Diamond in the rough?

July 31, 2007 1:00 PM

Unique Engagement Rings in NYC or SF?

My bf currently lives in NYC and I am visiting him this weekend. He wants to go shopping for rings *eeeeiiii!!!!!* I'm in SF and he's here often so suggestions in both cities would be great.

We are already going to check out the Clay Pot and Niwaka does anyone have any other suggestions of where to go to find something unique? Is it even worth it to stop by the Diamond District? Also, suggestions on conflict free diamond sellers would be greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, the ring I really love is from Krikawa (the Carved Wing) but he wants to buy it in person. Maybe some good testimonals would sway him.

posted by lannanh to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (11 answers total)

I've always loved Conroy & Wilcox. Designed and handmade by two artists here in New York, conflict-free diamonds, etc, etc.

You can see some of their stuff in local stores here in NYC, but I would contact them directly if you want to see certain pieces - you might be able to just go visit their studio or something.

In particular, their engagement ring is a stunner.
posted by minervous at 1:42 PM on July 31, 2007 [1 favorite]

I have not been here in many years, but they had very unique rings. Service was great too.
posted by flickroad at 1:50 PM on July 31, 2007

My wife and I got hers at Doyle and Doyle. We had spent eight hours looking at rings all over NYC and were ready to kill each other, as well as the diamond industry, before we checked out this store. They have an excellent collection of antique/vintage engagement rings, esp. if you like more of an art deco or Edwardian style. We walked in and immediately spotted four different rings that were exactly what we were looking for.

If you want something unique, or an antique, don't bother with the Diamond district. It was a big waste of time for us.
posted by bobot at 1:56 PM on July 31, 2007

In San Francisco you might want to check out Gallery Flux on 18th/Castro. I've seen some truly beautiful stuff in there.
posted by trip and a half at 2:16 PM on July 31, 2007

When my husband and I got our rings we chose to design them ourselves. We went to Pave in Oakland, CA and they helped us create gorgeous rings. Our rings are very unique and individual. We searched all over SF, Berkeley, and Oakland. Pave was, hands down, the best place we found for unique rings.

Neither ring has any stones, but I know that they do carry diamonds.
posted by sara558 at 2:51 PM on July 31, 2007

See this thread. I bought one at H. Stern and she's happy with it.
posted by billtron at 3:00 PM on July 31, 2007

I once read somewhere that Dave Matthews and his wife had pennies melted down from his birth year, her birth year, and the year they were married and fashioned into wedding rings. This, to me, seemed to have more meaning than artificially expensive rocks and shiny metals.
posted by knowles at 3:38 PM on July 31, 2007 [1 favorite]

I was going to suggest the Clay Pot, but you've got that covered. We looked everywhere and that's where we ended up buying from.
posted by blaneyphoto at 4:46 PM on July 31, 2007

NYC: We had Catherine Angiel make Mrs. Enrevanche's engagement ring. Delighted with the results.
posted by enrevanche at 5:48 PM on July 31, 2007

NYC: We found a ring we love at Antique Engagement Rings; Leigh makes replicas of and rings inspired by Art Deco styles. He's a little slow, but we couldn't be happier with the ring: distinctive but not at all flashy.
posted by grimmelm at 7:50 PM on July 31, 2007

vintage cuts like the Old European are just awesome, much more elegant -- they were discarded because modern cuts maximise the bling and make better profits for merchants. but true elegance was lost. get an antique stone and design your own ring

the difference is amazing, and you'll have a diamond that's different and more rare than most others
posted by matteo at 8:00 PM on July 31, 2007