Review Gem by Carati to win!

[Justing]

Today marks three years of Gem by Carati being a sponsor on beyond.ca!

I really can't thank all of our supporters enough, I truly appreciate everyone who has been kind enough to come in, review us and refer us over the last few years.
As a small gesture, we're giving away your choice of either a Hamilton Khaki Pilot Day Date or a gift certificate valued at $1,125!

For detailed rules please see above or visit www.gembycarati.com/contest

Some notes:
- If you have previously reviewed us, please repost your review into this thread. In order to qualify for the contest, your review must be in this thread
- For a valid entry we need your full name, username and phone number. Please don't forget to email your info as well as a link to your post to [email protected]
- The winner will be announced on August 31st

Thanks and goodluck!

[CompletelyNumb]

top notch Justin.

[03ozwhip]

I went in to see Justin last year for my wifes 30th birthday just to look at anything he had in there.

He took the time to let me try on a few Hamiltons even though I didn't end up buying one.

We did however end up getting my wife this very unique black PVD diamond ring that I've never seen anywhere else at a very reasonable price at that.

Thanks Justin, I'm still looking forward to a Hamilton from you eventually!

Edit: here's a pic of the ring.

[A790]

Justin and Charlotte helped me find the perfect engagement ring for my wife. I wanted something unique and they helped me find that. They even designed and 3D modeled a custom ring. It was awesome seeing ideas come to life. My wife loves it.

They educated me on diamonds and let me see a variety of different diamond grades, cuts, etc. so I could see the differences between them. That really shaped my criteria when choosing a diamond.

That was my first experience but definitely not my last. I've bought five or six watches from them since, and it's always a great experience.

Thanks Gem

[403ep3]

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.


» Click image for larger version


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

Thanks again Justin and team!

[C of Red]

Too easy...I just posted this in the Longines thread earlier this week!

Originally posted by C of Red


His post above got me thinking about acquiring a GMT daily driver (so I can quit looking at that damn clock app on Android to find out when the Flames play back home every time I'm somewhere else), but I wanted something with a sexier dial & more prominent GMT hand.

So I found the Conquest GMT with the Blue dial after a quick google, pinged Justin yesterday and he had me all set up and ready to go today at lunch with the Conquest GMT and that gorgeous red hand, after a couple of tries he had the watch sized for my girly 6" wrist perfectly and gave me a great deal I was in his shop and back in my car a block away in 15 minutes flat.

Don't bother going anywhere else if you're buying a Swatch product. Now Justin if you start carrying Omegas that will probably be the end of me lol I've been eyeing that 38mm Skyfall Aqua Terra!

Two thumbs up for the J-dawg and his staff at Gem!

[.jl-]

Went to Justin 2 years ago to purchase my first Hamilton watch and received excellent service. He was patient and extremely helpful in helping me pick out the watch. I ended up picking up the Hamilton Jazzmaster, with an exceptional deal. Unfortunately, the leather strap I wanted was not in stock and had to wait 2 weeks to order one, which wasn't a problem for me. A couple days later, I received a call from Justin saying that he was able to get a leather strap and the watch was ready for pickup whenever I was free.

to Justin and his staff at GEM by Carati. Will definitely go to them again in the future.

[CompletelyNumb]

Much like Cam, I give a lot of my business to Beyond sponsors. I may not be a visible on the boards as others but I am here daily and the connections I've made are great. They've all been great to work with and if i can get a small break in price then even better.

I found myself looking for an engagement ring this past fall so naturally I emailed Justin. Like others will tell you, his communication is great. Fast replies. No beating around the bush. I knew what I wanted, described it to him and he set off to find the perfect ring. Which he did, first try. Settled on a designer out of Montreal that had exactly what I wanted.

Next was the diamond. I had a minimum size requirement but also a ceiling to my budget. But Justin was able to find the perfect stone. 1.51 carat, excellent cut, no florescence. This thing shines like a disco ball everywhere.

Put it all together and it was perfect. Not much more I can say, it was a completely painless experience.

As I posted in the "what are your plans for Christmas" thread, I took my girlfriend to Banff and lined up a photographer. Told her we were doing Christmas portraits. And got down on one knee and asked after the 2nd pic. All caught on camera. (And she said yes )

She loves the ring. Gets compliments everywhere. And I couldn't be happier.

Now we're getting our wedding bands ordered in preparation for the wedding this spring. I honestly can't for see needing to ever go elsewhere for my jewelry needs in the future.

Justin is a great guy, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to everyone in the market.

Thanks Justin!



Repost from last winter. Still have yet to post the wedding ring review!

[RX-7_TWINTURBO]

I was interested in a Hamilton Jazzmaster that was not readily available in north america. I decided to contact Justin about it after seeing all the glowing reviews for GEM by Carati .
He was very prompt with communication, and not only was he able to order the watch directly from Hamilton but it was available for pick-up sooner than he had promised.
I have referred friends to Justin & his team @ Gem and will definitely continue to do so.

[know1edge]

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[know1edge]

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[94CoRd]

My first encounter with Justin happened a little over a year ago. After all the great reviews on Beyond, I messaged him to begin my search for an engagement ring. He wasn't in his store at the time - rather he was down in Mexico. That didn't stop him from responding to my questions and he suggested I head to the store and meet Charlotte.

The customer service by all staff at Gem by Carati is exceptional. I had toyed with the idea of simply using Blue Nile or a similar service, but there's something to be said for having such a knowledgeable and friendly staff at your finger tips.

The buying process was painless with Justin. I had some minimum requirements and a budget, and within a matter of weeks, Justin messaged me with something he thought I - or at least my, now wife, might like. He was correct. Justin found me a stunning diamond and setting that worked with my budget and I feel like a baller when she or any of her friends comment on it.

After the purchase, the kindness and service does not stop. We stop by and say hi when we are in the area and the staff always greet us with a friendly smile and a quick cleaning / inspection of her ring - something I know those online retailers do not provide!

[94CoRd]

When it came time to purchase our wedding bands - the fiances was pretty easy. Because the setting was bought from Justin, we just had to go back and get the matching band. I was unsure what I wanted for a band, until a Gem by Carati catalog came in the mail. I saw a line by Crown Ring and messaged Justin. Unfortunately he did not have that particular one in at the time, but insisted we head down and he can do a quick fitting of something similar.

Justin measured me for mine, and my fiances for hers. After a quick cleaning of her engagement ring we were out the door and would sit tight until he had the rings.

I cant say much more other than the experience in dealing with Justin is awesome. After purchasing an engagement ring and two wedding bands, I feel confident in calling Justin my jeweler (I hope he is okay with that). Thanks for everything Gem by Carati! I'll be in one of these days so my wife can finally buy me an engagement watch!

[s2k_boi]

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.

[shakalaka]

I never met Justin, but he made my over the phone purchase of Hamilton Pilot really easy and quick. I think I was on the phone with him for less than 10 minutes, granted I knew what I wanted, just was on point and didn't beat around the bush with the pricing. I would have saved maybe $100 going the online route, however for the peace of mind and sheer privilege of dealing with Justin made it worth while. He shipped the watch to me the following day to Edmonton and we ran into little snags with FedEx showing the watch as delivered while I hadn't received it, but Justin took it upon him to sort out the mess.

Fast forward a year or so, he answered all my inequiries in regards to the engagement ring I had for my fiancée. We didn't end up going that route and switched the ring all together, but Justin right on point in helping and answering all the questions I had.

Thanks again Justin and I'll surely post a review of this watch that I will win from this contest! haha I wish.

[SkiBum5.0]

Bought my Hamilton Khaki Pilot from Justin over a year ago and I still receive excellent service when I take the watch in. I was having some issues with the date rolling forward, and Justin had a look and it turns out it was low on reserve. He still cleaned up the watch and it looked brand new.

Thanks for the continued service.

[GreyFox]

Been meaning to post a review here for a while, guess this gives me the perfect excuse to finally do one!

I got married 2 years ago and I was having troubles finding a ring for myself that I really liked. I have skinny fingers, so lot's of the styles of rings that are bigger looked ridiculous on me.

I went in and met with Justin and he showed me a variety of rings that might suit my taste. He was sure to explain the differences of all the different types of metal and the pros and cons of each and helped me narrow down which ones I should probably focus on as a result of my lifestyle and budget.

It took one more visit before I made my final decision. Did the sizing, ordered the ring and picked it up a week or so later. All in all, couldn't be happier with the band nor with the experience. The thing that stood out the most for me was that Justin gave me his full attention even though the band only ended up costing around $150...mere pennies compared to some of the hardware you guys are picking up in this thread! But I never felt like I was wasting anybody's time or that he had more important things to do.

Thanks again Justin and fellow Gem staff!!

[dirtsniffer]

Originally posted by dirtsniffer
I recently had the pleasure of dealing with Justin at Gem by Carati while shopping for an wedding band. Justin has a full set of crown sizing rings which was helpful for getting the correct size as they can vary slightly across manufacturer and the generic steel sizing rings other places have.

The buying process was extremely relaxed with no pressure and knowledgeable advice. Communication through various forms of communication was always great and everything went exactly as discussed. I never got the feeling that was discussed wouldn't be delivered and I am pretty a particular person with high expectations and Gem definitely exceeded them. Justin even went well beyond what I'd expect and is willing to help out my fiancée with an issue that is in no way his responsibility.

Honestly, I don't see myself shopping for jewellery anywhere else.

I picked up my band today so I decided to make a unique thread
Link to thread

[nixon45]

I would also like to express my gratitude to Justin and his staff at Gem by Carati.

I had known that I wanted to propose to my (then) girlfriend for a long long time. In my heart I know she deserves a ring that her friends can be jealous of and that she can wear with absolute pride.

I had looked around at the usual places in Calgary (cough Spence cough) and they really did not offer anything that I felt would be the perfect ring to ask her to marry me. I had known of Gem of Carati from another local car forum, and had read all of the positive reviews. I decided to send Justin an email with some of the rings I had found online that I liked the style of. Within an hour or so I had multiple photos of rings in my email inbox that he felt I would like, and I scheduled a trip to see them in person.

We found the ring that day and my mind was made up. It would be the ring I would propose with.

The entire process was super easy and I never once felt any pressure to drop a credit card down on the counter.

I have been engaged since December 5th and my Fiancee gets compliments on a daily basis about the ring.

We are lucky to have Justin and his staff as a sponsor for the board.

See him for any of your Watch/Jewelry needs, you wont regret it.

[spikerS]

I have to give props to Justin.

Baygirl and I went in to see what they had there. I was used to just staring and dreaming. I cruised the wrist shot Friday thread, drooling over the Casios, the Hublots, the Omegas, etc... dreaming.

We walked in, and were immediately greeted by some quite friendly ladies. We asked if Justin was there, we were informed he was, and he came out to greet us, dropping everything. I didn't realize it right away, but Baygirl brought me in to get a nice time piece.

I probably checked out close to 40 watches, asked a billion and one questions, and polished every single watch to see how it shined, and how the watch face looked and in different light. I went from one display case to the next, back to the first, then across the store to another, and then back to the second one. Reminded me a lot of the family circus comics in the Sunday papers. The best part was, Justin didn't bat an eye. He was patient, answered all of my questions, and even went and researched answers he didn't know rather than feed me some bullshit line. I really appreciated that. I know we were not a huge sale, but we were treated like we were the most important people to him. He wanted our business, and genuinely cared to make sure we were going to make a properly informed decision, and wanted to make sure we were going to be happy with what we purchased. I swear to god I had 8 or 9 different watches out and comparing them all to each other, trying them on, seeing how they looked, what the strap materials were made of, strap options, the whole gamut, and Justin patiently let me do my thing, offering appropriately timed comments and sugestions. Some places you feel like you are being treated like a criminal, only 1 item out of a case at a time, and the sales person is on you like a hawk. I din't feel that way at all with Justin, even with $10,000 in watches in front of me. It was refreshing, and it made the whole experience just that, an experience, and an amazing one at that.

We fell on some hard times, and I sadly had to sell my Hamilton Khaki Pilot. It killed me to do it, and I can't tell you how much I miss it. It was the pride of my collection. To some, it isn't worth much, but to me, it represented a journey. One that went from surprise I was getting something so nice, to the experience Justin provided, to showing off that timepiece to my friends and posting the in wrist shot Friday thread and people commenting on how I stepped up and got a quality timepiece instead of the knock offs I brought back from the Philippines. When I am in a position to buy another, Justin has my business, each and every time after that too.