"I started doing my research in the summer of 09 and basically came upon ERD through many positive reviews and recommendations from folks online and local. I basically bombarded Gary Friedman with questions and he answered all of them in a very helpful manner. I was finally ready to order my (very unique and difficult setting!) engagement ring in December of 2010. Gary even remembered me and kept all of my emails so it made the process even easier! I made my appointment and came in to their office and i must say it was a very intimate and personalized experience. The staff was extremely helpful, never rushed me, gave honest opinions and answered all of my 622 questions!!
They met my deadline and had my ring ready before Christmas day. I got engaged to the love of my life on 12/25/10 and EVERYONE was impressed by that gorgeous ring!! Being in the car industry, i value a trusted relationship especially when it comes to making a big purchase. I recommend ERD to anyone who is looking for honest, professional, patient and informative Jewelers and you wont be disappointed. See you guys for the wedding bands soon!
Dennison Adams"
"Mark made a potentially stressful process completely stress-free and easy. He went above and beyond what most business owners would do. After reading a ton of positive reviews on pricescope about Mark & Engagement Rings Direct, they were on my short-list of companies to evaluate for myself. I was in NYC for a 2 night conference. I called the number on their website about an hour before they closed and Mark called me back within minutes. I explained that I was in town, but only until morning. He invited me to his office well after hours. He was extremely patient with me and answered every single one of my questions with confidence that only comes from true knowledge and a mastery of his field. While my budget was large for me, it was likely average or low for what he probably usually sees, he did not make me feel uneasy, self-conscious, or otherwise uncomfortable. I left his office a little after 11pm... several hours after his normal closing time. Wow. Though he didn't have a diamond that matched my criteria at the time (the criteria which he walked me through, step-by-step in his office), we continued the process by email and phone when I got back to California. Any time Mark came across a stone that would be a good fit, he'd immediately let me know, send pictures, etc. I trusted his judgment completely, and I'm glad I did. Shortly after getting the ring I ordered, I asked, she said yes, and the rest is history. Mark will be my jeweler until he retires. Absolutely an amazing experience!"
"Hello Potential Engagement Ring Shoppers,
If you are reading this review you are probably debating a very important decision and are beginning to realize that choosing the perfect ring can be a difficult task. Well don't worry, you must have already found someone wonderful to spend the rest of your life with and that is the hard part.
I first contacted Mark in August of 2010 after learning about his company from other online reviews. At the time I had visited with several local jewelers and had done an exhaustive amount of online research. The plan was to propose to my GF (now FW "Future Wife") during our annual Labor Day weekend trip to Nantucket and I was running out of time.
After going through the process of choosing a stone and setting with Mark, I can honestly say that I am 1000% percent satisfied with my decision to buy my ring from Engagement Rings Direct. Several of my friends had recently become engaged prior to my proposal and the women have since unanimously decided that I received the best price and quality on my ring. Wherever my FW "Future Wife" goes people always comment on the beauty of her ring and love the detail of her setting.
I am writing this review as a small Thank You to Mark and everyone at Engagement Rings Direct for their help in making my proposal such a tremendous success. I will be reaching out to them again very soon as the FW "Future Wife" is now interested in purchasing an eternity band after we tie the knot.
Cheers,
Joe
"
"When I contacted ERD, I had some doubts about the outcome of the experience. I spent alot of time researching on the web and gathering feedback on the few online sites that were most recommended for diamond purchases. People who purchase from ERD really had very detailed and excellent reviews whether they purchased from ERD or not! I think that is why I decided to contact ERD. The ring and diamond was BEAUTIFUL! It was a 1.60 solitaire on a platinum ring. My initially contact ERD by email, giving the info on what I was looking for. Mark replied via email to get more info and we also spoke on the phone. When purchasing a quality Diamond, there must be a certain level of trust between you and your jeweler. You really should have a expert eye look at the diamond. Mark was my expert eye plus more! His price was very good as compare to the other Big Online Diamond sellers. It is a different experience than buying from an online store where you don't really get to meet the person that is selling you your diamond, more personal and intimate, and making a diamond purchase is very personal. When the ring was finished, and we went to try it on, it was the best feeling when you know that you have pick the right jeweler and best deal for the quality. Most definitely recommend to any of my friends and friends' friends. "
"Engagement Rings Direct was referred to me by a friend who was very pleased with the quality of service and product that he received there from Mark. I previously met with jewelers who did not evoke the sense of confidence that I felt in Mark's ability to create a ring that my fiancee and I would both love. Mark's professionalism and integrity were apparent from our very first meeting, and set him apart from others. Engagement Rings Direct services were timely and Mark provided me with a choice of beautiful, quality stones for a reasonable price. My fiancee and I love her ring so much that we plan to ask Mark to create both of our wedding bands. We would not hesitate to recommend Mark's services to anyone seeking the perfect engagement ring or special piece of jewelery.
"
"I purchased a ring through Engagement Rings Direct and had a great experience. The customer service is top notch. I had worries about purchasing something so expensive through email and by phone, but I was relieved that the process was so painless. Mark is a pro and he has your best interests at heart. If I needed another ring (I hope not!), ERD would be my first stop."
"I could not have been happier to bring my business to Mark and the guys at Engagement Rings Direct. I would and do highly recommend him to friends and family.
Mark was very patient and welcoming. He answered all my questions and took his time explaining all my options. Then he went the extra step to make sure the rest of my decision was thought out and let me make the decision rather than rushing me or pushing me into something that I was unsure of. I have continued to go Engagement Rings Direct and will continue to go to them in the future.
I feel as though I have lucked out in coming across them. Worth your time. "
"My fiancee ordered my engagement ring from ERD last summer. This is how it works: You tell them what you want (in general terms). They look at a bunch of diamonds and pick a few (2-3) likely candidates. You get photos and videos of the finalists. If you like the finalists, you can go to NYC and view them in real life, or you can just pick one from the photos and videos. All diamonds come with GIA certs -- you are getting diamonds with a certified quality. If you want, they can also arrange for an independent appraisal with the appraiser of your choice in NYC.
ERD also sells custom settings at great prices. They have a bunch of stock settings for you to check out, but if you want your own design, you tell them what you want and they send you a CAD rendering of the piece. If you want changes, they change the CAD. Then they send you photos of the finished piece before they ship it to you...again, if anything needs to be changed, say so! Delivery is via fedex to a fedex staffed location (they won't deliver to your house or apartment). Overall, we had a pretty positive buying experience and the prices were very good. The turnaround time for custom work once the CADs were approved was under 10 calendar days, but maybe we were lucky.
Last thing: Lifetime upgrade policy. If you buy a diamond in certain specs, you can send it back and get the purchase price toward another diamond that costs at least 40% more than the original diamond (hence, "upgrade").
Overall, excellent customer service and excellent products at a fair price. "
"I purchased my engagement ring from Engagement Rings Direct back in March 2009 and worked with Gary Friedman. Gary was friendly and knowledgable on the phone and responded to my numerous emails promptly. He found two diamonds fitting my requirements and budget and agreed instantly when I asked if I could have my friend take a look at the diamonds in person. The ring was very well received by fiancee, now my wife.
Last month (Jan 2011), two of my friends asked if I could help them purchase diamonds for their engagement rings. I called up ERD and reached out to Gary again. Gary not only found a selection of diamonds, but also helped my friends save money by giving his honest opinion on why the diamonds with slightly better 4Cs are not worth paying extra for. It was the same professional treatment from two years ago.
When the time comes for me to upgrade my wife's ring, you can be sure I will be contacting ERD again.
-Eugene"
"I had the opportunity to work with Mark Turnowski four years ago when purchasing the diamond to be set in my fiance's engagement ring. I did my research and I can assure you Mark had the absolute lowest price available for the stone I was looking for. I saved about $1000 by buying from him versus a big name store, and felt more confident that I was getting exactly what I was paying for. Btw, he also provided the opportunity to bring the stone to an independent appraiser. Overall a great experience and would buy from him again!"
"I found Mark online, while looking for a high quality diamond at a great price. I'm a pretty picky consumer (wanting to understand everything before making a decision), but I didn't know much about diamonds. Mark was very patient to help educate me, while I was doing my own research and walked me through a number of different options.
Once we found the diamond, Mark helped to create a setting that was exactly what I was looking for at a great budget.
I made a mistake on the billing side (my fault), but Mark took care of the issue. Once I realized it was my mistake, I told Mark that I would be glad to cover that portion, but he refused. Top rate business and professionalism.
Very quick to ship once the order was complete.
I don't buy a lot of jewelry, but if I was ever to need an engagement ring of this caliber again, I would absolutely start with him."
"I had a fantastic experience working with Engagement Rings Direct to create the perfect engagement ring for my wife!
The main reason I choose ERD initially was their prices. They have access to the same inventory of loose diamonds as everyone else, but their prices are simply the best.
I worked with Gary at ERD to first pick out the ideal center stone for the engagement ring. However, I couldn't find a standard ring that was exactly what I wanted; so Gary worked with me to create a custom cast ring that was EXACTLY what I had envisioned.
The result was that I ended up with an extremely high-quality, beautiful, custom designed engagement ring for my fiance(now wife!)for much less than I thought was possible! My wife loves this ring gets compliments on it all the time!
Thank you Gary and thank you ERD for all of your help in making this process so easy and successful!
"
"Once I decided on popping the question, I knew the next step was to go ring shopping. After spending some time at local merchants, it was obvious that this process was being made much more difficult than it needed to be.
I visited Mark and the gang over at Engagement Rings Direct after reading many good reviews online. During our first meeting, Mark offered a mini workshop on diamond selection rather than trying to sell me a stone. He showed me various diamonds in a multitude of sizes, colors, etc... He also provided a range of specific dimensions that I should be looking for in a round brilliant stone.
After nearly an hour, he explained that he was going to get a few stones that fell within the paramaters we just agreed on, and he also suggested that I searched competitors websites. Mark's attention to detail and his no-pressure approach made me comfortable and I knew I would give him my business.
He showed me many different settings, and I decided on a Vatche X-Prong. I brought the ring to an independant appraiser, who offered 2 different appraisals. The first is the generic appraisal that you need for insurance purposes. The second appraisal is what you should have paid in the market you are in. I found this second appraisal to be more relevant; it tells you if you paid too much or if you got a fair deal. I was MORE THAN PLEASED at the deal I got from Engagement Rings Direct.
Shortly after I proposed, and she said yes. She constantly receives compliments on her ring. We got married a few months ago and got our wedding bands from them, beautiful work. Thanks Engagment Rings Direct."
"I had a wonderful experience with Mark Turnowski and Engagement Rings Direct. I highly recommend them for any diamond purchase. In fact, I've recommend Mark to my friends and family on numerous occasions. He not only has the best prices around in my opinion, but he has excellent merchandise and the ability to get just what you want. He is also a very patient man who doesn't pressure sell.
Mark took his time to listen and find out what we were looking for. He found us a very special diamond. The end result for me was a gorgeous ring that I am very happy with. You are in good hands at ERD!"
"Great service and excellent pricing. They were very helpful with any questions I had. No nonsense excellent customer service. Great product too!"