D V V S

Honest, generous, kind, mellow, beautiful repair/​sizing/​cleaning work. Not to mention $ 40 formal appraisal that we used for insurance; and free initial appraisal (without my even asking) to tell which pieces it was worth spending the $ 40 to appraise. Evans is way cool.

I stopped by today after purchasing a piece of jewelry around the corner, as recommended from the dealer, for engraving. The first thing I saw was a dog in bad need of a haircut on the desk. The place smells of animal dander and the displays looks cheap. The man working, whom I presume is the owner (there was another dog on his desk!) let me know that yes they do engraving, but he probably wouldn’t be able to get around to it until after the weekend. Fine, I get that maybe it couldn’t be done right away. But these workers were just sitting around and couldn’t even explain why it would take so long. These people are rude and condescending and I would never return there again.

I bought my wedding ring here a few months ago, and I can’t recommend it enough. My wife and I worked mostly Courtney, but the rest of the staff was really helpful at times too. Considering that we spent a long time looking, and didn’t make a decision right away, I was impressed that they were not pushy at all. In fact, Courtney encouraged us to take our time thinking through the decision, which we appreciated. In the end, I got a beautiful, hammered-​gold ring. It was exactly what I wanted. They also sized it perfectly and did a nice job engraving the inside, all in less time than they originally said it would take. I loved it when I got it, and three months later, I still love it.
From what I saw at other jewelry stores (especially chains), they have a superior selection, competitive prices, and much more attentive service. Also, even though I just discovered them, it’s clear that they are a neighborhood fixture. So if you are looking for any jewelry, not just wedding-​related, there’s really no reason not to go here. Highly, highly recommended.

Purchase your jewels here!!! The selection is fantastic and very unusual. Not your everyday run of the mill. The staff is incredible and so helpful. Courtney was so patient and knowledgable in helping us select our wedding rings.
I am so happy and thankful that nobody will be walking around with my ring on their finger. I have a one of a kind!
If y are looking for a special jewel at reasonable prices along with great service. Go Here!!!
Thank you to the staff at DVVS.

Searching for an engagement ring was quite the daunting task, until we found DVVS. When we first walked in we were greeted by Evans and we told him we were looking to get an engagement ring. Unlike all our other experiences, Evans asked us numerous questions to get a sense of what we were looking for. Then instead of pushing a ring on us, he helped to educate us on all the different styles of rings and stones. We then told him that we had originally planned to design our own ring, but felt it would be too expensive and difficult to get done. He suggested we come back in with some sketches and images of what we wanted and that he would help us design a ring within our budget.
We had several meetings to discuss the design and choose a stone before he had a model made. Every visit felt like we were designing a ring with our friends and not a retailer trying to make a quick profit. Both Evans and Jim were very patient and supportive throughout the whole process. In the end, we got the perfect ring and a wonderful experience that we will always remember. If anyone is looking to have a positive and enjoyable experience getting an engagement ring, we suggest that they go to DVVS!

I found DVVS through their Village Voice ads in 1997 when shopping for a jeweler to create a custom platinum engagement ring. They did an amazing job translating my vision with my diamond and their design ideas. I went back for our wedding bands, wedding gifts and much more through the years.
I recently went back with some repairs and found many exciting new pieces to add to my wish list.
I find their assortment well curated. Their service top notch. And their knowledge excels.

Jim and Evans have saved-​the-​jewelry-​day for my husband and I on many occasions. They’re knowledgeable about the trade/​craft, curate beautiful/​different pieces and suggest creative solutions. They are also warm, hilarious, eccentric, fair-​priced, and down to earth. Exactly what you would dream for in a jeweler located on West 19^th Street! They highly value their customers and their work, and in turn, we trust them completely. Hope to see you soon, J&E!

Sad to say, avoid these guys, as near as I can tell they have checked out. Just a storefront now, they send their work outside and unfortunately it shows.
I brought in two simple repairs — a john hardy cufflink and an ornate silver spoon.
Jim/​Evans were very pleasant initially. I explained what I wanted, they looked at everything and said no problem.
Two weeks went by with no word. We had to check back in, after which they apparently rushed the repairs.
When I picked up, the cufflink had spot welds around the perimeter whereas it was originally welded on the inside. I specifically asked them if they could fix it as it was and brought in the second cufflink to show them and made sure they understood. When I pointed this out to Evans, he knew what I was talking about. To make matters worse, not only did it sully the cut-​through design on the back, but the welds were sloppy, with hard points sticking up.
The silver spoon also had a sloppy weld on it. It’s in serious need of sanding. Or, better yet, just doing a decent job to begin with.
When I calmly asked about getting this resolved, Evans raised his voice in front of other customers and told me that I was giving him a ‘REAL ATTITUDE’ and that he had ‘40K ENGAGEMENT RINGS THAT WERE FRANKLY HIGHER PRIORITY’.
Well, the fact of the matter is that I gave them two easy repairs and whoever they farmed them out to did both poorly. If you can’t do a job, then don’t take it. And if you can’t do a cufflink, you probably should think twice about doing 40k rings.
At least Evans had the presence of mind to not charge me. He also mumbled something about a different guy he could send the cufflink out to and how the spoon could be fixed with five minutes in a machine he did not have. Oh, and that everyone would be on vacation but I could come back in two or three weeks and he could send them out again again and charge me then. Right. I’ll go to someone who still cares. And isn’t a jerk.

I am a thoroughly pleased long time customer of DVVS. In the past 5 years we’ve purchased 5 pieces and all but one were custom designs. DVVS came highly recommended by a trusted friend who was in love with her custom engagement ring from DVVS. Jim, Evans, and the DVVS staff have always been professional, consultative, accommodating, and even generous; they go the extra mile. They have consistently focused on ensuring that we are in love with each piece and we always are! All of our pieces are continually complimented by friends, family, acquaintances, and passersby. I recommended DVVS strongly and without hesitation.

I feel bad writing this review but honestly DVVS should be avoided.
First the good things: Evans, Jim, and Courtney are generally really nice and easy to work with. That’s not always the case with jewelers, especially in the city. They also were very flexible and willing to do whatever we asked. They offered some advice but were not overbearing. And, at first, their prices are quite reasonable.
So why is this a 1 star review? Because they failed at nearly every aspect of the purchase process, there is really no other rating that fits.
Next, my story. I planned to propose and wanted to find a ring for my girlfriend that she’d love at a price I could afford. DVVS had great reviews on Unilocal,so I checked it out (along with many, many other places). More than most jewelers, Evans came across as friendly and easy to work with. I showed him my design, he said it was possible to custom create. Then, I talked to one of my lady’s friends and got some insight. I completely changed directions on the ring and used a wedding band they had in stock but asked Evans to add a post to hold a center stone to make it look more like an engagement ring. I provided the center stone. The price on the band was ~$ 1200 but he said that was for white gold, I wanted palladium white gold and the post to hold the center stone so he bumped up the price. I ended up paying $ 1400 – 1500. He was also instructed to make the ring a size 7.25.
During the process, I realized that I was probably overpaying quite a bit and attempted to negotiate the price. Evans said he doesn’t negotiate prices. I definitely overpaid by probably $ 200 but the ring turned out quite nice. Almost everyone that saw it thought it was unique and beautiful.
After a few days of wearing the ring, my new fiancée was experiencing discomfort. We closely examined the ring and noticed that the diamonds around the band were set in such a way that they dug in to her finger. WHAT?! A thorough inspection of the ring would have easily showed this and Evans should have caught it. He didn’t catch it. So we asked him to fix it. He was so embarrassed and said he’d have his setter fix it right away. This was a Tuesday, he said he’d have it by the weekend. Delay after delay after delay. We didn’t get the ring back for nearly 3 WEEKS. Then, when we got it back, the size had miraculously shrunk to a 6.75 (from a 7.25). That’s half a size! Now my fiancée had trouble getting the ring on and off, especially because it’s been warm and fingers swell in the heat. That’s bad workmanship.
To complicate matters further, my fiancée had a different ring design in mind so we decided to go in a new direction. Evans said we couldn’t return the ring because it was a custom order. He also refused to give us some store credit for the ring his diamond setter botched. He suggested I try to sell it on eBay.
For the new ring, we went to the diamond district. I’d been avoiding it because my first experiences there were rough. But there are so many vendors that if you keep looking, you’ll find a nice one. Not to mention, they’ll negotiate on price. The place we went with is doing a pavé band (with more diamonds than the one Evans sold me) for significantly cheaper. Our new guy also told us that if we have any concerns or complaints, we can bring the ring back.
While part of the bad experience is not due to Evans (my fiancée wanting something different in a design), the fact that they wouldn’t negotiate their above market prices, made the ring wrong, fixed it wrong, and wouldn’t take it back or make any accommodation made an unfortunate situation much worse. I feel bad writing this because Evans, Jim, and Courtney are nice but other people should know to avoid DVVS and go somewhere else.

There’s not much to say here that hasn’t already been said. This is a wonderfully curated jewelry store. The staff are uniformly friendly, kind, welcoming and attentive. Hands down the best jewelry store service experience I’ve ever had.
The merchandise runs the gamut from classic to stylish. It’s hard to go wrong here with the available choices. What they don’t have in stock, they can get for you.
I’ve also used them for jewelry repairs. Everything was done perfectly, delivered when promised and at a lower price than expected.
If you’re in Manhattan, there’s no reason to go anywhere else.

My fiancée and I came here to design her engagement ring and our weddings bands, and we were thrilled with the final result. Jim and Evans are friendly and knowledgable and it was such a relief to experience the laid-​back vibe of the store after feeling like shark bait while window shopping in the midtown Diamond district. The custom work they did for us was spectacular, and we ended up with exactly the rings we wanted. On another note, we’ve since gone back to have some family jewelry appraised and were impressed with Evans’ expertise and diligence in researching the most up to date pricing. The $ 40 appraisal rate is listed under the ‘about this business’ section and we felt it was very reasonable compared to other appraisers in the city.

I went here based on Unilocal reviews to get my rings appraised and get my fiancé’s ring resized. The price I saw on Unilocal of $ 25 per piece has gone up to $ 40 PER PIECE, which was dissapointing. Also the appraisal felt amateur. They did not test the metal and just seemed to research on the internet the approximate value of the rings. Also one of the rings had a gemonology appraisal identification number which was also looked up and just typed up. I thought more had to be verified for it to be a legit appraisal.

What upset me the most was that they quoted the ring resize to be $ 150-​$ 200 and that they would call in advance to let me know what it would cost. After a week I had to call them and they went ahead with the resizing and charged me $ 250 without notifying me, as they said they would. I had no choice but to pay.
They seem very friendly and complimentary but I realize $ 380 later that it is just a sales technique. It’s very upsetting. I would go somewhere else.

There are very few businesses like this at all. From the first conversation, you feel like you walked into someone’s home and you are welcome there. Period. The folks are very patient and are extremely experienced in the business of jewelry. They have seen happy and sad outcomes and learned a lot about how to help you make the best choice, whether it means to say nothing or stop you when it counts. The folks have probably seen your particular situation and will do everything so that, at the end, you will seriously thank them. I’m so picky that it was hard to believe that someone can endure my inquiries. But they did and I am happy with my choice. Thank you Jim, Evans and Courtney.

We had a great experience buying our wedding rings here. The owners are so kind and supportive, I feel like going back to just hang out with them.
There are incredible options in terms of customizing rings; they will offer to change them however you want to suit your liking. We found rings we loved, it was very unintimidating. What could have been one of the hardest items on our wedding planning to-​do list was one of the easiest and most enjoyable thanks to DVVS.

Today I got an appraisal on my engagement ring and the service was phenomenal. Evans Siskel was extremely professional and knowledgeable regarding the appraisals needed for insurance purposes, and very knowledgeable regarding diamond quality and gold. They have an appraisal system in their computer and they provide a letter with the the appraisal information and it’s signed by the appraiser. If you are looking to get your jewelry appraised, look no further! This is the place you need to go. Thank you for such great service. The appraisal price per piece is $ 25.00.

I went to DVVS last week to get my engagement ring appraised. Since the ring is a family heirloom that is over 100 years old, I didn’t have a GIA certificate or know the carat weight of the stone. Not a problem! Evans spent a long time examining the stone and taking measurements. I felt like he did a thorough job appraising it, and also explained everything along the way and showed me how each aspect is graded. During the appraisal, one of the other owners arrived from a trip to the diamond district, and entertained me by showing off his purchases while I waited for Evans to finish the appraisal. The customer service I received exceeded my expectations; everyone was so friendly. I plan to come back in a few months to get my wedding band here.

It has been wonderful working with Jim & Evans. Like previous reviewers mentioned, they are honest, creative, knowledgeable and supportive.
My fiancé came to them with a goal to design a «different» kind of an engagement ring. They did a great job of listening to his ideas and providing guidance & expertise about the ring, the metals, and the stones.
My ring came out beautiful and I get complimented on it all the time.
For the level of service and price they cannot be beat. Highly recommend this place.

I went to look at wedding rings with my fiancé last year before our wedding and I was very skeptical. I like very simple and vintage and I was not sure if I would find something I liked. LOVED the staff, the dogs and I found a beautiful wedding ring I adore. I am so not traditional and again, like to keep it simple and I just loved what I found at DVVS.
No shopping around needed. I made up my mind in 20 min. Ha!

I can’t say it better than Jimmy L., but of course, like any good Unilocaler with an opinion, I’ll try: DVVS is a gem among jewelry stores. I highly recommend the place for the interesting, off-​the-​beaten path jewelry, including wedding rings; the fair prices; the lovely staff and owners; and the two cute dogs who guard (ok, sleep in) the store.
I can say without too much exaggeration that my SO and I combed Manhattan, New Jersey and Brooklyn to find our perfect wedding rings. We visited everything from tiny, artsy fartsy East Village /​Brooklyn /​Princeton /​Montclair jewelry studios and make-​your-​own wedding ring operations to shady stores in the Diamond District and high falutin’ Fifth Avenue institutions. After a while, all wedding rings started to look a little samey and we became pretty tired of relentless, Glengarry Glen Ross-​type salespersons. The idea of getting ring tattoos or drawing them on with a permanent marker started to sound like a good one.
At the nadir of our search, we dropped into DVVS without any real expectations of finding something we’d like. As soon as I walked in, though, I knew this place was different… wonderfully so. It wasn’t just that there were dogs sleeping on top of the desks in the back (though in truth, I am a total sucker for any establishment with a house dog). The rings were unique and absolutely beautiful, especially those by Alex Sepkus, Todd Reed and George Sawyer. They were artsy without being fartsy and many were shockingly reasonably priced. Despite the store’s diminutive size, the selection of rings was quite large and varied.
The salesperson (co-​owner?), Kay, was very helpful, yet incredibly laid back. There was no attempt to steer us towards more expensive rings, no pressure to choose a ring on the spot. In fact, there was pressure to think about a less expensive metal than the one we wanted, which included long, interesting discussions of the pros and cons of white and rose gold, titanium, mixed metal pieces, etc… And there was pressure to go home and think more about the type of rings we really wanted since I was getting a little too gushy about every other ring I picked up in the store. I knew after 10 minutes that I’d buy my ring, there… The question was: Which one?!
Well, to make a long story short, after a few more visits and phone calls about the availability of non-​conflict diamonds, we ordered our rings. (Kay didn’t think they could trace the origins of the smaller diamonds used in the Sepkus pieces, so we ended up leaving them out… Less profit for them, but she was very honest about the advice!) We picked up the finished pieces a few days ago, after not too long a wait, and they are so beautiful and interesting, yet simple, I keep sneaking peeks at them. I’m not a jewelry person at all, but I can’t wait to wear this ring.