My partner and I are getting eloped in Vegas later this week, so we were in a time crunch for wedding bands. Luckily, we found this amazing gem of a store in Oak Park. Jose greeted us immediately and helped us find the perfect ring for my fiancée. I described what I wanted for myself, and he said he would be able to customize one of the available bands to what I had in mind. One hour later, I had exactly what I was looking for. He is a fantastic jeweler! The experience was completely relaxed, and he did not try to upsell us. I was pretty nervous about cost since this is all very last-minute, but we actually came out under budget. We are extremely happy with the rings and will confidently recommend EcoKarat and Jose to our friends and family. read more

EcoKarat - Jewelry Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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These reviews can be difficult, especially when they're critical. My impression is that EcoKarat is primarily a jeweler, and I don't know anything about that part of his business. This review is only about watch repair. Further, different people have different ideas about what constitutes watch repair. Personally, I don't consider replacing a watch strap or bracelet, or replacing a battery on a quartz watch to be "repair". Many of the reviews here seem to be about that type of work, but that's not what this is. My watch was losing a minute a day, and I brought it in hoping the cause could be identified and corrected. EcoKarat does not do that kind of work. They send it to someone else to do the work off site. That's not uncommon, but usually a shop will tell you that's what's happening *before* they take on the watch. I didn't find that out until a couple of days later when I called to ask about the status of the work. Now, I could probably stop there. From a certain way of thinking, this isn't really a review of EcoKarat, but a review of the shop he sent the watch to. But it was EcoKarat that told me they would do the work. And it was EcoKarat that told me they needed to hold onto the watch for a few more days to make sure it was "running perfectly". His words, "perfectly". And it was also EcoKarat that told me the watch was ready. Unfortunately, when I picked it up and brought the watch home is was no longer 60 seconds slow, but about 50 seconds fast. The TLDR at this point is as far as functionality goes, for several reasons I wouldn't recommend taking your watch there. But if you're looking for a little more detail, or maybe you've bought a mechanical watch and you're wondering how to tell who to trust, let's go over some of the red flags I should have noticed while this was going on. 1. Ask if the work is done in house. If they send it to a 3rd party, you're probably paying extra for the process (the middleman). What's more, if anything unexpected comes up, they only know what the 3rd party told them. They won't be able to answer any questions the way the person who did the actual work could. You're also usually taking on a day each way sending the watch to the 3rd party. 2. Magnets are bad for mechanical watches, and we live in a world of magnets. Your computer, phone, microwave, even parts of your car...lots of magnets! If your watch is close to a magnet frequently or for extended periods of time, it can become magnetized and run slow or fast, or even fast one minute and slow the next. Luckily, demagnetizing a watch is simple and easy if you have a demagnetizer. The process takes about 5 minutes, so if someone tells you they need a few days, something's not right. Either the problem is not magnetization, in which case you want to start asking how much the work is going to cost, or someone in the process doesn't know what they're doing. 3. Mechanical watches have a "movement" which is basically the motor of the watch, and it winds from the movement of your arm. Mid-level watches ($1,000-$3,000) promise somewhere between +/- 5 to 15 seconds per day for their movement. Nothing you can wear on your wrist keeps perfect time. Even quartz watches lose or gain a little time. So, if someone tells you your watch is running perfectly, you might want to ask them to explain what "perfectly" means. On the other hand, if someone tells you your watch is performing within its capabilities, but it's well outside the stated accuracy range of the movement, you might want to take your business somewhere else. 4. Checking how a watch is running is typically done with something called a time grapher. You clamp the watch down on a sensor pad and it "listens" to the watch like a stethoscope listens to your heart. Almost immediately a panel tells you how fast or slow the watch is running, the "rate", the "amplitude" (degrees of rotation of the balance wheel), and something called the "Beat Error", which is often described as the difference between the "tick" and the "tock". Getting a reading is almost instant, and time graphs aren't expensive. Watch repairers have them so they aren't just letting the watch go ticking away and comparing it every few hours to another timekeeper like the one on your phone. That takes a lot of time. So, if someone is telling you they need more time to make sure the watch is functioning right, either they are very busy, or possibly they just don't have the tools you'd expect them to have. To be fair, it could be that the watch repairer is "Adjusting" your watch. That can take some time, and you can Google that to understand what a tedious process it is. But even so, they should be explaining that to you if you just thought it was getting demagnetized, and that's definitely not what happened with my watch. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Automatic watches can be fun, but they need some love. Hopefully this can help you identify people you can trust. read more

They are amazing at what they do. Very Professional. Very affordable and an awesome selection. read more

Such a hidden gem!! The quality of the pieces of jewelry is phenomenal. Jose and his staff are dedicated to creating quality and affordable pieces from recycled gold and other precious metals. I can't express how impressed I am with this shop and am so excited to continue to buy more pieces as I continue to grow my jewelry collection! read more

My husband gave me a large chocolate opal but when I took it to several jewelers they either suggested designs I didn't like or were afraid to work with it. This jeweler created the necklace I'd wanted and it's beautiful. Great design and service. I couldn't be more pleased. read more

WATCH REPAIR REVIEW: This place is a gem. I took 2 watches in. One needed a new battery, and the other -- a higher end Tissot -- needed a much bigger repair. Jose was great. Personable, explained what was needed and kept in touch while the repair parts were in transit. You.cant.beat a $5 battery install. I got a repair quote of $300 elsewhere for the Tissot, and EcoKarat repaired it for way less than that. Great store & service. Highly recommended if you are in Oak Park or don't mind coming to the western suburbs. (Ps Love the pup!) Also: Yelp hours are wrong. They are CLOSED on Sunday. read more

Warm, friendly, accommodating, affordable, and not pushy. This is a local business that I will happily return to!

Great service! My mother's necklace was repaired--and it looks beautiful!! Thank you so much! I looked at the jewelry in store and lots of eye catching pieces. Highly recommend a visit! read more

Outstanding job! No words can describe how happy we ate with this place. Not only will you get what you asked for, you will get the jewelry piece of your dreams. My fiancee and I happened to bump into this place in search of wedding rings. We looked with every major competitor and local jewelers too but none were able to do what Jose(Joe) did for us. He customized both our bands in a short around of time! Customer service is a priority here. Joe has years of experience in the field to make an idea a dream to reality. We definitely found our lifetime jeweler. No matter how big or complicated your job is, Joe will take care of you. Thanks guys!! read more

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Went in and spoke with Jose Torres. I showed him a sample of an 1 1/4 ct emerald maissonite rose gold engagement ring that was priced at $675. He promised he can make me the same ring to my liking for $550!!! We have the ring ordered and just waiting on the outcome. Super excited! So far it's been a pleasant experience with him and this shop. If all goes well they will have two customers for life. read more

I've brought a handful of pieces of jewelry to be fixed over the last few years, and have had great experiences every time. The prices are really reasonable, and the service and quality are top notch! read more

Exemplary jewelry design and repair! I've had watch batteries fixed while we wait, and so much more. Accent stone fall out of a ring? Master jeweler Joe will match it and fix it quickly! Do you have an old bracelet you'd rather wear as a necklace? Master jeweler Joe has got you there too! New and vintage jewelry in every price range makes great gifts too. Don't sleep on this gem of a jewelry store! read more

I recently found this "gem" in downtown Oak Park - I needed to have my ring enlarged. I was welcomed by Marg & Jose who by the way told me my ring was beautiful, which made me feel great! He told me it would be ready the next day & sure enough it was. I couldn't be happier with the service, I definitely plan to return in the very near future to purchase a piece or 2 - they have beautiful unique pieces on desplay! read more

I took my two antique diamond rings in because the prongs holding the diamonds were worn. Jose Torres retipped the prongs and cleaned the rings, having them ready the next day. BEAUTIFUL work; the rings look the best they ever have. Excellent work at a very reasonable price. Barbara M. read more

I brought in a wedding band to give it a brushed finish and the owner was friendly, helpful, gave me a great deal for the service, and did it in the spot. It was a great experience and I'll definitely be back there soon. read more

What a great jeweler! I had a ring repaired, and they not only repaired it, but cleaned it. It looked more beautiful than it has been in years! Since then I've had a gold necklace and pearl earrings repaired there too. Excellent results every time! I can't imagine going anywhere else now read more

There is a great selection for a local shop. I love that they make custom jewelry. The service is great and the attention to detail is greatly appreciated. Jose and Marjorie are great! They love what they do and have great knowledge of their craft. Highly recommended. Grace read more

Very friendly and did same day repair on a watch! Highly recommend and felt store was taking precautions!

I was searching for a local shop to repair my Movado watch that had broken years ago. I called a few shops and only EcoKarat told me to just bring it in. I was a bit nervous about their confidence but sure enough, they fixed it, put in a new battery, and had me out of there in less than 10 min. On top of that, the price was super reasonable. What great service with an amazing attitude. I'll definitely go back. read more