I got James' name from an artisan jeweler who knew his work personally for years. She told me, if she was using any local jeweler he would be the ONLY one she would consider. I met with him and exchanged thoughts and ideas how to redesign a 2+ carat brilliant diamond. After much consideration, we came up with a setting. He took about 10 days to design it as promised. Said it would take 2 weeks and was done as promised. I can't say enough about it surpassing my expectations! There were rubies included in the setting that were perfectly sized with the diamond. My advice to you: "Go and meet with James if you want a professional and trustworthy jewleler for LIFE. You won't be disappointed" read more

My ring was about a half size too big because my fiance wanted to make sure I could get it on when he proposed. I brought the ring back to James and he was able to fix it in less than a week! He put little sizing balls on it so that it it more snug and to keep the stone upright. It's even more perfect now and I love it! Thanks James!!! read more

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James is very helpful and excellent at his craft. I had a diamond ring of my mother's that wasn't my personal style, I had James custom design and reset the diamond in a setting that I love to wear everyday. I was so pleased with my first experience, that I recently commissioned him to custom design a necklace for me. James is ethical, talented and very patient, ensuring that you get exactly what you you envision. read more

james & Co - Custom designed ring. Exactly what I wanted! - Jewelry Near Me - Monterey, California

Went to James & co to get my engagement ring resized and was quoted $100. After over a week, James called and said my ring was ready for pick up. Upon arrival James tells me it will actually be $200 because the ring was "very difficult" to resize. James didn't give me any notice or warning that the project was too difficult for him and that it would be higher than his original quote. Will not be returning. read more

James & Co. is the best! I had to have my wedding band cut off after 37 years and the diamond had come out of my engagement ring. Jim and James were able to keep the special design on the wedding band as they made it larger. I also had some diamonds from another piece of jewelry that were made into a whole new engagement ring, plus they incorporated some of these diamonds on the expanded wedding band too. I was so pleased, it turned out better than I could have dreamed! It's beautiful. James and Jim are the nicest guys and are so talented. I highly recommend James & Co. for all your jewelry needs! read more

james & Co - My beautiful rings! I'm so happy! - Jewelry Near Me - Monterey, California

After almost eight years of marriage I decided it was time to update my diamond solitaire. My husband and I had a bad experience with our first jeweler so I was very cautious about choosing someone to handle something so important. James did a great job with resetting my diamond into a new setting and I could not be happier. The other thing I really appreciated was his communication. I got updates from him by phone with how things were going and when it would be ready. His work was top quality, completed by date promised, and all for a fair price. Apparently he has low overhead and is able to offer his savings onto his clients unlike large jewelers with bigger stores. I was so happy with his work, I took in another item (and old watch with sentimental value) to get revamped. I'm looking forward to having James and Co. do more work for me and I know I would refer friends and family his way. I would highly recommend James & Co. for your jewelry repair, design and watch needs. Quick Tip: Only accepts cash/check. read more

james & Co - James updates my diamond solitaire wedding ring and this is the end result. Love it! - Jewelry Near Me - Monterey, California

My fiance found James & Co through Yelp. He decided to let me design my ring instead of finding something himself. Something about me being picky... :) I came up with a design out of the blue, drew an ugly picture of it, and brought it to James. I asked James if my design was possible and if we could make it work at all. James looked at my picture and we mulled over it for a while, figuring how to physically make it work as it was a complicated design. Then he started working on it. He called us in a few times to update us on the progress of the ring and to ask for our opinion on minor things like the amount of diamonds in the halo, etc. We had to make a few changes to my original design because they were not physically possible. When the CADD design was ready, I was honestly surprised at how good it came out. I wasn't expecting it to look exactly how I envisioned, even with the changes. Then when the actual ring was ready, I was floored. It is perfect. It is exactly what I wanted and James somehow managed to capture what I wanted and made it into a reality. It's beautiful and I love it! Thank you James, I am so happy that you were able to see what I wanted beyond my ugly drawing! :) read more

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I got a promise ring from my boyfriend but the ring was so big on me! James was able to take it down from a 7 to a 5! He said he would have it done by the end of the week but it took another week cause he was out of the office but the wait was so worth it! He does everything in house and is so sweet! Cost me about $110 which is no bad in my opinion. Highly recommend. read more

I was impressed by the office... nicely appointed. I could tell that their is an attention to detail paid by the owner. However, I was not made to feel welcome. I was not invited to sit down while I waited for some 20 minutes while James attempted to replace a battery in my watch. He gave up and asked his assistant to step in and the assistant had it fixed in 5 minutes. Yet the charge was $30 for the battery replacement however, because "it wasn't a walk in the park." For him! The other guy seemed to breeze through it, but I guess that's for me to pay for? I'm sure this is an awesome place for jewelry repairs... I don't recommend it for watch batteries. I didn't feel good about the experience. If the assistant hadn't have been so kind, this would be a 1 Star review for me. Back to Hesslebein's in the Crossroads for $10 watch batteries and a touch of class. read more

I don't know how many people will read this, but for those of you who do and who are planning to buy a ring or have any work done to ring or are just looking to learn a good amount about jewelry and diamonds, please see James. Really. I bought my engagement ring from him and my fiancée loves it. She loved the ring and she loved the story of how the ring made it to her hand. I searched for jewelers in the area and was drawn to James & Co and was almost certain that I would not be able to afford a ring from here. I mean, this man is a professional in what he does and whose rings can reach 5 digit numbers. Not to mention he was in the middle of repairing a ring when I walked in. "Have a seat, and let's see what we can find," he said. I instantly knew that I had come to the right place. A few hours later, after James sat with me and we went through book after book trying to choose a band (and having a great exchange about life, in general!) he suggested a ring that I knew was the one. I truly believe that James is a good and patient man with deep affection and caring for his craft. He made my experience special, and, needless to say, is the one we plan to visit for our wedding bands. Thank you, James. You're invited to the wedding! read more

James produced my wedding band and my wife's engagement ring and wedding band. He provided excellent consultation, educating me on stones, cuts and settings, to really help me flesh out a rough idea I had on the engagement ring. He actually saved me from going down a route I'd later learn my wife would have not liked at all! His final creation was perfect. She gets lots of compliments. His use of CAD proofs is awesome too. Great product and service. He even resized my ring on the spot. Very fair prices imo. Highly recommend! read more

james & Co - Jewelry Near Me - Monterey, California

Had this jeweler replace a diamond in my ring that has a few diamonds in it. My other diamonds are gorgeous with colors. The diamond he gave me is flat looking totally diff. when you put it under a uv light. Very disappointed. Does not match in quality at all. Also the gold part of my ring had a huge scratch in it. read more

Quick and friendly, excellent craftsmanship and affordability. We brought my fiancés engagement ring here to be re-sized and asked for same day service. Within a couple of hours it was done and fit perfectly! Definitely coming back here for wedding bands :) He briefly showed us a photo gallery of all of the custom design work he's done throughout his 50 years of practice--top notch work. thank you James! read more

My wife Kelly passed away on January 2, 2015. We vowed until death do us part. While my bride isn't with me anymore, thanks to James & Co. Our wedding bands will be touching each other, forever. The craftsmanship is better than I'd hoped. More importantly, they we so caring, knowing what I am going through....all the crying. Highly recommend. Thanks, Tommy read more

james & Co - Shortly after my bride passed away, I wanted our wedding bands to touch each other forever. incredible!! Thank you - Jewelry Near Me - Monterey, California

I brought two watches in hoping for a battery change. When I asked for this service, they informed me they would have them ready the next day. They broke the stem trying to remove the screws on one of them, sent to a watch specialist... Etc, the entire process took far too long, and I would've liked more communication about the process. However, when the watches were finally ready, I had the chance discuss the experience with James, the owner. He was a lovely man who admitted the mistake, and made sure to rectify the situation with me. Although it wasn't the best experience, he made it right at the end, and I would bring items back to him again. read more

If you're looking for quality work from a great local jeweler, you owe it to yourself to stop by James and Co. down at Abrego Street in Monterey. James is personable and professional, and his staff is wonderful as well. My husband and I recently had him do a custom piece for us as a graduation gift for my sister-in-law. It came out exactly the way we wanted, and for a reasonable price! James sat down with us and worked out every detail about how the necklace would look, and gave great information and recommendations about what materials to use. It was perfect, and the recipient was so grateful and excited! James also cleaned my husband's wedding band in a very timely manner, and was super accommodating even though my husband was being pretty picky! I told him not to be so particular, but James knew just what my husband wanted and said it was no problem. I have had less-than-stellar experiences at other jewelers, big-name ones too! James and Co. came through, so many times local is better! Check him out! read more

Mr. James is a fine jeweler. I had a project for him and I was skeptical at first since I had no idea how he worked and couldn't attest to the quality of his craftsmanship. I explained what I wanted and he did not let me down. He commmunicated with me every step of the way and ensured that what I saw during the process was not the final product. He is very knowledgeable with forging of metals and that was evident with the work that he did for me. He is also very funny so if you talk to him you will see that his sense of humor cannot go unnoticed. Overall I was very pleased with his work. I will go back to James for more projects in the future and I would highly recommend him. I would suggest he get a credit card machine. The cash transactions can be a pain at times. read more

My fiancee didnt have a clue about rings when he started the process of looking for an engagement ring for me. James walked him through the process, helped him get an idea of what he wanted, and then created an extraordinary ring. I love this thing. Ill let the photos speak for themselves. Thank you, James, for helping my fiancee create something that is absolutely perfect for me. read more

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This one's easy: the service is great, the speed of service is great, and the prices are reasonable--which is (you guessed it) great! Will be recommending as well as coming back. read more

My Mother in law brought a couple of family rings to James to be appraised. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. Very friendly and easy to talk to. We are from North Carolina so I am not familiar with jewelers in the area. I used YELP to find him and due to his wonderful 5 star review we didn't hesitate to go to him! While we were waiting he cleaned my engagement ring and my mother in law's necklace. We have dropped a few pieces off and awaiting fantastic results! Very pleased with the initial meeting. I highly recommend James & Co. For any Jewelry needs! read more

James is the MAN! He will work with you every step of the way to achieve your jewelry needs. I was in the market for an engagement ring, and after several stops at the usual supects, i was left with a bad taste in my mouth. The sales people there were pushy, and always trying to get me to spend more than my budget allowed. I found James & Co. based on his rave reviews here on Yelp and I was not disappointed. James shoots you straight, I told him my budget and what I was looking for and he made it happen. In the end, I had a gorgeous diamond engagement ring and one very happy fiancée. I'll be returning for all my future jewelry needs. Thanks James! read more

Had to have my diamonds reset in my favorite ring as the prongs to hold them were not long enough. To add alittle white gold to each prong cost $20 each and I needed 14 done so I was shocked. However the owner cut the price in half and that made me happy. When I got my ring back it was the shiniest and most beautiful ring ever. I mean show room quality and I was so happy with the work. The gold band was beautiful and the diamond didn't even need light to glisten. Will most surely use this service again if ever needed! read more

james & Co - My ring after the work - Jewelry Near Me - Monterey, California

Quick service, 10 dollars for a battery change and it took less than 4 minutes!

James is the man. I purchased an engagement ring at another local jeweler but wasn't really thrilled with the experience so I took it to James for some adjustments. He was very knowledgable and recommended some small additions to give it that personal touch. If you're someone who chooses a jeweler based on a commercial you see during a holiday episode of the Big Bang Theory, stick to the mall. If you want a quality product with an overall great experience, talk to James. That's what I did, and now the old battle axe has so much ice she can skate on it. read more

I have screw back earrings that needed a replacement backs which he did.

Found James and Co. on yelp and couldn't be more pleased that I did. He took the time with me to find a diamond in my price range. Once I was able to choose the perfect stone I picked a simple 6 prong solitaire setting. I had my ring within a week of going over my design! I will definitely be coming back to James for further jewelry designs. read more

I purchased a larger diamond for my wife on our tenth anniversary, and I was impressed by their knowledge, skill, and creativity in both purchasing diamonds and customizing the rings. The price was very fair, and they were always courteous and professional. This is probably the only jewelry store that I've ever walked out feeling good about the purchase and the final product--just the way I wanted it! I'm also writing this review a year later, and I still feel that way. Thanks! read more

I went to James and Co. At the recommendation of yelp, actually. From the moment I walked in the door, they were friendly and helpful. I needed my engagement ring re-sized, and the work was done quickly - they even tightened some diamonds for free! I tried on my ring, only to realize it was still a little loose. Right there, I was re-sized and they fixed the ring in only a couple days for no extra charge. The service was fast, the employees pleasant, and the prices were incredibly reasonable. A wonderful experience and I will definitely go back if I ever need any other work done! read more

We are new to the central coast living in Carmel. This is the place to take your jewelry for service or to create a new and amazing item. Very polite and professional. read more

I searched the Monterey peninsula for a jeweler to make a custom engagement ring with the diamond I already had. After reading the reviews across the area and on Yellow Pages.com I decided to call James. After speaking with him and giving me his incredible background of 40 years in the business I knew he had the experience to get the work done I needed. I simply brought in photos of the style of engagement ring I wanted to create and immediately he said with confidence he has made several close to my style and said his final product would be even better quality and for less than I could ever get at one of the larger jewelry franchises. (He also sells diamonds and engagement rings for great prices too.) I told him I hoped to get the ring finished within three weeks (that's a big push!) and he said he would get the process started immediately for me. I came back a few days later after he designed it on CAD (3D computer software design) and it looked exactly how I described it to him! I don't think you will find many jewelers who can create the exact replica on a computer for you to evaluate before you spend all the money and then see the final ring. James and his assistant Sarah were excellent with calling me and inviting me over to check out the progress and to reconfirm they would meet the deadline I needed. My fiance and I absolutely love the ring! I highly suggest working with James and going to him for advice, quotes, and any other jewelry repairs and refinishing of old jewelry. James and Sarah are very easy and fun to deal with on such life-long decision as I had to make. He also gave me an urgent appraisal so I could get insurance on the ring before going on vacation! Thank you James! read more

I've had a lot of repairs done here and happy with all the work. I've sent several co-workers, all of which have been very pleased with his services as well. Great local business,offering excellent prices. James is always easy to work with and has a smile. Whether it be ordering or designing new items, repairs, modifying, watch batteries or exchanging old gold, he is a full service jewerly business. read more

I called the shop a few weeks ago in search of someone to resize my engagement ring. I was disappointed that the jeweler seemed short with me and irritated by my call. He abruptly indicated that he couldn't quote an amount without knowing the type of ring and characteristic. He didn't seem to want to know this information from me either, but i gave the facts and he eventually gave ~$50-100 as an estimate. I can absolutely understand this is hard to gauge over the phone, but i expected my first contact to be friendly and customer oriented. Also, I wanted to ensure this service could be provided in a timely and cost efficient manner as I had spoken with other jewelers in the area who don't resize at their stores. We concluded the conversation with me saying that I would drop in for him to see the ring and he was quick to rudely indicate that wouldn't be happening today because he was leaving (this call ended 45 minutes prior to his advertised closing time mind you). So that was the last straw for me and I decided not to pursue business with him further. His other reviews seem to indicate he does good work, but I can't attest to that. I couldn't imagine entrusting my beloved engagement ring to someone who treats potential clients in this manner. I decided to go with Well's jewelers who was friendly, experienced and professional. My ring came out wonderfully and ill happily be visiting her periodically for my ring's care! read more

I took a ring to be resized, and James & Co attempted to return my ring missing a diamond. When I pointed out it was newly missing a diamond, they apologized, said that they would fix it (they did - very promptly) and that there would be no charge for the repair - I felt this should go without saying, since they were responsible for losing the diamond in the first place. They did everything they could after the fact to try to make it right, and I believe it was an honest mistake, but I am amazed that they had not even noticed that they were going to give me back an incomplete ring. That does not speak well to the attention to detail or quality of work overall. I know very little about jewelry, but I have had rings resized before, and there has never been such a noticeable notch as there was this time around, and the ring is still too big - it costs $55 per ring to have them made smaller, so I was disappointed. I hate to leave a bad review, because the service was very friendly (they even offered to bring the repaired rings down to the street level because stairs are hard for me and their store is not handicap accessible), but I think my experience was an important one for future customers to read. read more

James worked with my husband to design my engagement ring a couple years ago. It is the most beautiful and unique ring. James then worked with us on a wedding band and it fit with the engagement ring perfectly. After getting married James worked with us on adding studs to the inside of our ring so it would spin and have a more snug fit. I'm 6 months pregnant now and James was have to remove the studs on the bands just as timely and quickly as he has before. It's been great working with him. It was also great to have it re-polished and looks brand new. read more

I went in to have a ring resized. And I came out with the ring of my dreams. I enjoyed every part of the experience. We first looked at some other work that James had done to get some ideas. With his help, I had a rough idea of what I wanted. He took some measurements and scribbled some notes. About a week later I went back to review printouts of the CAD design for my ring. Looking at the printouts, I wasn't 100% sure it was exactly what I wanted. James listened to my concerns and made suggestions and we agreed on the final design. Another week or so later I went back to pick up my ring. It IS the most beautiful ring in the world! It is actually similar to others I have seen, but mine has some subtle details that make it very special. And, of course, it's one-of-a-kind! It's perfect! James is very pleasant to work with and he has an exceptional eye for design and detail. The quality of his work is fantastic. I had 2 rings resized and one ring designed and created from scratch. I am more than thrilled with all three pieces. Do not hesitate to go to James and Company! The prices are competitive, the quality is excellent, the service is fantastic, and James is a genuinely nice guy. What more could you ask for? read more

Wow! Just got a beautiful ring from James & Co. I they are so easy to work with and the diamonds are quality. I cannot say enoough about this beautiful ring and the GREAT servIce I received. Any jewelry issues or wants I have, I will not hesitate to return to James and Co. Thank you James! read more

James is a phenomenal jeweler. My fiancé worked with him to design my engagement ring. We were so happy with the quality of the ring and his level of service that we went back to him for our wedding rings. We highly recommend James for all your jewelry needs. read more

My wife and I had some ring issues .... Her ring (platinum) had a broken shank, and ring (14k) was cut off my finger because of fall I took. I was debating what to do with my ring, when wife's ring broke. Faced with prospective of repairing of two rings - one 14.karat gold and the other one Platinum. I was nervous that repair bill would be steep. We searched for a good local jeweler on Yelp and found James & company. We met him and were impressed by his straightforward and genuine interpersonal approach. We left rings with him on Wednesday afternoon. On Saturday we got a call telling us our rings were fixed. Upon inspection, we both agreed the rings look as if they were brand new. We were thrilled. We would highly recommend James & company. PS - we had read most the other reviews, which were are all outstanding - for both cost and quality of work. We suggested that 'his reviews' were well written and asked how long did it for him to write them. He laughed. It was clear after meeting with him, and seeing the quality of his work that the reviews were real. read more

When fiancé proposed to me, he gave me his grandmother wedding ring. Sadly the ring was too small and had to be resized. Due the rings sentimental value and it's age, I was quite worried taking it in for resizing. Lucky we found James & Co and our experience with him couldn't have be any better. During our consultation It was clear to see that James has years of experience. We have used his services three times now. He installed a new battery in my watch, resized my engagement ring and made a custom wedding band for my fiancé. read more

If youre looking for watch or jewelry repair ...look no further.. top notch service.. you may have a little trouble finding the store front, but it is upstairs next door to the shoe repair shop... read more