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View Full Version : Gem by Carati - The Brutally Honest Review



A790
10-18-2012, 08:41 PM
I love to support Beyond sponsors because it's almost always a win-win situation. The sponsor gets the business, and in turn they give us a bit of a discount/deal/bargain/whatever. I've been doing this for 8 years and it's been working out pretty well so far.

I approached Justin from Gem by Carati early July seeking some guidance regarding an engagement ring. I was actually looking for someone who was willing to set a diamond in a Tacori engagement ring I was looking at and Justin said he'd do the job for a nominal fee ($150).

Since I had not yet purchased the setting or the diamond I went in to meet with Justin to have a look at my options for diamonds. He showed me a variety, and before I came he e-mailed me consistently with new diamonds that had come in, their specs/prices, etc. His communication was always top-notch.

Like all guys looking to get engaged I was nervous and unsure of what I was doing, though I had taken a lot of time to become e-educated on diamonds. I had read lots of literature online about what makes a good diamond so I had an idea of what specs I should be looking for at a given price range. When I went in to his store Justin walked me through various diamond grades, their differences, etc. I wound up compromising on a couple of areas that I didn't think I was going to because I wasn't able to find a discernible difference to the naked eye or via 10x magnification. I was thankful he showed me that as he saved me several thousand dollars.

It came down to three gemstones to choose from. I wasn't sure what to be going for, and he whipped out a sample setting and threw them in one by one, taking plenty of time to allow me to look at the gems from every conceivable angle. We probably spent about an hour going back and forth before I decided on a stone. I put a deposit down and began to look for a setting.

Justin advised me that he could bring some settings in, so I told him what I was looking for and he began e-mailing me almost immediately with various setting ideas. While he didn't e-mail me the setting I wound up choosing he did introduce me to the designer that I wound up choosing. It wasn't Tacori, and it was by far the best choice I've made all year.

I was having a hard time finding a setting (this went on for a couple of weeks), and he continuously e-mailed me ideas. Then he designed two custom rings, complete with CAD models, for me to look at. Both custom rings were great looking but didn't quite have what I needed. I had very specific traits in mind and refused to compromise.

Eventually I found a setting I really loved. He brought it in for me to look at in person, and unfortunately in person it was atrocious. Back to the drawing board. :( I sent him a ring I eventually found at 1 am the next day and he brought it in. As soon as I saw it I knew it was perfect, and the decision was made.

I paid for the remainder of the diamond and the setting and he let me know it'd be ready to go within 30 days, including the time it took for the actual setting (not the cheap demo version) to come in. 23 days later he shot me an e-mail letting me know the ring was good to go.

I went in and had a look. The diamond was set perfectly, and the ring was gorgeous. I was stoked. I asked him to hold on to it (it was now August 28) as I wasn't planning on proposing until October and he did so without fuss.

He sent me an e-mail early last week letting me know he was going on his own honeymoon, but that he had arranged for the staff at Gem by Carati to have everything ready to go for when I came in. I picked up the ring at noon last Thursday, and sure enough it was all good to go. In and out in 3 minutes.

My (now) fiancée loves the ring, and the diamond looks beautiful. It is one sparkly SOB, that's for sure. Thanks to Justin's guidance I found a great setting (that didn't cost me the $4.5k that Tacori was going to) and the diamond we selected fits the ring perfectly. Justin did a great job setting the ring, and the whole package turned out great. I couldn't be happier... and more importantly, neither could she.

I highly recommend you check out Gem by Carati and chat with Justin. He's a good guy, he will answer all of your questions, and he won't pressure you to buy anything you don't need or can't afford. A real "gem". Many thanks Justin!

Here's what the ring looked like on the designers website with a 1ct diamond:

http://199.187.246.248/ARTCARVED_31-V334ERW-E_420X420_WHITE.jpg
http://199.187.246.248/ARTCARVED_31-V334ERW-E_420X420_WHITE_FLAT.jpg

Here's my fiancées ring (with a 0.91ct, F colour, VS2 clarity, excellent cut diamond):

http://i.imgur.com/n085p.jpg (http://imgur.com/n085p)
http://i.imgur.com/bgbTt.jpg (http://imgur.com/bgbTt)
http://i.imgur.com/LoE4G.jpg (http://imgur.com/LoE4G)

PS - we are shitty photographers using iPhones... :)

rage2
10-18-2012, 08:42 PM
bimg those pics! :)

Sugarphreak
10-18-2012, 08:46 PM
...

A790
10-18-2012, 09:55 PM
Originally posted by rage2
bimg those pics! :)
They are! I tried to ninja edit but you're too damn fast! lol

JordanLotoski
10-18-2012, 10:12 PM
Agreed, Justin is a top notch guy!

msommers
10-19-2012, 12:26 AM
Firstly, congrats! Secondly, well written review and glad to hear everything went smoothly.

taemo
10-19-2012, 07:38 AM
congrats on the engagement and the ring!

that's a perfect example of excellent sales service, will be recommending Justin and Gem by Carati to friends and family looking to buy jewelry

A790
10-19-2012, 09:54 AM
Absolutely. We will be seeing him soon for our respective wedding bands and some watches :) He has earned a long-time customer!

Also, the photos don't do her ring justice. This diamond can be seen across the room. We were laying in bed last night and it was sparkling in the faint moonlight. Honestly, really well done in terms of selection and presentation.

Justing
10-19-2012, 11:17 AM
Wow, thanks for the awesome review, really appreciate it!
Congrats on the engagement! It was a fun project and I'm glad she loves the ring! :clap:

Kloubek
10-19-2012, 11:33 AM
Congrats again.

Actually, I thought by the title of "brutally honest" that this was going to be a complaint thread. I was quite disappointed. (Although I'm sure Justin was not) :)

A790
10-19-2012, 11:47 AM
Originally posted by Kloubek
Congrats again.

Actually, I thought by the title of "brutally honest" that this was going to be a complaint thread. I was quite disappointed. (Although I'm sure Justin was not) :)
I did it so people would read it ;)

Justing
10-19-2012, 12:02 PM
Originally posted by Kloubek
Congrats again.

Actually, I thought by the title of "brutally honest" that this was going to be a complaint thread. I was quite disappointed. (Although I'm sure Justin was not) :)

Yup. I just got back from my honeymoon, I was thinking what the hell happened in the week I was gone?! :eek:

K3RMiTdot
10-21-2012, 11:53 PM
congrats, thats a beautiful ring!

JAYMEZ
10-22-2012, 12:47 AM
Congrats! Great ring!

And Yes you do suck at taking photos of the ring! LOL.:rofl:

A790
10-22-2012, 10:07 AM
Originally posted by JAYMEZ
Congrats! Great ring!

And Yes you do suck at taking photos of the ring! LOL.:rofl:
lol yes indeed. Wanna snap a few? ;)

A790
11-05-2012, 07:23 PM
Thanks again Justin! You and your ladies in Gem are awesome :D

http://i.imgur.com/YS5ry.jpg

max_boost
11-05-2012, 07:33 PM
:clap: :clap: :clap:

CONGRATS CAM!

:clap: :clap: :clap:

msommers
11-05-2012, 11:45 PM
Recently impulse bought a Victorinox from Justin and I must say I am quite pleased at the level of service for such a modest piece. Very quick to respond, great pricing, professional and polite - your business is going to do very well I think!

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c159/matt_calgary/IMG_0402.jpg

A790
11-06-2012, 10:21 AM
Originally posted by msommers
Recently impulse bought a Victorinox from Justin and I must say I am quite pleased at the level of service for such a modest piece. Very quick to respond, great pricing, professional and polite - your business is going to do very well I think!

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c159/matt_calgary/IMG_0402.jpg
Nice watch!

Justing
11-06-2012, 10:56 AM
Such an awesome watch, Cam:bigpimp:

Thanks msommers, I really appreciate the kind words!

86max
11-06-2012, 07:57 PM
I swung by to grab a new daily on the weekend, transaction went smooth and I couldn't be happier. Thanks Justin!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/86MAX/ham.jpg

A790
11-06-2012, 10:03 PM
Originally posted by 86max
I swung by to grab a new daily on the weekend, transaction went smooth and I couldn't be happier. Thanks Justin!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/86MAX/ham.jpg
Lookin' good!

86max
11-07-2012, 06:07 AM
Wanna switch? The more I look at yours the more I like it, the 44mm is just a tad too big on my wrist.

Congrats on the engagement btw!

A790
11-07-2012, 10:03 AM
Originally posted by 86max
Wanna switch? The more I look at yours the more I like it, the 44mm is just a tad too big on my wrist.

Congrats on the engagement btw!
Haha thanks man, stoked to be getting hitched.

I'm thinking I'm going to pick up a Jazzmaster Viewmatic in the next six months or so (fiance wants me to cool it on the watch purchases for a while... at least until we're married).

Love my Open Secret though. Got great weight, excellent detail... Justin sold me the last one he could find, if I recall.

http://i.imgur.com/jrxM8.jpg

Nav13
12-16-2012, 05:03 PM
I messaged Justin a couple months ago inquiring about prices for several watches. I think I must have asked for prices on at least 10 different models if not more and every time Justin was quick to reply. I went into the shop to try on a few watches and a narrowed it down to either a viewmatic or a auto chrono. I needed time to decide weather I really wanted to spend that much money on my first real watch.

I ended up finding a lightly used viewmatic locally and jumped on it, even though in hind sight, when I factor in having to service the watch sooner since it's used, the savings were only decent when you take into account Justin's beyond pricing. If I had bought it online from the states, the shipping and customs fees would have made it not worth it. But since it was local, it made sense.

Anyways, I contacted Justin again to pick up a deployant clasp, and even though I didn't buy the watch from him, his service was still amazing. He even put the clasp on free of charge and in less than half an hour, keep in mind this is probably the busiest time of year for him. I have nothing but good things to say about him, the guy is pure class.

FraserB
08-17-2013, 01:10 PM
Just picked up another Tissot from Justin. As usual, amazing service and price!

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd316/fraserbrown1986/IMG_20130816_112924_zpsd652f9e6.jpg

s2k_boi
04-09-2015, 10:27 PM
Hi,

Just want to share my experience with Justin. We initially popped into the store looking at wedding bands last summer and Justin was super patient showing us rings, styles, and explaining the different quality levels. We didn't end up purchasing till Janaury and he remembered us, and was still very accommodating. Finally, we found the perfect one. He even engraved our initials and wedding date on the ring (complimentary - was expecting it would cost something).

Upon pick up, we dropped off my fiancées wedding band to be resized. We eventually picked it up and we were in a rush.....so we didn't notice a small side diamond was missing (so I messaged Justin asking what we can be done/cost etc. to be fair and honest we don't know if it fell out after we picked it up or not) Justin told me to drop it off ASAP and he would speak with his goldsmith. Eventually we got around to it. They replaced it as a goodwill gesture since we haven't worn it yet. He even called and messaged me a few times thinking we forgot about the ring (our fault cause we were extremely busy with life and work). Totally stand up guy and great company to work with. We will be back for our future jewellery and watch business. Will also be recommending to friends and family.

:thumbsup:

Justing
04-13-2015, 09:58 AM
^ Thanks for the review, really appreciate it! :clap:

403ep3
04-20-2015, 11:54 PM
Justin has been great through the whole process and was a delight to deal with. He was always there to answer questions and was very prompt with answering and questions or concerns I had. I have now proposed and I can now show a few pictures.

If you're looking for any pieces of jewelry or watches I suggest you give justin and his team a visit.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/rapidfire999/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsd2q5rwtt.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/rapidfire999/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsgwcpuebf.jpg

Went with a custom made (Noam Carver) though Gem By Carati with a nice ForeverMark antique cushion cut.

Thanks again Justin and team!

Justing
04-22-2015, 12:50 PM
Thanks for the review! I'm really happy with the way the ring turned out, it's a stunner! :love:

SoSlowDx
07-16-2015, 10:08 PM
I purchased a small anniversary gift for my wife and Justin was great to deal with throughout the whole process. Discussions were through email, he answered all my questions as I never bought jewellery on my own before and at no time felt pressured. Went in today to pick up the earrings and based on my wife's reaction, Justin found a pair of 'beautiful black diamond earrings!' The wife's happy and I get my Lego Ferrari F40 :clap:

Justing
07-17-2015, 02:51 PM
Awesome, glad to hear your wife is happy with her new earrings!
Thanks for taking the time to write a review! :thumbsup:

403ep3
08-04-2016, 10:26 AM
Recently got married so I ordered our rings from Justin once again. As always, great customer service and the wife's ring came out exactly how she wanted.

Props to Justin and his team! :bigpimp:

GTR_Auto
08-04-2016, 11:28 AM
I have used Justin multiple times and every time he has been awesome to deal with!

Thanks for all your help!

Justing
08-05-2016, 10:54 AM
Thanks guys, much appreciated!

A790
04-17-2017, 01:06 PM
Bizzumping this thread.

Wifey and I were out and about on the weekend and two people commented on her ring. Been five years and it still blows me away.

The best part is how my wife comments on it ALL THE TIME as if I was my choice. Justin did the heavy lifting here, but she doesn't know that (and doesn't read beyond) so I'll take the credit.

Boom.

Justing
04-18-2017, 10:22 AM
Thanks Cam!! All you, I just follow instructions and make my recommendations. Take the credit! haha

Bring the rings in whenever you can, it's been a while since we've done a good cleaning.

schurchill39
04-18-2017, 04:40 PM
Originally posted by A790


Like all guys looking to get engaged I was nervous and unsure of what I was doing, though I had taken a lot of time to become e-educated on diamonds. I had read lots of literature online about what makes a good diamond so I had an idea of what specs I should be looking for at a given price range. When I went in to his store Justin walked me through various diamond grades, their differences, etc. I wound up compromising on a couple of areas that I didn't think I was going to because I wasn't able to find a discernible difference to the naked eye or via 10x magnification. I was thankful he showed me that as he saved me several thousand dollars.

It came down to three gemstones to choose from. I wasn't sure what to be going for, and he whipped out a sample setting and threw them in one by one, taking plenty of time to allow me to look at the gems from every conceivable angle.


Although I didn't end up buying my engagement ring for my (now) wife from Justin, he was by far the biggest help I had through that journey. This snippet pretty much describes 100% my interaction with him. He gave me a mini lesson at what to look for, what the 4 C's of diamonds were, and explained all of the grading process. This was all without any sort of pressure at all.

Based off my experience with him, just like you, I'd have no problem at all recommending him to people. I'm glad to see that this is just how he conducts himself and his business and that you had such a good experience with him too.

bjstare
04-19-2017, 02:00 AM
Might as well add another comment, since I dealt with Justin again recently.

Been doing a lot of travelling for work, and had to extend a trip last minute a couple weeks back - found out the day I was supposed to head home that I would be gone for another week (ended up being away for 26 of 28 days that month :barf: ). I knew my wife would be disappointed I wasn't coming home that day, so I called Justin up and had him quote me on a couple options for diamond studs since my wife had talked about getting some a few times.

It was literally about 3 hours from my initial email to Justin until my wife had a gift wrapped set of earrings hit her desk at the office. I was absolutely blown away with how efficient he was at helping me out, and getting them to her. Needless to say, she was thrilled as well, and is now wearing them as her new daily drivers.

:thumbsup:

Street_Soldier
11-25-2017, 02:07 PM
Justin and his team helped out my fiancee pick out a wedding band. The team was extremely helpful and very patient throughout the whole process. The great part about the visit was Justin showed me a bunch of new watches while my fiance was finalizing things. Would definitely recommend!

Proyecto2000
01-29-2018, 03:15 PM
As i have made a few purchases from Justin I am due for a review:

My latest purchase was an engagement ring at the end of December. Justin and Patricia helped me out by bringing in a few loose diamonds and we looked at different settings. After a few visits I decided on a Noam Carver setting and a round brilliant diamond. The entire process was awesome and I wanted to mention that Justin even offered to help me buy my own engagement ring off Bluenile as I was hoping to save a few hundred bucks when I first walked into his store.

Previously i have purchased two Tissot watches, a pendant and earrings and every transaction has been awesome.

I will definitely be back to look at wedding bands in the coming weeks.

luuluu
07-19-2018, 01:23 PM
I bought an engagement ring back in mid February and Justin was my go to guy. I PM'd him through here and Justin was helpful in finding the perfect ring for me. I came in and he showed me a few rings with samples. He was patient with all my questions and was very knowledgeable. It took 4 weeks to make the ring and throughout the whole process, he was honest and gave me an update when I asked. He even sent some pics when it was completed. The best part was if I had any questions, he was so quick to reply and kept me in the loop. Everything turned out beautifully and I am beyond happy with the results. My fiance can't get enough of the ring! Thanks again Justin for all your help. I'll be planning to come in again for some wedding bands or watches. Glad I went to him!

hurrdurr
07-19-2018, 02:16 PM
Was looking for a wedding band for myself.

Communicated with Justin via Email, phone and in person. He worked with us on price, very easy to deal with and provided the product we wanted at a price point we wanted.

I would most certainly deal with Justin again.

Justing
07-20-2018, 10:35 AM
Thanks for the kind word guys, I really appreciate it!!

JordanLotoski
07-22-2018, 09:43 PM
Big thanks to Justin for sourcing this diamond and creating this amazing ring for my wifes 40th..:love:

https://image.ibb.co/gjMbeJ/20180701_182239.jpg

Justing
07-23-2018, 01:02 PM
Thanks again Jordan!
Glad we went the route we did, such a beautiful diamond.

RX_EVOLV
07-23-2018, 01:39 PM
I'm definitly overdue to give a big shout out to Justin here. My wife had a very specific wedding band design in mind but doesn't want to spend a fortune, so we spent alot of time looking at different options. We ended up talking to Justin and wow, so glad we did. He was extremely responsive and informative, and the whole process was quick, honest, and painless. We are very happy with the end result. We started the journey with Calgary Jewellery but so glad we ended up with Justin/Gem.

Highly recommended!!!

Buster
07-23-2018, 03:29 PM
I'm assuming Justing can also do guy's wedding bands? I lost mine somewhere - or some prostitute stole it- and I need a new one. Not sentimental about my wedding ring, but wouldn't mind seeing what is out there for a simple/contemporary guy's ring.

Justing
07-23-2018, 03:45 PM
I'm definitly overdue to give a big shout out to Justin here. My wife had a very specific wedding band design in mind but doesn't want to spend a fortune, so we spent alot of time looking at different options. We ended up talking to Justin and wow, so glad we did. He was extremely responsive and informative, and the whole process was quick, honest, and painless. We are very happy with the end result. We started the journey with Calgary Jewellery but so glad we ended up with Justin/Gem.

Highly recommended!!!

Thank you!

- - - Updated - - -


I'm assuming Justing can also do guy's wedding bands? I lost mine somewhere - or some prostitute stole it- and I need a new one. Not sentimental about my wedding ring, but wouldn't mind seeing what is out there for a simple/contemporary guy's ring.

Yes, definitely. We have a wide range of wedding bands:

CrownRing: http://www.crownring.com/wedding-bands/
Offered in gold, platinum or alternative metals

Carlex: http://carlexcollection.com/
Luxury men's bands, 18k or platinum. Much of the collection is inspired by watch bracelets

Chris Ploof Designs: http://www.chrisploof.com/
Mokume Gane, Damascus steel and meteorite rings


Please feel free to pm me or email me at [email protected] with questions.

eblend
08-16-2018, 08:44 AM
Just wanted to throw another positive review out there for Justin. Went out there on the weekend to look for a new ring for the wife for our 10 year anniversary, nothing flashy, just something recessed that would work well with her existing wedding bad and can be worn at all times. Wife is a nurse and can't have any protruding diamonds, so we settled for a nice little ring with inset diamonds. Justin gave us a great price and threw in polishing for our existing rings, very much appreciated. I forgot what my ring even looked like and was surprised to see how shiny it was, guess 10 years of never touching it would do that :D

Overall very happy with the experience, quick and easy and Justin is very knowledgeable and made the whole experience easy. Thank you!

Justing
08-21-2018, 03:01 PM
Thanks again for coming in eblend, and thanks for the review!

Perfect Dark
08-23-2018, 12:25 PM
you have a PM!

LilDrunkenSmurf
08-24-2018, 08:53 AM
Just wanted to leave a quick review for Justin regarding the necklace I bought for my wife.

My wife has been dropping hints about what she wanted for her birthday for a while, showed me some pics, links, etc. Didn't want it to be too expensive though. Rather than go the online route, I emailed Justin.
Justin was fantastic to work with, making suggestions, and working well within my budget. When I get asked for a range, I'm used to people immediately going to the top of the range, rather than starting at the bottom.
Justin also responded very quickly, even though his second child was just born (congrats again). And when I went in to pick up the necklace, his staff was nothing but fantastic to deal with.

I haven't given her the necklace yet, but I'm very certain that she'll love it.

Thanks again Justin!

A790
08-24-2018, 09:04 AM
If you guys really want to show Gem some love, maybe leave a review on their Google My Business page :)

Buster
08-24-2018, 10:51 AM
was in there yesterday buying a watch as a gift. Fantastic service.
Justing was awesome. Knew exactly what watches to put out. The good reviews here well deserved.

I'm going to be in next week buying a couple of more things for my wife and myself.

Justing
08-25-2018, 09:12 AM
Thanks gents! I really appreciate the opportunity, support and reviews!