 2 even got up in my face and got loud – it was not pretty.
After much argumentation, I walked out with ²⁄₃ of the deposit and a set of broken engagement plans, a very unsatisfied customer.
When purchasing precious stones or metals, I rely on the integrity and accuracy of the jeweler. I got mistakes and dishonesty here, and wouldn’t go back for more.