My experience at the Estate Jewelry Center was absolutely amazing. After visiting many other jewelry stores in Augusta (Jared's, Windsor, The Jewelers Bench, etc.) I had grown extremely disheartened at my options for my budget. My treatment at Windsor was less than desirable, where I felt like I was ushered in and out like cattle. There were few options for what I was looking for and I felt that I was looked down upon due to my budget and unique needs. Jared's showed my fiance and I rings that I later found were WAY outside the budget I had mentioned. Windsor was short and non personable with me. My fiance had a specific type of ring that was desired, and within the budget, they just weren't helpful. When I made my way to Estate Jewelry, I found that my experience was vastly improved. The selection was second to none, and the pricing was exactly where I needed it to be. Customer service wise, Mr. Conte, and Frankie were absolutely amazing. I sincerely felt that I was a valued customer and that they truly understood my budget and needs. The ring set that I chose was absolutely beautiful and was well within the budget that I had mentioned. My fiance was pleased with receiving the ring that was exactly what she wanted, and I was pleased with the experience in knowing that I had found what I needed within a reasonable price range, cut, quality, and design. I can't say anything bad about the experience and I will definitely be back to shop there again. Thank you so much for turning a difficult and intimidating experience into a happy and satisfying one. Make sure you put Estate Jewelry Center on your list when shopping for any fine jewelry purchase. read more

I was looking for a one carat Asscher diamond with at least a VS1 clarity and very good cut for an engagement ring. I went to several of the box stores and other popular local stores. Of the box stores, none had individual Asscher cut diamonds. I did find one Asscher at a very popular local store, but when I asked about the clarity and cut they "assured" me I didn't need to concern myself about those details (??). To say the least, it felt a little condescending. They wrote the price on a piece of paper and slid it over to me. The price was so outrageous I just laughed and walked out. Several weeks later my future wife and I walked into Joel's store just to look. We mentioned we were having quite a time finding the diamond we wanted. Joel asked us to describe what we were looking for and when we told him he let us know that he might have just what we were describing. He brought out the exact diamond we were trying to find. Regardless of what the other reviewer stated, Joel was extremely polite, professional and the price he was asking was nearly half the cost of the other store. Of course we bought it and a band to put it in. My wife was very happy with it and still is. We have gone back to Joel's store on many occasions for both purchases and appraisals for insurance purchases. Joel has always been professional and kind. read more

My fiancé bought me a lab made diamond due to a myriad of reasons, and he bought it half a size too big, so I was very nervous browsing jewelers in my area to resize my ring, thinking everyone would snub the nose at a "cheap ring" like mine. However, I walked into the store and was greeted pleasantly, and when Joel looked at my ring he took a minute to look at it, and he asked what type of stone it is-through my extensive research into what type of ring I wanted I learned only the best jewelers can tell the difference between a diamond and the kind I got, which reassured me that he's good at what he does and he sees every kind of ring out there. This is where I got nervous though, waiting for the snub, but instead he just said "sure I can resize it" and went about his business like my ring was just as important as a real diamond ring would have been. I am dropping it off next week to have it resized and cleaned, and I'm no longer nervous about it. Good customer service goes a long way, and this guy has it. I highly recommend. I will probably bring my future hubby here to look at wedding rings for him while mine is resized. read more

Not sure what the other reviewer's experience was like, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for Joel Conte. I bought my wifes engagement ring from him after stopping off at Windsor and Doris first. I saved about $3000 and got twice as nice of a diamond from Estate as I would have by going to one of the other stores. Joel doesn't haggle with pricing. He gives you a price and that's what it is. Check on bluenile.com to see if the price is any good. We wound up buying our wedding bands from him as well. My wife got a one of a kind antique band that is remarkable. I lost some weight between purchasing my band and getting married and he resized it with a smile. I really like the way Joel runs his business. He is a straight shooter. Two friends of mine purchased rings from him and both really liked working with Joel. He saw me a couple of months later in town, knew my name, knew what I had purchased, and thanked me for the referrals. Joel seems to be a really genuine guy. His no haggle pricing policy makes shopping for jewelry not seem like buying a used car. read more

I was in search of a unique, delicate, antique style engagement ring with round and baguette diamonds. A ring that was also of good quality and not over priced. After coming up empty, I went into Crown Jewelers and found exactly what I was looking for! Joel was very personable and patient as he took out an entire tray of rings at a time for me to try on, instead of having to look through the glass and asking for one ring at a time. I really enjoyed my experience and found the perfect ring! My ring was ready for pick up a week from that date. Since then, I have taken 3 different pieces of jewelry that I needed to be repaired (all with different issues) and Brian was able to repair them all for a reasonable price and it only took a week. I definitely recommend Crown Jewelers to anyone looking for that special piece of jewelry! It was a lovely experience! read more

We love Joel Conte and The Estate Jewelry Center. We only have wonderful things to say about our jeweler. We have the utmost respect for Joel and his employees. James and I trust Joel to fully inform us with all of our jewelry decisions. I have personally worked in retail for a long time and I too have experienced unstable customers obviously as Joel has. I can only encourage you to personally see Joel Conte at The Estate Center in Surry Center for great service in a warm friendly environment. read more

It has been my pleasure to have worked with Joel Conte for over 17 years. He shares his wealth of knowledge and his experience in the jewelry industry with his employees and his customers. He represents the family jeweler of days gone by. Come and see us at The Estate Jewelry Center. read more

Estate Jewelry is a serious jewelry store. They carry rare and vintage pieces--not dozens of cookie cutter pieces. You know you have a one of a kind item. Joel Conte is very knowledgeable, low key and precise--there's no high pressure sale or rush. The store itself is a true gem. read more

My husband bought my wedding ring from Joel and it was a great experience. He really knows his stuff and we were very satisfied with the customer service. It has been over 3 years since that purchase was made and Joel still recognizes us when we shop there. Highly recommend. read more

I couldn't be happier with either the service or the quality of the product. I had a diamond mounted -- they helped find the perfect setting and had it done almost overnight -- all for the best price I could imagine. Do yourself a favor and start with Joel Conte. read more