Venus by Maria Tash

I can not recommend Venus by Maria Tash strongly enough. I have been here several times and every single staff member is professional, patient, kind and a pleasure to work with. I took my 14 year old daughter here for a tragus piercing and the experience was exceptional. Rob did the piercing, he should have an MD in piercing he was so good. On top of the skill set of the staff, Maria designs exquisite jewelry. I took my daughter back for a follow up check and again the staff was just incredible.
I have already recommended Maria Tash to several people and will continue to do so. They deserve all the piercing business in NYC.

The next day after I made my review I got an email, funny how that works. Anyway they offered some great responses about what to do next and even offered a deep discount to come back. I understand everyone reacts differently to cartilage piercings, so I’m going to give them another chance.

I won’t complain about the high prices. I see the price before I buy, I agree to it. That’s it. I don’t think it’s fair to ding a store because you think it’s expensive.
I did remove one star because the customer service over the phone was poor.
I found Venus by Maria Tash online. I thought the earing selection was amazing. Small sizes, beautiful designs and diamond!!! After checking out the website, looking at the Instagram photos from the website, I knew I wanted to place an order for something! I joined up to receive the newsletter, and to my surprise, they sent me a $ 20 off coupon for an online order. Perfect! I finally decide what I want… everything is so beautiful… I chose the items but the coupon code won’t work. I try again. No luck. I call the store. It was a Saturday night, and the girl who answered sounded rushed. I explained what was happening and asked how I can get the code to work. Even though $ 20 is a drop in the bucket compared to what I was about to spend, I still want to save that $ 20! She said the coupon code was no longer valid. I told her I just signed up that day and got the code that same day… how can it not be valid? he put me on hold. Came back to tell me she asked the other piercer and he knew nothing about, so I had to call back Monday, because they were really busy with customers.
Well guess what, I am a customer too. But the girl on the other end of the line was rushing me off the phone. We hung up. Very poor customer service. I can understand if the shop is busy, but I never even received an apology for the code they sent me, not working. I just said, forget it, I will not purchase from this store. But I kept thinking about the earrings and wanted them. So the next day, Sunday I decided I would try the code again online. No luck, but this time I noticed they had a live chat button.
I clicked on it and got someone named Olivia. I explained the code wasn’t working. She sent me a new one, for $ 5 more for my trouble, and this one worked. Olivia was fast, polite, understood what my issue was, and worked quick to solve it. I placed my order, shipped it overnight and got it Monday.
The earrings are beyond beautiful. They are delicate, yet sturdy. They are very lightweight… they do not weigh down your ear. The diamonds sparkle like mad. The workmanship is excellent No rough areas, they click open and shut very easily. I loved them so much (rose gold) I bought 2 more pairs (this time in yellow gold) the next day! They are expensive, but they look like nothing else I have ever seen. It’s just a matter of time before I make another purchase.
But next time will be in person. I want to get a tragus piercing. Read all the info on the website, it’s very informative, and they even show you the sizes of the earrings, 7/​8, ¼, etc… this photo was extremely helpful. I was able to choose the right size for the 4 earrings I bought. The Instagram photos were also helpful, you see them on other people, worn in different ways. Very helpful.

A jewel for the piercing gawds. Hands down my ONLY go to place for nostril jewelry. The pieces are amazing they have tons of selections and their jewelry is pure gold. They offer practically ever piece in white, yellow or rose gold. Totally worth the price. Now to the most important part. The service is Ah-​mazing!!! The jewelry contains no Nickle so anyone hyper sensitive should have no problems. Ben is the best he is always happy chipper and extremely kind. I’ve never had a problem with any of my piercings he’s also super quick but not in a I’m rushing to get you out of here way, the man just knows what he’s doing. all of the staff is great. Thumbs Up!

Got my helix pierced here, and the piercing itself went smoothly and I haven’t had any issues with it. However, I was somewhat disappointed with my experience at the shop in general, after having read so many good reviews.
Their website says that they have jewelry $ 15 and up, and they do not. I asked to see the cheapest jewelry, and she showed me some studs. So after I had asked to see a pair, I asked how much they were. She said she’d check, and didn’t tell me the price until she had already rung me up and was asking for payment. It was $ 130 for a pretty simple stud, not including the piercing itself. At that point, there were already a number of other people that had come into the shop looking to see jewelry, and I didn’t want to be a hassle. I acknowledge that it was partially my fault, but I didn’t feel that the jewelry was worth that much and was disappointed in how it was handled and that she didn’t let me know in advance so that I could make an actual decision.
If you’re okay with dropping a ton of money on a piercing, then this is a good place to go. But otherwise, I would look around until you found somewhere else.

I knew I would have a difficult time making a decision because everything here is so beautiful. at this point, I had my septum pierced for over a year with a typical septum ring and had been wanting to upgrade for a few months. I chose to invest in myself and went in.
I am obsessed with this boutique, everything about this place literally heaven on earth for the jewelry and piercing enthusiast. their quality and beauty is beyond comparison to much else I have seen.
after viewing their selection I was able to narrow my choices down to three rings, and ultimately went with the first one my heart reached out towards. they put it in for me for an additional 10 $ which was actually necessary bc the ring was thicker than the hole so we had to taper the piercing. (ouch, I felt that one) but it was SO worth it because now I’ve had this ring in for over a year and am so satisfied with my selection. when (if) I feel like another change, I will absolutely be going back here.

My girlfriend and I came in a few months ago for her to get a tragus piercing and for me to get new jewelry for my conch and forward helix. I purchased two white gold hoops for around two hundred fifty dollars. The piercing service seemed sterile, and Ashley was quick, clean, professional, and pleasant. We both left Maria Tash satisfied with the service.
For the first week, my girlfriend’s piercing looked like it was healing well. She was following Ashley’s instructions and even purchased the recommended sterile pads from Tash. There was no swelling whatsoever… Until 8 days in, in a matter of 2 hours, the piercing became viciously infected, the ear swelled around the piercing, and she had to have the earring surgically removed.
I’m not implying this was necessarily Maria Tash’s fault; piercings are tricky and there are always confounding factors. However, in the future, we will not be getting further piercings here.
Regarding the quality of Tash jewelry, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. Although my small helix ring has stayed in place, my conch ring was cheaply made, with a pitiful clasp (that comes undone several times a day), and has bent out of shape from daily wear. After spending so much money, I expected a ring that would, at the very least, stay in my ear. If you’re looking for new jewelry, you would be better off visiting a tattoo parlor and buying surgical steel rings for half the price and quadruple the durability.
For such a famous name, this was a pathetic experience I wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy.

I’d wanted to get my nose pierced for a while and after researching decided this would be the place to do it.
I walked into the shop one day without an appointment. No problem. No wait. I told the girl behind the counter what I wanted and she directed me to the type of jewelry that fit my request. It was a bit more expensive than what I saw online (total, I probably paid about $ 80 more than what I had expected, but I knew if I walked away then, I might chicken out and never come back.) After choosing a stud, another employee helped me choose aftercare and then rang me up.
Upstairs in one of the very sanitary looking little piercing studios, Ashley did my piercing. She was super nice and had great «bedside manner.» (It was obvious I was very nervous.) She showed me how the jewelry would be sterilized and then talked me through the entire process (they use needles, not guns).
The actual piercing took half a second and didn’t hurt at all, like not even as bad as a shot. No tears. No watery eyes.
After about the first day the redness went away and there was no bleeding. No pain after two days or so. And now, two months later, everything’s great. I’d definitely recommend this studio, especially if it’s your first piercing. They’re very professional!

Great customer service and selection! Can’t wait to go get some piercings.

I got my helix and my third and second holes pierced at Maria Tash within the same week. I found this place based on the reviews and all the Victoria’s Secret models sporting her jewelry and I’m not disappointed. Their hoops are gorgeous and there’s so much to choose from. The jewelry might be a tad expensive (especially if you go for the diamonds), but totally worth it! The service was friendly and professional and as a walk-​in, my wait time was always 10 – 15 minutes. My piercer, Ashley, was friendly and really knows what she’s doing. She tried to make me feel as much at ease as possible. All five piercings turned out great and are healing nicely, except for one, which she had a problem with from the beginning because the jewelry wouldn’t go through. It’s still a little bloody and red, but I’d still recommend Maria Tash to anybody!

I don’t like giving crappy reviews. I really don’t. But look…
I’ve been here twice. While I understand that the human body is very complex and comes in many shapes and sizes, I’d expect a little less snark.
The first time I came here I asked for a medusa piercing. The woman at the front desk stated that she didn’t have my size but could order it. I told her thanks but that I’d go to a place in Brooklyn because I was going out of town for a few days. That was a pleasant exchange.
i came back again because someone at another establishment weeks ago put a piercing in WAY too small and WAY too tight for me (not the medusa. Medusa came out perfect.) I asked to have it changed. The woman with glasses stated that they didn’t have a big enough size for me. The woman next to her seemed to just glare at me up and down with disgust. I took my business elsewhere.
I guess my lips are WAY too big for their dainty, fancy jewelry. Pretty much the «you can’t sit with us» of the body mod world, I guess. Won’t be coming back. Go to Sacred.

Walked in one day to get my helix pierced, and had a great experience. The staff was super friendly and helped me pick out a white gold ring for $ 110. The jewelry is definitely pricey but if you want to «treat yo self,» this is the place to do it. The room where they do the piercing feels very clean and sterile, and the piercers are very professional and make sure you’re comfortable and in the know about the sterilization and piercing process. The piercing itself was quick and surprisingly painless. If I’m feeling wealthy, I’ll come back for another earring.

I was reimbursed by the owner after being disappointed. Thank you, Maria T. xx

I’ve been wanting to get a new piercing for a while but wasn’t sure where until I was inspired by the beautiful jewelry by Maria Tash which I found in Broken English in soho.
I decided to stop by the store without an idea of what I really wanted and right away I was greeted with smiles– staff was friendly, helpful and extremely patient as I figured out what I liked and ultimately deciding to get my tash rook pierced.
It took a little time for the machine to sterilize my new earring (though I would happily wait again to make sure that everything is nice and clean!) so I ended up starting to get a little scared. Next thing I knew, the piercer, Ashley, was calling me into the room and it was my turn. Ashley was THE BEST. She knew I was nervous, talked me off the ledge and was the friendliest. She made me feel super safe and confident in her skills (not to mention she has quite a few piercings of her own. In less than 10 seconds, she was done and she cleaned me up, making sure that the bleeding stopped before I left.
Pain? What pain? I felt nothing at all. It was so quick and fast. Even today, a whole day later, I don’t feel any pain.
Thanks to all the folks at Venus by Maria Tash! You guys rock and I’ll be back ;)

I came here after seeing great reviews on Unilocal (and the $ 15 discount).
Walking in, it’s pretty quiet and the lady behind the counter was quiet as well. I let her know that I had emailed a person earlier regarding pricing, and that I wanted my tragus pierced. It would have been $ 15 (with the discount) plus another $ 15 for earring (per my email with an employee from their team). She proceeds to tell me that there’s only 1 stud left at $ 25 (annoying because it was only a regular silver round stud) and she seemed confused when I told her that someone told me there were $ 15 studs. The rest of the earrings were $ 100+!!
Anyway, the guy who pierced me was SUPER nice and made my experience pretty painless. It definitely didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would.
I recommend mainly because of the piercing experience!

Venus looks like a high-​end jewelry store, and it certainly specializes in more expensive jewelry. My friends and I all ended up with the cheapest option, which was a titanium stud ($ 25). There were few options under $ 100. It would be nice if there was some labeling system for the prices because we kept trying to find SOMETHING aside from a plain ol’ stud.
The piercings are all done in what looks like a doctor’s office upstairs. Ashley did our piercings and she was SO sweet. She made jokes and prepared us so we knew how to make it as painless as possible. I got a second cartilage piercing ($ 20) and Ashley helped me figure out the placement. She immediately spotted that my first cartilage piercing was done with a gun (DON’T DO IT!) based on the awkward angle. She said she would normally try to match the angle but that she would just try to make it «as perfect as possible». This certainly put me at ease because it was obvious she knew what she was doing. Getting cartilage pierced definitely hurts, but afterward, I couldn’t even feel it. Ashley also gave me suggestions for how to make the strange angle of my first piercing less noticeable next to my second one.
My friends each got a lobe piercing ($ 15) and Ashley helped them decide on placement. She made the experience less scary for my friend who was more apprehensive. I would highly recommend this place if you’re okay with more expensive jewelry or a really basic stud. Professional, clean, knowledgeable!

Ever since I got my first lobe piercings here years ago, I haven’t been able to go anywhere else for my piercings (okay, okay, excluding that one time in Boston my friend and I decided to drunkenly, spontaneously get second holes late one night because #YOLO) since this place is just the best. The staff is always super friendly and helpful, and they’ve made every piercing I’ve had done here as painless and quick as possible (minus that tragus one – not gonna lie, that one hurt like a mofo).
They only use needles here, which I appreciate since guns scare the crap outta me, and everything is extremely clean and sanitized, which I, of course, also appreciate greatly (never had an infection yet, thank gawd). While it is true that the jewelry is expensive af, I totally think it’s worth it because not only are they gorgeous, but again, I’m just not about that infection life.
I promised myself I wouldn’t get any more piercings (8 and counting), but this place has a way of drawing me back just when I think I’m finally done, so who knows how long I’ll last?!

I have gotten two different piercing there and have always been impressed with their professionalism and cleanliness. When you come, you tell the person at the front desk the type of piercing you want and select jewelry. They don’t have the prices listed anywhere, so you have to keep asking, which can be a bit annoying. Then you pay and give your ID, and you go up stairs. The people at the front desk where very kind. Sometimes, I feel out of place at piercing studios, which didn’t happen here.
For my first time there, it seems like they were particularly busy and I ended up waiting for at least 45 minutes. For a person feeling a bit (or very) anxious about getting a VCH piercing this is a long time and I almost left. But they were able to accommodate my request for a female piercer and she was very nice and made me feel at ease – or at least as much as possible given the circumstances. This can be a tricky piercing but she handled it with skill. I’ve had the piercing for almost two years now, and have had no problems.
For my second piercing this past fall, the wait was much shorter and when my nose stud fell out they were able to pop it in right back in, free of charge. (I somehow managed to get it out in my sleep). They also give you a Maria Tash sharpie as a souviner, which is cute.
It is pricey, but their jewelry contains only precious stones and most of it is made from precious metals. They do have stainless steel jewelry for some types of piercings but not for your standard nose or earlobe piercing.
I know some people have complained about the price, but there are literally hundreds of piercing places in NYC, and Maria Tash fills a certain niche. I would not recommend coming here unless you are willing to spend a lot to know that you are getting a quality piercing and upscale jewelry. In fact, unless you care about getting upscale jewelry with precious gems and/​or metals, you could find cheaper quality piercings elsewhere.
My only other complaint is that they can run out of some types of jewelry. I wanted a diamond nose stud with an invisible setting, and they told me that they would not have anymore until the Spring, when I asked in the fall. You can also order custom jewelry here, which is great for any uncommon piercings.
Overall, I would come here again if it was for a complicated or uncommon piercing, but not for a standard one.

Clean facility with piercers being cautious/​attentive. Hate how pricey their jewelry is tho… always wondered if they are worth it or not

Went today for a nose piercing. It was a pleasant experience. Ashley showed me which nose rings and answered all of my questions about the jewelry. I ended up getting a 2 mm diamond set in 18k rose gold. Ashley did my piercing also. She was great. Very humorous and patient with me. I was nervous.
I will be honest.,…it hurt! Point blank period. It is not a lingering pain but it does hurt.
It was a little on the pricey side… $ 225 for everything including the $ 15 off offer for checking in on Unilocal.My ring was $ 185, the piercing is $ 30 and the aftercare is $ 7.