At my last club night, I came home from a hectic night of intense dancing to discover my beloved armour ring had broken! One of the small posts holding the section that covers the lower finger to the knuckle joint piece had broken off completely, leaving it held together very loosely and frailly with three posts instead of four. I searched on Yelp and called around and finally managed to get in to Balzan. It felt a little weird walking in dressed in my hobo bike gear wanting to get a silver chunky ring repaired when they obviously deal in precious jewels and metals but hey, not all of us are into those things. Plus, this ring has sentimental value to me and I really wanted it repaired. I talked to a wonderful and friendly lady behind the counter who was fascinated by my armour ring (I guess the bonus of unusual jewelry like that is they don't get to see it often in those types of shops!) She said she was pretty sure one of the jewelers could repair it for me with a piece of silver (since the ring itself is solid silver). I filled in my information, got my return ticket, and headed out. A little less than a week later, I received a phone call that my ring was ready to be picked up. She told me that they were open a bit later that evening so I didn't have to rush insanely out of work to get there (they close normally at 4:30 pm). They also only take cash or check, so she gave me the price over the phone so I could have it with me when I arrived. I showed up just in time and she pulled my ring out for me. It was perfect! You can't even tell where the new post was put in to fix the joint! It had also been cleaned up so it was once again shiny and new looking! I happily paid my $25 in cash, knowing I'll get more years out of my beloved ring. I will happily go back here if I have other jewelry needs in the future! The 4:30 close time and only open on the weekdays is a bit frustrating, not gonna front, and taking only cash or check is also annoying, but honestly, for how happy they made me with the work they did and how nice and sweet the customer service was, I'll happily deal with those little inconveniences. read more

Balzan Gem Laboratory - Silver armour ring repaired with new post in the knuckle joint - Watch Repair Near Me - San Francisco, California

I took a pearl necklace to Mr Balzan for appraisal since pearls are one of his specialties and he's a senior charter member with the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers. He very patiently explained the factors that impact the value of pearls and provided me with a very detailed report listing all the characteristics of the pearls, clasp and a breakdown of all precious metals present. Would highly recommend his services. read more

This place did a great job resizing my silver pearl ring. I had it sized down a couple sizes, which is pretty significant, but it only cost $40 and looking at it now I can't even tell that it was adjusted in any way. They also fixed a silver necklace on which I'd broken the chain. That was a little more pricey, I thought, for a single tiny chain that snapped, but it's very strong now and you can't even tell. All in all, $60 for both jobs was a good deal (I'd called around a few places). Service was also great - they were very friendly to me each time I called and came in. I also took a while to pick up my ring and necklace and they actually placed several follow up calls to remind me, which was nice. read more

Best experience I've had with a jeweler. They are very knowledgeable, professional, and trustworthy. Came here originally to have my ring appraised for insurance. Later on my center stone became loose. So I knew I would go back to them to repair. They tightened the setting, cleaned, examined the ring and the rest of the prongs. I would highly recommend them. read more

Awesome service! Came in two get two necklace clasps fixed. I expected to have to leave them at the shop for a couple of days, but nope--walked right out after 10 minutes with my fixed necklaces! Just a note they are cash/check only. read more

I met Patrick and his dad this month when i had to get a couple of ring evaluated to make sure I had gotten what I paid for online and sized. Patrick was a total professional, as well as his dad and I was in very good hands. They gave me some great tips, explained why I did a good job with the purchases- and I had bought them from someplace else. It felt good to know I was able to get a good deal with their blessing. They did an absolutely fantastic sizing of my diamond rings. Ones had to be made 3 1/2 sizes LARGER- it was a difficult job and it came out PERFECT. I sized another diamond ring the next week and it was also done PERFECTLY. They were professional, friendly and made me feel comfortable handing my jewelry over to them. They even tightened some of the prongs for the second ring at no charge and cleaned and polished both of them. They put a rush on one of the resizing at no extra charge to make sure I had my beauties in time for Xmas. Top notch folks to deal with and I'll never go anyplace else. I just wish they took debit or credit cards. Cash only can be hard. Thank you. read more

Found this business through Yelp - wouldn't have known they existed otherwise because they're tucked away on the upper floors of the Shreve building. I needed to have my wedding ring sized down and was looking for a spot close to my workplace that could do it. Very quiet space - service was very prompt. The clerk measured my finger to ensure the proper resize of the ring, got my contact info, and gave me a ticket to present on my return pick up. It's good to note that the ticket only has the order# and no address of the business...in case I were to lose it on the street, there would be very little chance of someone finding it and trying to claim the item as theirs. Turnover time was exactly one week and I loved that my ring was also clean and polished. The cost was $45. I would go back here again for any jewelry repair needs. I would only look elsewhere if I had a rush order or needed a place that did repairs on site/same day pick ups. read more

I came into Balzan to have my wedding bracelet sized down. I was helped by two people who explained exactly what process they would use (and why) to make the change and gave me an estimate on what the work might cost. A few days later my bracelet was ready and came out perfectly and the work done cost 25% less than what they originally quoted. Win!! Note, cash and checks only for payment. read more

I made my girlfriend a custom necklace pedant by 3D printing in gold plated brass (yea, you can do that now. I know, awesome right? shapeways.com). I had planned on going to Macy's or Nordstrom or something similar to find a simple gold chain to accompany the pendant and also to have them put the pendant on the chain. That was a complete failure. Their gold chain options were terrible and over priced and the staff were incredibly unwilling to work with me on the very simple alteration that was needed. So, Yelp pointed me to Balzan. Not only did they have a good selection of chains for me to try and match the pendant, but they were reasonably priced and the alteration was done without problem and for a very reasonable price. They were very helpful in turning it around quickly for me (I was already late on a birthday gift, uh oh) and went out of their way to coordinate pick up and drop off for me. Their work turned out great. Unfortunately, my gf broke the necklace one week later. This was no fault of Balzan's craftsmanship, she simply caught it on something and ripped it off. We were both devastated, but when we took it back in to Balzan they fixed it at no charge. Couldn't recommend them higher for the quality of their work and their willingness to go above and beyond. read more

Yesterday, I brought in two rings to be resized, and two watches to have their batteries replaced. The receptionist let me know that they were closing for a week and a half, and I might not get my stuff back before then, which I thought was very thoughtful. A lot of places would just take my stuff and not let me know. Then, they called me today and said all my things were ready to be picked up. One day turnaround! I was shocked and amazed. I highly recommend this place. Great service, very friendly, and really fast. And the prices were more than reasonable (less than $100 for all four items). Highly recommended! read more

I visited this business to get my white gold wedding band cleaned & re-processed to get back the "white" gold look, and also to get my engagement ring repaired. A small diamond fell off from the pave set part of the ring. The maintenance request for the wedding band was pretty simple, but the engagement ring seemed complicated and I wasn't sure if they can get it done. But when I got the rings back, they were both impeccable! The wedding band was shiny and as good as new, and the engagement ring was back to the way it should be. I couldn't tell where the diamond had fallen off and where they put it back in. The price was very reasonable too, and the work was done in only 1-2 days. The location of the business is a bit hard to come by, it's upstairs of a commercial/office building so there is no "store front" that you can pass by on ground level. But write down the address and go here... they are experts in their craft, and they will do a wonderful job. Payment is Cash or Check only, and you pay upon receiving your repaired jewelry. They also custom make gold/whitegold/platinum jewelry, and have standard style jewelry settings if you want to bring in a loose gemstone and get it set. I am thinking of doing this for my parents' old engagement ring, so I can take the diamond and turn it into a ring that's more in-style that I can wear. I will definitely return here for my future jewelry needs. Highly recommended. read more

Needed a pearl replaced in my antique engagement ring and they did the BEST job. I had gotten the ring from Brilliant Earth and when it arrived to my boyfriend it was missing a pearl, he sent it back to them and they replaced it. Later, another pearl came out and the masters at Balzan replaced that pearl. It is a near perfect replacement/match to the original pearls, and they did a WAY better job than Brilliant Earth did. They are experts and affordable. They will forever have my business, and should have yours too! It's true: CASH OR CHECK ONLY. read more

This place is the best! I needed to get a simple platinum ring resized, going down one size. I called several jewelry stores including several recommended for sizing on Yelp. I couldn't believe all of these places quoted me prices in the range of $100 and up for such a small job! I called and Patrick quoted me $35 to resize the ring. Balzan was very professional. Patrick first measured the ring and noted that it was actually larger than it measured on the gauge and had been sold as due to a high curve on the crown - and that they would compensate for this when resizing. What a nice touch! I never would have known about something like that myself. He then looked at the small stones under the microscope to make sure they were all tightly mounted before they did the resizing. Then, he said it could probably be done that afternoon if I was in a hurry. I said I didn't need it for a few days - yet they called a few hours later and said it was ready to pick up any time. like a lot of small service businesses, they only take cash or check. No problem, and they make sure to remind you both when you drop off your piece and when they call you to let yo know it's ready. Their lab is in an office building at the end of a long hallway - but it is easy to find, on Market 1 block from the Powell station. If you want to pay three times as much at some jeweler's storefront, go ahead. But if you want fast, friendly, professional, and very reasonably priced jewelry repair - I would definitely check out Balzan. read more

I found this place on yelp and it was a great find to have a special ring sized. To make a long story short, it wasn't a slam dunk solution due to the fact it was a designer piece, a gift purchased abroad so I couldn't go back to the designer to get it resized. Balzan assessed the situation and explored the options with me, going over the pros and cons of each process. Their final recommendation was cheap and easy! I am very happy with their customer service and the fact that they were so honest ($15 buck repair) and helpful. They do a lot of wholesale business I think, so don't expect a glamorous showroom. They are doing more repair, beading work so I told them I would help spread the word. read more

I brought an estate sapphire to Balzan for verification that it was natural and not lab created. The team at Balzan were super helpful. We looked at the stone under the microscope and I got a tutorial on what to look for, types of inclusions and colorings, what the differences between natural and lab are, where geographically my stone might be from, and even that it was a vintage, hand cut sapphire, with signs it had been set in a ring first before being repurposed into a pendant. I left feeling good about my stone and the rich history of my treasured piece, as well as a deeper appreciation for the craft of gemology. Highly recommended! read more

I never knew this place was here until I walked by at one point and thought to go in. I've had an antique watch of my grandfather's for years and it has never worked so I brought it in. Within minutes the staff knew what needed to be done, brought out the correct piece, fixed it and I was on my way for less than $30. The whole start to finish process was totally seamless and the staff was super friendly. It's also very accesible and although it's out of my neighborhood, I would happily come here again. Very highly recommended read more

Awesome service!!! Got my necklace and bracelet fixed at a reasonable cost! Also, gave a thorough explanation on the process and helped me clean ny wedding ring as well!! Definitely recommended! read more

Came here to resize a ring based on other Yelp reviews, and I was not disappointed. I was still even surprised at how much care and attention was taken to determine the material of the ring and how they would go about resizing it. In the two visits that I made, I chatted with four different staff members, and they were all friendly. read more

After a previous visit to get my grandmother's antique wedding ring cleaned I decided I trusted them enough to come back for a repair on it. There was one visible crack that I saw but they found some other little cracks and dings in it as well. I am so happy knowing that they can and did fix it back to new and that this ring will be around for decades more to come - despite accidental boozing induced accidents. They also cleaned it up as part of the repair. I've now had it cleaned twice with them and am amazed at how much more clean they can get it than the gold cleaner I have at home. The guys there are so nice I just love them. I can't wait for a new diamond ring to have and get cleaned and fixed.....hmm maybe someone reading this could get the ring from them too! read more

Balzan is great. The people who work there are incredibly friendly, down to earth and reasonable with their pricing. They also work fast. Tip: They are in a big office/retail building and they've moved offices on the same floor (right outside the elevators now). They only take cash/check. read more

Thanks, Cortney, for the great job resizing my diamond ring. It feels like a brand new ring. I'm so happy to be able to wear it again.

If I could give Balzan 10 stars, I would. I've never had to go to a jewelry repair store before, and I was almost on the verge of just throwing out my broken sunglasses. I didn't want to pay a ton of money to get them fixed and I had already purchased a different pair, but I had loved these sunglasses for so long that I felt bad just trashing them without trying to get them fixed first. Balzan was AMAZING. The turnaround time was TWO days, and the cost was only $35. Plus, they didn't just pop my lens back in to the frame - they actually re-worked the entire frame so they feel much more sturdy and feel so much better on my head! Plus, both attendants who helped me were extremely nice and friendly. I wish they had a storefront so more people would know about them! read more

Highly recommend these guys. They repaired a necklace that several other shops had declined to work on. The resulting work quality was fantastic and the price was very reasonable. Most of their business seems to be wholesale so recommend calling before you stop in to make sure they are open. read more

Craftsmanship, friendliness, and affordability were the three things I was expecting at Balzan based off other Yelp reviews. I was so pleased with their apparent depth of knowledge about such tiny things like clasps, and gem mounts, that when I dropped off my jewelry I completely forgot to ask for an estimate and simply left my goods (a ring, a pair of earrings, a bracelet, and two necklaces)- dashing down market street trying not to miss the $8 first-hour parking special!! **1/3 a star is knocked off here for their failure to quote me an estimate for the work. Obviously, that I didn't ask, says I was willing to pay anything so long I could wear some of my favorite pieces again. But still... My things were ready a week later to the day, and while I was appreciative of the quick service, their hours made it near impossible to pick up my stuff. I thought of hiring an assistant for day just to get the damn stuff so i could start wearing it already! Even though I'm just down in SOMA, Balzan was too far down market to take a bus and not miss a few hours in the office, but too close to justify driving to for an inevitable $8+ parking fee for 5 minutes. **I have to knock off 1/3 star here for the reason that they keep odd weekly hours and have no weekend hours- making it difficult for pick-up. The gentlemen there were very assuring as I kept calling to apologize for having them babysit my things, but they assured me it was safe and even offered to stay open until 5pm so I could come by! It was a very kind gesture, indeed, but still too early. Well, when I finally did have a chance to arrange my day around picking up my jewelry (3 weeks after it was ready), I was very satisfied with the work done and extremely happy with it costing $30 less than what I was expecting and willing to pay. I'm not sure how their pricing compares to other places, but when I spend almost 30% less than what I imagine I will, I'm usually a happy camper :-) **The final reason for another 1/3 deduction is that the ticket given to me at drop-off had no phone number on it nor indication that when I came back to pick-up my stuff, I'd have to either pay with cash or check. Go figures I'd just gone to the bank on my way to Balzan and deposited nearly all the cash I had on me. I ended up running to Walgreens next door and getting cash back twice. That you can't pay with a debit/credit card should be more clearly communicated upfront. Besides the slightly negative three touch points, everything turned out fabulous, I was satisfied with the cost, and the people running the place made me feel most taken care of and considered that I will definitely return to them in the future. read more

My glasses broke, and I thought I was going to end up having to buy a new pair. But since I was recently laid off I thought about possibly getting the frames fixed instead of buying new lenses and frames, too. (My frames are fifteen years old, and I doubt they are made anymore.) I called Balzan and then went to their offices a few hours later. Patrick was very helpful and cordial. He said he didn't know if they could repair my frames but they'd try. I emphasized that I didn't care what the outcome of the repair job looked like, as long as I could wear my glasses. The next day I picked up my glasses and I could not even tell where the repair was made. I paid $20 for the repair, with a one day turnaround, which is much preferable to what I would paid for new frames and glasses. I will definitely go back to Balzan for future repair needs, whether it be for glasses or jewelry. They saved me big bucks and were very nice about it, too. read more

We brought an engagement ring here for resizing, and left with more problems than when we walked in. The 3-stone diamond ring is somewhat difficult to resize, so the original jeweler (not in California) recommended checking out a few places to find a good repair shop. Balzan was confident that they could handle the job. When we picked up the ring after resizing, we noticed a number of problems. First, the ring was not even close to the sizing demo that had fit my fiancee in the store. More troubling, the ring had a few scratches, and there was considerable damage to the design: the mount was now asymetrical and the shank was significantly thinner than before. To Balzan's credit, their customer service was great. They immediately offered to fix all the mistakes. Unfortunately, when we got the ring back the second time, the sizing was still not correct, the mount was not fixed, and there was an additional issue. Several days later, one of the diamonds in the setting fell out. Upon returning to the original jeweler in Minnesota, we were informed that the tension on the mount had been altered. As a workaround, Balzan had soldered the diamond back in with white gold, which we were not told about. The ring had been compromised so much that the original jeweler decided to remake us an entirely new ring. Bottom line: Jewelers should not take on projects that they are not skilled to perform. read more

Courtney and Patrick Are amazing. They are truly masters at their work (literally, Courtney may be the foremost gemstone expert in the country). I'm thrilled that I received their immediate attention, a very high level of customer service, and a truly personal touch. Very honest people in an infamously dangerous industry... THESE GUYS ARE A TEAM YOU CAN TRUST. read more

Came here purely by chance, as two jewelers that I was trying to go to in the 210 Post Building were both closed. I'm so glad I ended up there! They did an expert job resizing and cleaning my platinum wedding band, and were super helpful in explaining the sizing to ensure it was done right the first time. Really excellent service and will definitely come back for anything I need in the future. read more

Horrible place !!! Stay away !! They cheated when repairing my ruby / diamond eternity band to replace a missing ruby. When several month later after their repair, I had a chance to look at my ring under a microscopic eyepiece, I could clearly see that the ruby that they put was significantly smaller than required, since I could see a large gap between the stone and its frame. Basically just slightly pushing the stone with a toothpick got it out!! read more

Wonderful team. I brought in a vintage engagement ring with all kinds of trouble-- Cortney and his team refurbished it so that I would feel reassured wearing it without having to worry about the diamonds flying off. It cost way less than what other jewelers quoted me. I've brought them smaller resizing and redesign work to do in the past and they've been amazing then, too. Don't go anywhere else!! read more

My review is overdue as I came here in October, a week before my wedding to get a side diamond in my antique engagement ring replaced. I was worried as it was such short notice but it wasn't a problem. On my initial meeting I was given some information on my ring. Finding out it was a lot older than what I had first thought. So I also decided to get it cleaned and all diamonds reset. Just incase. When I came to pick it up I was so surprised. It was even more beautiful! I couldn't believe it. For all jewelry repairs or questions these guys are A+ read more

Excellent repair work! Needed a pearl necklace restrung and repaired and was having a hard time finding a shop. The folks at the General Bead recommended Balzan and I couldn't have been happier. Will be back. Thank you again. read more

Found this hidden gem as I was going to another place. They are courteous and knowledgeable, and did an excellent job resizing and shinning my ring! It's a personal heirloom passed down my father that means a lot to me, and they did such a good job helping me restore it. Highly recommended! read more

Nice people. Needed a necklace repaired and they helped me right away. Will come back again.

So I was trying to find a place to replace a diamond that fell out, fix my prongs, and add more gold to the sides that hold my small diamonds. I went to another place at the same building as balzan for an estimate and the guy wanted to take out all my diamonds on the side and just put solid white gold (NO WAY!) so thats when I decided to go to balzan and im really glad I did he replaced my diamond fix my prongs and added more gold to hold in my smaller diamonds that I had worn down and even cleaned it and everything. To repair both my wedding ring and engagement ring it was a really good price. read more

Brought in a ring that had a big dent in the band. The lady at the front desk took one look at it and immediately started re-rounding it. 60 seconds later, I was out the door and my fiancé's ring was all fixed! Will definitely be back when I have future jewelry repair needs. read more

The small screw on my eyeglasses somehow came off so went to Balzan for repairs based on Yelp reviews. They were great. Didn't have the proper size for my frames so they temporarily placed a longer screw and suggested that I head down the street to another place to see if they could help. No charge. Great service. I noticed some beautiful jewelry in the store actually (after I was able to put my glasses back on) and may come back to shop... read more

I called in before going to the shop and Maggie had great customer service . I look forward to going back in the future.

Balzan Gem Laboratory can be trusted to do exceptional work, so it is worth it to me to drive over an hour each way from Stinson Beach whenever jewelry needs repair. As another reviewer wrote, Cortney Balzan is one of the most highly regarded master gemologists in the world. Cortney also is very personable and generous with his knowledge. If you have questions about gemstones or jewelry, Cortney is the one to ask. Over the last few years, Balzan Gem Laboratory has untangled necklace chains, fixed broken necklaces and faulty bracelet clasps, resized multiple rings and refurbished silver and higher Karat gold pieces to my complete satisfaction. I am especially pleased to have entrusted Balzan Gem Laboratory with replacing a lost emerald in a treasured antique cluster ring that has been in my family for five generations. As master gemologist, Cortney was up to the challenge of finding a replacement emerald that would harmonize with the antique emeralds. Then, a second jeweler, a lapidary, cut the replacement emerald to fit the ring. After that, a third jeweler who specializes in setting gemstones set the new emerald into my antique ring. The work was done perfectly. Where else would you find such a high level of quality control that three jewelry specialists would have a hand in repairing one old ring? Balzan Gem Laboratory always has charged reasonable fees for outstanding work. Remember to bring your checkbook or cash because they keep their fees low by not accepting credit cards. read more

Balzan repaired a sentimental silver chain for me, which has snapped because of a knot. They were very nice and the cost of repair was really cheap! I discovered that they were not open on Saturdays or any hours after my work and when i told them I was worried about how to pick it up they actually told me they would just drive to my work to give me it! They were really patient ask they called me a few times when they arrived and I didn't hear it. Finally they said they didn't even want extra payment for this above and beyond service (but I gave them one!). Above all that the repair is really good. I would trust these guys, they are professional and really care about you as a customer. read more