Best Jeweler in Austin! Got a bracelet remade here, they did a stellar job and I love the final piece! [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have been in Austin forever and are super knowledgeable about everything and are very educational about everything![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Love them and can't wait to continue to use them for a long time! read more

As I long as I have lived in Northwest Austin, I am not sure how I managed to miss Avant Garde Jewelers. On Saturday, when I was out shopping, mostly window shopping, I ran across Avant Garde Jewelers. They have some unique pieces and not the typical run of the mill jewelry pieces. I like that hey have petite pieces as well as more elaborate ones. In addition, they sell natural as well as lab created diamonds. I do not own in lab created diamonds but I do know they are growing in popularity because they test as a diamond and they have a significantly lower price point. [[HIGHLIGHT]]After pleasantly chatting with Sydney for a bit, she created a two item wish list for husband.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I am sure that the hubs will be rushing down to Avant Garde to fulfill my wish list. Not! He is still recovering from our 25th wedding anniversary. read more

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Came in here this weekend to browse and look at some jewelry and me and my boyfriend were super impressed with this store. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Sydney was the sweetest and super knowledgeable![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] She pulled items for us to look at and educated us on the process of making custom jewelry. I would highly recommend this store to anyone who is looking for high quality jewelry or to custom make a piece! read more

Outstanding service. Went in for a repair on a piece I didn't think was salvageable and they were able to repair within minutes. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Friendly jeweler and staff. Would return in a heartbeat.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Thank you! read more

Wow! Did you know that you can take your broken pieces or, heck, even something you don't wear anymore, and design something you love?! I didn't know it was so easy! I had a pair of gold dangly earrings that were loved and loved until, one broke. They were replaced immediately, but I couldn't exactly toss a pair of $$$ earrings. Then, it came to me! What if??? I took the broken earring pieces and made pendants?! When I walked into Avant Garde, I was greeted by Brian Hoover, jeweler extraordinaire! He was happy to sit with me and talk about what I was looking for. He knew just which clasps I would like with each one and spoke honestly and straight forward about pricing and how he would design them to be sturdy. I am very pleased with how they turned out and now he's got me looking through my other pieces to see what else we could make together! Another wonderful person there I had the pleasure of working with was Mihalyia. I'm sure I spelled her name wrong, but she was fantastic with follow through and making sure my timeline was met. Now, grab your precious metals and jewels and go see them! read more

Avant Garde Jewelers - My finished pendants! - Jewelry Near Me - Austin, Texas

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]My husband and I went to Avant Garde for new rings after reading the reviews and it could not have been a better experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Brian and Sammie were both incredible to work with.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They took the time at each of our visits to answer questions, and review designs and materials. Sammie went out of her way to ensure that everything was exactly what we wanted (and was within our budget!), and the custom piece turned out beyond-my-expectations beautiful. We will absolutely be going back to them for any future jewelry needs! read more

Avant Garde Jewelers - Jewelry Near Me - Austin, Texas

I went in with a heavy-ish 14k gold pendant I wanted melted into a ring. Brian himself talked to me about the project and asked if the gold pendant was sentimental. No, I said, I just have it. Brian showed me a few ring styles to get an idea of what I wanted (I needed a replacement wedding band). He did a lot of pushing buttons on a calculator and let me know that I could order a ring from them and use the gold I had as credit. It would be the best deal, he said, rather than getting my gold melted down. So it wouldn't be the same gold from the pendant in the ring, but they would accept the pendant as a partial "payment." Sounds great! Brian ordered the ring for me and it arrived very quickly. The store held onto my pendant while the ring was on order and when I came to pick up, all I had to pay was the balance, which was really quite reasonable. This place was quite busy both times I went in, so I was surprised that the owner himself came out to talk to me. I would guess that he loves the custom jewelry making part of the job, because when the first person helping me heard that I was interested in melting down a piece to make something new, she grabbed Brian immediately. All of the other salespeople were occupied with selling the jewelry from in cases. Anyway, the attention I received was really quite lovely and Brian was super friendly. I'll definitely go back if I need something custom made. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Brian and his team are wonderful.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very warm, friendly and easy to work with.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Had a fantastic experience with them.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Would highly recommend. read more

This family owned jeweler has many excellent reviews, so we put them on our short list of a handful of local Austin stores to visit. We were looking for a number of items, but to start with a 4 carat total weight round diamond eternity ring of high quality (F, VS1). The visit to Avant Garde did not go well. The most awful part of the experience for us was the salesperson and the rude and belittling way we were treated. When we described to the Avant Garde salesperson what we were interested in purchasing, her reaction was odd, rude and belittling. She told us as the customer that we didn't want a ring with so many carats, but something 1/4 to maybe 1/2 that size. This was not pleasant advice; it was said in a rude and belittling way. She said this in a way that came across to us as if she was implying we could not afford such a ring. Regardless, we certainly got the message that she did not want to spend time helping us. She did not say that directly, of course, but the message was clear and we left. Another poor aspect of the service for us at Avant Garde is that we had made an appointment through their web site. For all the other jewelers we met with, we made the appointment by phone and had a chance to talk with someone to detail what we were looking for. With Avant Garde, their website appointment workflow provides an opportunity to enter the details of what you are looking for, which we did. Unfortunately, when we arrived at what we thought was the scheduled time, Avant Garde told us that they had no record of our appointment. We showed them on an iPhone the email/calendar confirmation, but their reaction was disinterest. They did not look at the confirmation to get details, or to help them find our appointment in their system. After I left a 1 star review on Google, the owner mentioned that they now found the appointment and it was for a later time. It does show on my calendar (invite sent by Avant Garde's Calendly service) at the time we thought was correct, but regardless of the actual appointment time the issue is how the situation was managed including -- most especially -- how we were treated by the Avant Garde salesperson. Our experience at Avant Garde from initial greeting, the appointment mixup, and especially right through to the salesperson interaction was awful. The follow up from Brian, the Avant Garde owner, in reply to my Google review and in email exchanges with him has been quick to focus just on the appointment time and to blame us as the customer. With respect to the customer service and his salesperson's behavior his answer is in essence "We understand that there may be differing perspectives on the situation". Our recommendation is to skip Avant Garde and look elsewhere. read more

I am incredibly happy with my ruby ring, it turned out perfectly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Hannah and Sammie were incredibly helpful.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Thank you guys so much. read more

Avant Garde Jewelers - Jewelry Near Me - Austin, Texas

If I could rate Avant Garde 10/5 I would. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Mihaela helped us through the whole process and were very transparent and informative to make us feel comfortable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We had been to other jewelers around town but didn't feel the same level of trust and flexibility as we did with Avant Garde.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The whole design process was very smooth and patient as we went through designing the perfect ring set for my fiancé and she loves the final product. They were able to work within our budget and produce rings that blew away expectation. They even assessed heirloom diamonds we owned to be placed in the wedding band and were able to add them into the ring which makes it extra special. Will be my go to recommendation for any jewelry related needs! read more

Went in on a whim because I was in search of an engagement ring! [[HIGHLIGHT]]I enter and the store was empty, but I quickly greeted by Amanda.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I tell her my needs (I knew what i had in mind) and she was quick to reply and showed me several options that left me really pondering what the best decision was.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Although I was in a tight schedule to get this ring, the jeweler was able to fit a very reasonable timeframe and because of that reason, I instantly said YES! Beside her showing me the different settings, and obviously the diamonds (I got a 2.5 carot) it was a sight to see. I would always recommend to do your research online before coming in store, but coming in store blindly, and being able to choose my engagement ring from here, I'd say it was a pretty successful day. read more

Came in to get a ring repair for a ring they no longer carried, and a vendor that was no longer offering that line. I was treated very respectfully even though it was a hassle for them to accommodate. They are professionals and I'm glad that I did business with them. Highly recommend and will be continuing to buy their jewelry. read more

I have been here twice for sentimental jewelry repair and both times customer service was exceptional and I was able to walk out with my repaired jewelry within minutes. read more

Brian Hoover of Avant Garde is the BEST for custom jewelry. He has been my go-to for over 20 years for the most special creations. He is an excellent listener and I appreciate that he is a perfectionist, especially since quality jewelry is expensive and symbolic. I have imagined and drawn some unique designs that he has always made a reality, and he tends to far exceed my expectations. He is an honest professional who you can trust will have fair pricing. His store at the Arboretum is beautiful too and filled with an amazing selection of stunning sparkles. My husband and I just upgraded my wedding ring setting and I truly could not love it more! read more

Avant Garde Jewelers - Jewelry Near Me - Austin, Texas

After visiting a few big name jewelers for an engagement ring, Avant Garde was by far the best experience. Brain was amazing with his knowledge of diamonds and helped me find the diamond that made my fiancée's dreams come true. They were extremely easy to work with and patient as well. They were also able to accommodate my short timeframe as well. We will definitely be going back for our wedding bands. read more

Avant Garde Jewelers - Jewelry Near Me - Austin, Texas

When my partner and I began to talk about getting engaged, I knew I didn't want a diamond but didn't more than that. We thought it would be a fun thing to do to design a ring together. We looked at multiple jewelers in Austin and eventually went to Avant Garde. Brian Hoover makes Avant Garde a special place. He is chock full of knowledge and spent hours educating us about gems and rings. We never felt pressured to make a decision or commit to a ring design before we were ready. In many ways, Brian is a teacher, not a salesman. We weren't asked to make a purchase or even commit to working with Brian until we decided on a gemstone - at that point we had easily spent 7-8 hours with Brian looking at stones over the course of a few months. Brian has access to some gorgeous gemstones. I ended up with a purple sapphire that I couldn't have dreamed up. Brian made sure that I was completely in love with it before my partner purchased it. Communication isn't necessarily Avant Garde's strong point, so you may need to follow up, but both Brian and Emily were very warm communicators. Overall, if you have the time and desire to design your own ring, you will be in excellent hands here at Avant Garde. I was nervous about having such a unique stone, and Brian took the time to put me at ease. When we talk about our ring and our engagement, Brian is a huge part of the story we tell, and will be for years. read more

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I had the lovely privilege of working with mostly Brian, the owner, and his team at Avant Garde. I came in looking for one thing and left with another. Brian was able to share his experiences with me and knew what I was looking for and what I was trying to achieve. I wanted to get an anniversary ring (a completely different style & metal than my original engagement ring & bands). Brian was able to find the perfect diamond shape (elongated oval) that would match what my eye was used to seeing with my cushion cut diamond . I spent time with him trying on and viewing the diamonds in the CAD and loose and I am in LOVE with my rings. I truly hope to visit his store again and perhaps get an even larger stone if the budget works ! read more

Christina helped me with a custom project and I wanted to post this to rave about her. She was so personable and helpful and patient. She's knowledgeable and supportive. Was thankful to have gotten to work with her and highly recommend her services. read more

Terrible service. Condescending. Strange interaction. Last went there for a jewelry repair in 2018. Since then something must have changed. Took a week after I dropped off my jewelry to get a call that they couldn't repair it (even though they repaired it in 2018) because it wasn't solid gold. When was in, I asked about a custom piece that they were going to research. Never heard back. read more

Top-notch customer service!!!! I was quite impressed with the attention and care I received when I was there to see about getting my ring adjusted because of my fingers swelling from arthritis. I highly recommend this place for jewelry repair. read more

I had Avant Garde add 2 little lost diamonds in my wedding ring - this went smoothly. After a few months another little diamond fell out. I was super disappointed and went back to have them fix the problem. Mr Brian looked at the wedding ring under a microscope, then asked to see my engagement ring under a microscope too. He then took me into the little office to show me what he found. He showed me, under the microscope, the reasons behind why I was loosing diamonds and that the setting was rubbing against the engagement ring and both were worn down. Ugh, I thought I was in for a new setting and a new wedding band, but, no. Mr Brian suggested a fix to bring them both back to life for a few more years. I just collected my rings and they look like new. The service was warm and inviting. I love that Mr Brian took the time to find why I was having issues and not just doing a band-aid fix. Thank you Avant Garde! read more

Our ring is not finalized yet but Brian is tremendous! He's been so accommodating and seems like he really cares. He listened to what we wanted, talked us through questions, and then when we found the one we love he came up with a few different options to make it easiest on our budget!!! I'll update once we have our ring but I'd highly recommend going to Brian; he's earned our repeat business! read more

My fiancé and I came Into Avant Garde to start looking at engagement rings. He wanted to have to have an exact idea of what I wanted. During our first visit we were warmly welcomed by the owner Brian and he showed us many options. On our second and third visit we worked with Drew and came up with some ideas for a custom ring. I left it to my fiancé and Drew to create the final product. The ring came out perfect and it is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen, it is exactly what I wanted. I couldn't say enough good things about Avant Garde, even though my fiancé spent more time working with them than I did, it was a fantastic experience. read more

Avant Garde Jewelers - Custom engagement ring - Jewelry Near Me - Austin, Texas

The Service was very good and they made me feel welcomed. we had to get something fixed and they fixed it very quickly a very good jewelers store if you have any jewlerey needs go to this place read more

Amazing experience. They taught me so much and got me a great price! Would recommend!

BRAVO! 5 stars does not truly express the exceptional service, quality and value I found at Avant Garde Jewelers. I was given one on one personal attention to my needs and ended up with one of the most beautiful pieces of diamond jewelry for an anniversary gift I have ever found! Their designer lines are impeccable and striking! AAA+++ store and people! read more

Avant Garde Jewelers - Jewelry Near Me - Austin, Texas

I've had nothing but amazing experiences working with Brian over the last couple of weeks. The store is fairly easy to get to with ample parking. The first time I came here was to fix my wife's watch. My wait time was short and I had a great experience as his bed side manner was great. I was happy I was treated equally with the same attention as a customer looking for an engagement ring. It turned out I needed a new battery, which he replaced and ensured worked to his satisfaction as well as mine. I had to come here again yesterday, because my wife had another watch that needs a new battery. The service was better. This is great being a repeat customer. Brian was busy working on big project for a client he paused his work to change the battery my wife's watch. I was very satisfied with the prompt service and attention I got. I would recommend Avant Garde for jewelry repair as well as for new jewelry purchases, because he has a good reputation in the neighborhood. Next time I need some jewelry I'm looking forward to making this a first stop! read more

I really recommend this place! They have a great choice for all budgets, the employees and the owner are so helpful and pleasant. I got one of my rings resized, they took the time to clean and check the diamonds of my other rings for free! I have only positive things to say, I highly recommend this place if you need a good jeweler in Austin! read more

Brian is an amazing jeweler, and I have loved every interaction with him! He takes the time to really explain what needs to be done to a piece of jewelry, and makes sure you understand. I will make this my go to Jeweler! read more

I've been going to Avant Garde Jewelers for years for jewelry repair. They have always provided friendly, prompt and quality service. I have had several broken gold chains that they have been able to flawlessly repair. They have changed out the clasp on a gold necklace that I bought on vacation and brought back to Austin to customize. And on my recent visit to fix yet another broken gold chain, I asked if they might be able to clean my vintage engagement ring. Not only did they clean it, but they checked if the diamond was securely set, and let me know that that prongs were quite worn, and suggested that I should consider having the prongs rebuilt. There was absolutely no pressure, and they let me know that my ring was not in imminent danger, and that I didn't have to rebuild the prongs right away. I decided to go ahead and leave my ring so that the prongs could be rebuilt. The work was complete in less than a week, I paid what I had been quoted, and my ring was returned to me polished, sparkling and gleaming with the diamond super safe and secure. This is a great local business. They are a fantastic asset to our community. read more

I'm constantly impressed by Brian and his employees. Brian made me a gorgeous custom ring with a family stone and I couldn't be happier with it. Mihaela was super helpful and kept me updated throughout the process. I even stopped by months later and she greeted me by name. I can't recommend Avant Garde enough! read more

I lost my original ring of 8 years, and my husband wanted me to find a new ring I loved. My experience with Avant Garde was incredible from start to finish. Brian really is an expert, and I don't know if there is any ring/design/idea he can't execute! My custom engagement ring started out as a vague preference and turned into my dream ring. Rose gold, cushion cut morganite with olive branch details in the gem basket. The whole staff at Avant Garde was very professional, friendly, and went over and above to make sure my ring worked for me. I have told so many people about Avant Garde. They are the best!!! All my love to all the staff! read more

Avant Garde Jewelers - Can't stop looking at my hand. - Jewelry Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is a lovely little store. I inherited a sentimental diamond necklace and was looking to have it remade into two wedding bands. Mihaela assisted me and provided fantastic customer service. She walked me through the process of making a custom piece and was able to get the design and 3D printed resin model to me within the week. Not only that, but she worked within my budget as well! There are two jewelers on site and everyone at the store is incredibly knowledgeable. They took excellent care of my piece and turned it into two gorgeous heirloom wedding bands. I am thrilled with the quality of their work! Trustworthy, professional, and talented. Overall a fantastic experience. read more

Love this place. I stop by from time to time to get my ring cleaned and the staff is so friendly and helpful. I needed a jeweler desperately when I first moved to Austin and came here because of the great reviews. The owner is so nice! He worked with me to get my ring repaired. I have nothing but positive things to say about this store!!! read more

Such a great jewelers! Everyone is so nice and helpful! I took my great grandmother's 70 year old ring in to be resized and I was BLOWN AWAY. They completely remastered it for a great price. Thank you so much Avant Garde! read more

I can see why Avant Garde has so many 5-star reviews: They're great, friendly, no-nonsense people. I popped in to get my watch bracelet resized (i.e. removing some links), and it was done about 3 minutes later. I then asked about smoothing out some deep nicks on the edge of my titanium wedding band. Brian told me the prognosis on ring (can be grinded/resurfaced but material is lost), and then he did a quick grind on it that made it mostly smooth without leaving a flat spot. He said there was no charge for the ring, and that if it got more scratched up over time, he'd do the whole thing for $5-6. Then when I told him that I found them on Yelp, he said there was no charge for the watch, just to keep spreading the word. Obviously I was happy to oblige, and I'll definitely be back when I need more significant repairs in the future. read more

I brought in my grandmother's ring here that I just received to get it refurbished and fixed. Some of the prongs that were holding the rubies were a little wonky, and I wanted to find out how many carats the diamonds were. I brought it into Brian and within five days I had a shiny new gold, ruby, and diamond ring. He wasn't able to fix one of the ruby prongs because someone had done a botched repair decades ago, but all in all, things went well. He also installed a new battery in my fossil watch for me,and using the Yelper discount, I paid only $30. Jewelers aren't something that you need a lot, so in doing your research, I'll hope you'll consider Avant Garde. read more

First time walking into Avant Garde. I had a rather tall order. I was bringing in gold and a cluster of opals with a design request. The owner was kind and helpful offering half a dozen fresh ideas for this. Although a rather small store I found so many delicate lovely pieces that i could not resist making a personal purchase this close to Christmas! Not to worry a pearl and diamond necklace made it in the mix for my mother! Prices are so reasonable that you need to have a walk through for yourself. read more

After visiting Diamonds Direct, I just felt like there was a better option for engagement rings in Austin. After giving Brian a call roughly two weeks ago, I picked up the ring today. I don't have enough nice things to say about Brian and his team. He is truly a humble jeweler with a heart of gold with a fun personality to match. Brian's prices are not only fair, but the quality of his stones are top notch. It's rare you feel this good after walking out of a jewelry store haha tl;dr Brian is the most amazing jeweler this side of the Mississippi. Go see him. Now. read more