I honestly could not be happier with how this ring turned out. What looks like a fairly simple design was actually something I was extremely particular about. I wanted a very clean, minimal look, but I also wanted the setting to have a completely open window underneath the center stone. That meant there really wasn't anywhere to hide imperfections. The proportions, symmetry, prongs, curves, and little details all had to be right because there isn't a lot going on in the design to distract from them. I probably asked for more precision than most people would, and Carl was incredibly patient and flexible throughout the whole process. One thing I especially appreciated was being able to use my own loose diamond. That gave me the freedom to choose the stone I wanted while still having the setting custom made around it. The ring has such a clean look from every angle, and the open space underneath the diamond makes the center stone feel like it's floating rather than being buried in metal. Most importantly, my fiancée absolutely loves it. She wears it every day, which honestly tells me more than anything I could write in a review. I'm very grateful for the amount of care and flexibility that went into making this. I would absolutely recommend Carl to anyone who cares about the little details and wants something made specifically for them rather than simply picking something off the shelf. Thank you again for all the patience and craftsmanship. I put a lot of thought into this ring, and I'm really happy that the finished piece reflects it. read more

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Friendly, fair, knowledgable, and a second generation business. Plus....you get to visit the Cove! Book an appointment. You will not be dissappointed. read more

I took 2 strand of South Sea Pearls to sell. Blackburn is rated highly with selling and pricing. What a JOKE. He kept the pearls for 2 months with no contact unless I contacted him. I told him at the time that the white strand cost $50,000 in 1994 and the black were $38,000. He said they would sell and told his assistant to put retail prices on the pieces and put in window. After 2 months Carl offered. $3000 for them. This place is a joke!! Don't bother. read more

Professional, personable, and knowledgeable. Beautiful unique pieces! Great place to buy and sell!

I originally found Carl through a referral by one of my friends. When looking for a engagement ring I looked at several other shops and nobody had what I wanted. I talked to my friend about a custom-made ring and he recommended Carl Blackburn. Our first consultation was over the phone. Carl was very friendly and has great customer service. Carl is excellent at responding to emails and keeping the customer in the loop. Most importantly, Carl treats every client with respect, no matter what your price point is. During the design process Carl would listen to my ideas and helped guide me in the right direction to get the desired final product. Carl's custom-made process consists of a 3D CAD model of the ring followed by a 3D printed one-to-one scale of the ring. Being able to see both a visual and physical representation of the ring prior to casting it in metal really gave me confidence in the design. The 3D printed mockup allowed me to put the actual diamond in the setting prior to it being in metal. Once the final design was locked in I had the final product in hand approximately 2 weeks later. The whole process was about a 1.5 to 2 months. I am already using Carl's services again for the wedding bands. read more

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Carl was very courteous and welcoming when I entered his shop.The shop was well laid out and gave you a sense of serenity, at least for me. Carl took his time in looking over my things and came back with an impressive offer. I had told him upfront that I knew nothing about the price of jewelry, gold and silver. I know I probably shouldn't have said that (this would apply to dealing with anyone regarding valuations). But Carl educated me on the ins and outs of jewelry appraisal. He was very honest with me and explained why he valued each piece the way he did. I left feeling very satisfied that I received a fairly determined amount for my pieces. I recommend Carl to anyone who wants an accurate and honest appraisal. read more

I *really* can't say enough wonderful things about Carl. He totally saved my wife's ring!! We had a design in mind and we had searched for an entire year for someone who would work with us on it and everyone said yes at first and then backed out because we wouldn't let them push us into their standard ring collections instead of doing our custom job. I was ready to give up, but she kept looking and somehow found Carl. It took like 5 days to go from "hello" to a perfect CAD, which was thrilling because no one else would do that for us and it was the first time we were really able to see the ring. The CAD also exposed a few design flaws in the original idea, which Carl took it upon himself to help us work through. He made an initial proposal, which we nixed, then came back with an extremely creative second proposal which we loved. From there, he did resin casts for fit, a rough silver cast for more fitting and for aesthetic checks, and then spent literally MONTHS searching for our perfect center stone (which was actually incredibly difficult to find, as it was a root beer diamond that had to be a very precise color). Incredibly, he did all of this with us traveling constantly around the country, shipping diamonds and ring prototypes to wherever we were at the time. And despite all the shipping and prototyping (which he very transparently and clearly priced out along the way), HE STILL CAME IN FAR BELOW THE COMPETITION! it was absolute magic. And to put the icing on the cake, he even engraved both our rings, which we didn't think was going to be possible for *either* ring because of their designs. Honestly, I feel deeply indebted to Carl for his diligence, transparency, ethic and RESULTS. This man is incredible. You're in good hands! (P.s., while we brought a custom design that he helped us with, he also shared some of his own designs, which were extremely beautiful. If you don't have a specific design in mind, he's also a great designer and can work with you on creating the ring of your dreams.) read more

Carl is simply the finest jeweler in Southern California. I called him in a frenzy a few months before my proposal. I had just received some disappointing renders from a different jeweler regarding the design I had created for my partner's engagement ring. I was in search of someone who could really create and honor a vintage design. Immediately, I was blown away by Carl's knowledge, expertise, and confidence in being able to deliver exactly what I wanted to create. His demeanor calmed my nerves and got me excited about the process. Carl helped me along every step of the way. He was very communicative and responsive and demonstrated his years of experience at every turn. From sourcing and selecting the perfect vintage stone to refining the final design for the ring, every aspect of the process got me more and more excited about the final product. I couldn't have been more thrilled with how the ring came out, and my partner loves looking at it every day. She couldn't believe the amount of detail and craftsmanship that Carl was able to pack into a single piece. There's no reason to go to anyone else. If you are looking for a great jeweler who can deliver a beautiful and authentic piece at a fair price, Carl is your man! read more

C. Blackburn Jewelers - Jewelry Near Me - La Jolla, California

I brought in several pieces and worked with Carl, who was the definition of professional. He tested and weighed everything in front of me, explained how he priced each item (diamond quality, gold weight, resale demand), and put it all in an itemized breakdown. His offer was fair, better than others I'd checked and he honored it without any last-minute "adjustments." No sales pressure, great communication, and I left feeling confident I got real value for my pieces. Five stars Carl earns the trust. thank you Carl! read more

My (now) fiancee and I went to many different jewelers on our search for the perfect ring, and while we liked many of the other jewelers, none of them offered anywhere near the personalized service or competitive prices that Carl offers. He made us truly feel at home shopping for the perfect ring. He took the time to explain all of the different options within our price range, including detailed explanations of the 'three C's'. He helped us to identify the perfect ring and had it made for us well ahead of schedule. In the end, the ring ended up being perfect with a diamond that is much shinier than I had expected :) He really helped make our proposal perfect. Now after getting the ring, he has helped us with the resizing process and has been there to answer our lingering questions around insuring the ring and such. I cannot give him a better recommendation!! Do yourself a favor and start your search with him. read more

C. Blackburn Jewelers - Jewelry Near Me - La Jolla, California

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After obtaining multiple quotes for a piece of jewelry I owned, I found that C. Blackburn Jewelers provided one of the most competitive offers. His upfront and transparent approach during the process, along with his demeanor, influenced my decision to sell him my jewelry. I will definitely consider returning to him for any future pieces I may want to sell. read more

Being at a downsizing stage of life, I decided to sell as much of my jewelry as possible, and luckily, I came across C. Blackburn Jewelers. I was scared of getting scammed and cheated. Carl had me sitting with him while he examined and evaluated my jewelry - he did not take it into a back room and tell me to return on another day. He worked methodically and very professionally, answered all my questions, kept my expectations realistic, explained what he was doing as he worked. We also had a very pleasant conversation - he is down-to-earth, genuine, and friendly. I trusted him without hesitation. I was very pleasantly surprised by the outcome as and felt I was very fairly treated. I was relieved that the process was stress-free, thanks to Carl's very professional manner and his genuine friendliness. I recommend him highly, without reservation. C. Imhoof San Diego read more

Designing our custom engagement ring with Carl was a dream experience. Carl was able to seamlessly combine our desired design elements into the perfect ring at a fraction of the price of other options. He guided us through all of the steps of the process and made sure to check in with us throughout the development. We can't wait to come back for our wedding bands. read more

Right from the start the experience with Carl was amazing. Carl paid very close attention to detail for every step of the process and was more than accommodating to make sure the ring that was custom made for my fiancé was top tier and was exactly what I had hoped for. I could not ask for a better experience for a custom made engagement ring. From the beginning Carl was professional and punctual and takes his skill very serious to provide exactly what you want. 10 out of 10. read more

C. Blackburn Jewelers - Custom engagement ring. - Jewelry Near Me - La Jolla, California

I had been searching for a knowledgeable and honest jewelry buyer. Carl by far had the best reviews and I'm so glad I decided to go with him. My experience with him was great. He was very friendly, respectful, thorough, knowledgeable, honest and transparent and his sense of humor was icing on the cake. I highly recommend Carl. read more

I recently sold a lot of fine jewelry that I had inherited from my mother. I chose C. Blackburn because I wanted the pieces to find new homes, rather than be melted down or taken apart. Carl careful inspected and considered each piece before pricing it. He explained the quality of the gold in each piece, the techniques used to craft the pieces, and what went into his pricing. He appreciated the sentimental value of the items and actually had buyers in mind for several of them. I felt that he gave me a fair price the first time I came in, so I returned with additional items to sell a few weeks later. I'd highly recommend C. Blackburn for selling and buying estate jewelry. read more

My experience with Carl was incredible! I had gone to him to sell some of my jewelry and he was very thorough. You could tell he knew what he was doing and was very knowledgeable in any kind of jewelry. He was also very kind and welcoming which made me want to go back in the future for a customization. I would highly recommend seeing him if there is anything you need in regards to jewelry. read more

Carl is a very knowledgeable jeweler who is honest and kind to you during the process. Conveniently located in downtown La Jolla, his storefront shows luxury in a modest/subtle fashion - a breath of fresh air from other storefronts in the area. I went in to sell my Rolex watches and he streamlined the process by having me send pictures first so he can do his research as well as let me know that he was interested in the pieces before I came over. Although I did not end up selling to him, he was honest about his pricing and even tried to find a buyer for the watches to make the deal happen. I would go to him for any purchases or potential sales I would have in the future. read more

I met with most of the Jewelers around La Jolla and no one was as knowledgeable or as helpful as Carl was to me. Carl Blackburn is a straight shooter and someone you can trust. C. Blackburn Jewelers will forever have my business and recommendation to all of my network for any future jewelry business. read more

I wanted to sell some jewelry and did not even know where to begin. After reading reviews I reached out to Carl and I am so glad I did. Carl was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and warm. He knows his stuff and is very transparent and informative. He made the process easy, smooth and no pressure. I would come back to sell jewelry again for sure and would highly recommend to anyone looking to sell. I was lucky enough to see some of his beautiful custom pieces as well and would recommend anyone anyone in the market to purchase a special piece of jewelry visit Carl. read more