Find The Best Jewelry Store In San Diego
San Diego has no shortage of jewelry stores for those looking to add some sparkle to their lives. But not all jewelry stores are equal. Depending on what you’re shopping for, you’ll want to go to the right store for your needs. In this article, we'll introduce you to the top jewelry stores that are native to San Diego, each with their own unique style and offerings and guide you to the right store for your needs.
Engagement Rings: What To Know Before Buying
Before we review our top jewelry stores, if you’re looking for an engagement ring in San Diego, there’s an option you may not have considered:
A CUSTOM MADE engagement ring.
If you work with the right jeweler, a custom engagement ring will be a higher quality piece, you’ll get exactly what you want at a very similar price to what you would pay at one of the high-end jewelry stores, sometimes even less.
Traditional jewelry stores have higher overhead than independent custom ring designers. High retail rent, high sales commissions they need to pay out, and pre-purchased inventory to fill their showcases. All of these costs get passed on to you, the consumer.
Many jewelry stores offer a custom design option, but keep in mind that these retail stores are still passing along their high overhead costs to you.
What’s the next best option? Go direct to the source! The artist making your ring.
If you’re looking for the perfect ring for your proposal, consider Vanessa Nicole Jewels. A master diamond setter, Vanessa will walk you through every step of creating something truly special for your future wife because that’s what she deserves! Learn more about it here.
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It's a personalized experience, not a retail experience.
If you want a stunning engagement ring for the love of your life, you have found the perfect artist to create it and to fulfill her dream.
Gary & Lina O’Neil - San Diego, CA
What You Must Know About Jewelry Stores In San Diego
Vanessa Nicole Jewels Is Unlike Other Jewelry Stores In San Diego
Most diamond rings sold from jewelry stores in San Diego are made overseas.
In fact, most rings sold in the entire United States are manufactured abroad! That’s because the manufacturers use cheap labor to produce their jewelry as inexpensively as possible. But don’t be fooled – that doesn’t mean those savings will be passed to customers like you. It means bigger profit margins for the manufacturers.
The quality of the jewelry may be less than perfect.
To an untrained eye, the jewelry at these stores may look fine. But in reality, the quality could be very poor, because it was manufactured by unskilled workers along assembly lines. These workers are tasked with the arduous job of pumping out jewelry as fast and furiously as possible. That means the jewelry never receives the careful attention to detail or meticulous craftsmanship of an expert.
Here is a video showcasing two similar rings made by different jewelers:
This will open your eyes to understanding ho important it is to choose the right jewelry store for your diamond ring.
Jewelry is made in bulk – many women are wearing the same rings!
Most jewelry stores, especially the big-name stores at the mall, sell rings that are made in bulk (Related). That means that hundreds or even thousands of women around the world could be wearing the exact same ring. You may have thought your engagement ring was special, but in reality it’s probably extremely common.
Pushy salespeople want their commissions.
Most jewelry stores are staffed by aggressive salespeople who are motivated by the commissions they earn on each sale. This is why many people dread the experience of buying diamond rings. A savvy salesperson will immediately size you up and push you toward a piece of jewelry that may not be right for you. Plus, these stores typically have large inventories of diamonds, which they must sell as quickly as possible to maintain profitability. This increases the pressure for buyers even further!
How is Vanessa Nicole Different?
At Vanessa Nicole Jewels, we don’t have a large inventory of rings that were made months or years ago. Instead, we custom-make each ring, one at a time, exclusively for you.
Award-winning ring designer and master diamond-setter Vanessa Nicole makes it easy to get exactly what you want at the highest possible quality. Plus, we custom-design rings for clients all over the world, not just in San Diego!
Contact us to learn more about the process or take the first step to a beautiful custom ring today.
Or Call Vanessa At (619) 800-0134
San Diego Based Jewelry Stores
If you’re looking for a gift of jewelry in general rather than a custom made diamond ring, here’s a list of San Diego based jewelry stores and the services they offer.
Charles Koll Jewellers
Charles Koll Jewellers is a family-run custom jewelry store in San Diego that has been in business for over 70 years.
Charles Koll Jewellers specializes in custom designs, as well as bridal, estate, and vintage jewelry. They offer everything from beautiful emerald earrings to diamond tennis bracelets and necklaces. They have a wide offering of moderately priced classic to modern styles.
Products & Services
In addition to a wide range of fashion and bridal jewelry, they offer a range of services:
Jewelry appraisals
Engraving
Ring resizing
Repairs and maintenance:
Chain repair
Stone tightening
Watch bracelet refurbishing
Jewelry cleaning
Location & Hours
Charles Koll Jewellers is located in the beautiful Pacific Beach area of San Diego, California. They are open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm, and Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
Brilliant Diamonds
With over 40 years of experience in the jewelry business, Brilliant Diamonds has two locations San Diego county.
They have a wide selection of engagement ring inventory, bridal jewelry, jewelry designs, fashion jewelry, and vintage jewelry, so you can find everything you need for your special occasion. They carry an assortment of designer pieces, their price range is on the higher end of moderately priced for their products.
Products & Services
This family owned business offers a wide selection of fine jewelry, fashion jewelry, diamond engagement rings, wedding rings, and other diamond jewelry. Their main designer brands are:
Beverly K
Brilliant Diamonds Bridal
Elma Designs
Tacori
Location & Hours
Brilliant Diamonds has two locations in San Diego - one in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego, CA and the other in North County in The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch. They’re open Monday through Friday from 10am-6p, Saturday 10am-3:30pm and closed on Sundays.
Stuart Benjamin & Co.
Founded by the jewelry-loving Stuart Benjamin, this family owned business has been dazzling customers for over 25 years with its custom-designed jewelry, repairs, and selection of engagement rings and diamonds.
This store offers friendly and courteous service, so you can trust that you'll get a great experience. Stuart Benjamin & Co. offers a wide range of designer collections to suite a variety of tastes and fashions. Financing is available.
Products & Services
Collections include:
Ammara Stone
Denny Wong
Ever & Ever
Gabriel & Co.
Lashbrook Designs
Michael Jensen Designs
Spark Creations
Stuart Benjamin Designs
Stuller
Sylvie
Tantulum
They offer jewelry maintenance services: professional cleaning and inspection, repairs, CAD design, refurbishing and appraisals.
Location & Hours
Stuart Benjamin & Co. Jewelry Designs is located in sunny San Diego, California, USA, in the heart of University City. This jewelry shop is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday, they are closed on Sunday and Monday.
The Diamond Connection
This family-owned business has been offering their unique and personalized jewelry experience since 1991. They specialize in lab grown diamonds, loose diamonds, engagement rings, wedding bands and cocktail rings. You can also find a nice selection of fine jewelry pieces including earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
Products & Services
The Diamond Connection has a selection of loose diamonds, lab grown diamonds, bridal and fine jewelry. Their services include custom jewelry design, jewelry appraisals and cleaning and conditioning of jewelry purchased from their store.
Location & Hours
The Diamond Connection is located conveniently off the I-5 at 1755 San Diego Ave and is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm.
Enhancery Jewelers
Enhancery Jewelers is a jewelry store that has been around for more than a decade.The family owned business is proud to offer friendly and courteous service, a wide selection of products.
Enhancery Jewelers offers a range of jewelry options, from classic diamond engagement rings, to charms and stylish rose gold pieces.
Products & Services
Enhancery Jewelers offers a wide range of jewelry products. They have a big list of brands including Benchmark, Citizen, Alwand Vahan, Michou, Triton, Parle and Rembrant Charms, to name a few. They also provide custom jewelry design services.
Location & Hours
Enhancery Jewelers is located in San Diego, 4242 Camino Del Rio North. Their hours Tuesday through Friday 11am-5pm and Saturdays 11-4pm. From diamonds to rubies to gold creations, they have something for all occasions.
Diamond Boutique
Diamond Boutique is a family owned jewelry store located in the Del Mar area San Diego established in 1984. It's the perfect place to find a special gift, from emerald earrings to unique rings and bridal jewelry. They offer bespoke jewelry. Many of their products are ethically sourced or come from recycled or reclaimed sources. This is a fun place to browse, so consider taking a look if you find yourself at the Flower Hill Promenade mall in Del Mar.
Products & Services
Diamond Boutique is a San Diego jewelry store in Flower Hill Promenade in Del Mar, near the Del Mar race track. They carry a wide range of classic bridal jewelry, fine jewelry and gift pieces. Some of their pieces include ethically sourced and recycled materials, including recycled gold and reclaimed melee.
Location & Hours
Diamond Boutique is located at 2710 Via De La Valle Ste B280. They’re open daily from 10:30am to 5pm Monday through Saturday, and closed on Sundays.
Leo Hamel
Although Leo Hamel, San Diego jeweler has been in the news lately, his stores have been in San Diego for decades. They offer a full range of inventory, including bridal jewelry, fine jewelry, accessories and watches. They also buy gold, antiques, coins, collectibles and vintage and estate jewelry.
Products & Services
Leo Hamel has a large array of new and pre-loved fine jewelry, watches, and accessories to choose from. They have a large section of designer brands in new and pre-owned condition, including:
Prada
Mikimoto
Omega
Tag Heuer
David Yurman
Hublot
Breitling
Hearts on Fire
They purchase gold, silver, platinum, jewelry, watches, diamonds, coins and collectibles. Jewelry and watch repair and restoration services are also available.
Location & Hours
You can find a Leo Hamel boutique in four locations across San Diego:
8911 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa
2530 Vista Way, Oceanside
921 Lomas Santa Fe Dr., Solana Beach
1851 San Diego Avenue, San Diego
They’re open 10am-6pm Tuesday through Friday, 10am-5pm Saturday, and closed Sunday and Monday.
Robere's Jewelry
Robere's Jewelry is another family-owned establishment, doing business in San Diego for over 30 years. They offer a wide range of bridal jewelry, loose diamonds, including lab grown and colored diamonds, and fine jewelry.
Products & Services
In addition to a nice selection of bridal and fine jewelry and watches, Robères offers these services:
Jewelry appraisals
Jewelry and watch repair
Gold buying
Ear piercing
Location & Hours
Robère’s is located in Solana Beach at 663 San Rodolfo Dr. Their planning a second location at 12925 El Camino Real. Their hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm, closed on Sunday.
Vanessa Nicole Jewels
Of course we have to include ourselves in this fine list of local San Diego based jewelry stores. Although Vanessa Nicole isn’t a traditional jewelry store, if you’re looking for an engagement ring, consider working 1-on-1 with the artist who will make your custom diamond ring.
As we mentioned earlier, if you’re looking for superb quality in craftsmanship and an ideal diamond that sparkles from every angle, Vanessa Nicole can create the ring of your dreams, as she has with all of her past clients (Read the reviews!). Imagine how your future wife will feel when she gets a one of a kind piece knowing you put thought and care into having it made exclusively for her.
Plus, you won’t be paying for the high overhead of a traditional retail jewelry store since we are located on the 7th floor of the Jewelers Exchange downtown in the Gaslamp. You’ll be covering the cost of the quality of your ring instead of high retail rents, inventory, and sales commissions.
You can see what happy couples say about their custom engagement rings here.
Learn how the process works.
Or setup a call to talk to Vanessa here.
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I got engaged a month ago & my fiancé proposed with the most beautiful ring I have ever seen – made by Vanessa Nicole!!!
As I’m writing this I cannot stop looking at my ring. I literally stop and look down at my hand numerous times a day. It is hard to come up with enough synonymous words with ‘beautiful’ to describe it. I’ve already had so many compliments! I love being able to tell people my fiancé helped to design the ring!
My fiancé said the whole process was so great – he had fun & he even learned about diamonds. My ring came with a DVD of making the ring along with some cute pictures of us & sweet things he said about me. I obviously cried the minute we started watching it! My ring also came with a sweet note from Vanessa Nicole!
Seriously , this is THE place to get an engagement ring. I can’t wait to go visit her in person to start designing my wedding bands!!!
Stefanie D. - San Diego, CA
Frequently Asked Questions
A jewelry store can offer a range of high quality pieces and have staff with specialized knowledge of their inventory that can help guide you through the selection process, and it’s nice to be able to see the item in person. But jewelry stores have high overheads and have to pay for higher rent, sales commissions and inventory, so they need to pass those costs to the consumer. You are limited to the inventory on hand, which could be limited and may be subjected to high-pressure sales tactics.
Depending on the items you want to sell:
You can sell it yourself through online marketplaces like eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
Auction houses that specialize in selling high-end pieces can help you get a good price, but they also take a hefty commission for their services.
Online jewelry buying sites will buy your pieces and resell or auction them.
Tiffany & Co. Founded in New York City in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has become an iconic brand known for its high-end jewelry, silverware, and luxury goods, and is known for their little blue box that their items come wrapped in. The store is made famous in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s starring Audrey Hepburn, where her character, Holly Golightly would take her coffee and croissant and gaze into one of the store display windows in the morning.
At Vanessa Nicole Jewels, we don’t have a large inventory of rings that were made months or years ago. Instead, we custom-make each ring, one at a time, exclusively for you.
Award-winning ring designer and master diamond-setter Vanessa Nicole makes it easy to get exactly what you want at the highest possible quality. Plus, we custom-design rings for clients all over the world, not just in San Diego!
Contact us to learn more about the process or take the first step to a beautiful custom ring today.
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