Jelena is a national treasure. I really can't speak highly enough about her work or her character. Her pieces, as you can see, are gorgeous and unique--somehow raw and refined at the same time--and a visit to her studio feels like a peek behind some kind of magic curtain. As a longtime neighborhood fixture, she was the easy choice to design our wedding rings years ago and beautiful Christmas gifts more recently. Not only is she fair and generous (hard to find in the jewelry world!), she's also warm and kind and hilarious. The few weird bad reviews on here are mind boggling to me. read more

Absolutely exquisite service and a beautiful, timeless piece. I solicited Jelena's services to create a bespoke engagement ring. Through every stage Jelena was warm, welcoming, considerate, and attentive. The piece is beautifully simple (as desired) but wonderfully complex in its quality workmanship. Attention to detail, breadth of knowledge, and patient consideration make Jelena (and her studio) a true pleasure to work with. read more

Jelena Behrend Studio - Honey's engagement ring in rose gold - Jewelry Near Me - New York, New York

My partner and I didn't want ordinary wedding rings; we wanted something special - something with character. And through Jelena, we got exactly that. And neither of us can stop looking at our rings! It feels like we're wearing little pieces of sculptured art on our hands. The whole experience working with Jelena and her partner Ruta was also part of the wonderful experience - they're the kind of people you wish you could invite around for a bottle of wine and chats! It was clear that Jelena wanted the best result for us and takes pride in doing incredible work. We will cherish the experience and our gorgeous rings forever! read more

My fiancee and I got our custom matching engagement rings from Jelena and her assistant and wife Ruta this summer. I have a few things to say: Anyone who has written a bad review about her is a idiot child human. Every poor review seems like they have been extraordinarily difficult, didn't do their research about what they wanted, or failed questions clearly beforehand to get the experience they wanted. For those of you who know people who have gotten married, I now that you are probably shocked to find that people planning weddings and engagements can be difficult and erratic in their reactions and emotions. As someone who was intimidated by the prospect of finding an engagement ring, and completely dismayed by everything I saw on the internet and in months of research, finding Jelena was a godsend, and I don't say that lightly. Jelena is unlike anyone else that we researched to make our rings and that's why we went with her. We didn't want the typical experience, we didn't want a traditional ring, we wanted something with, heart, warmth, a strange off kilter touch, that felt hand wrought and personal, that we would wear for the rest of our lives and love looking at every day. Not only did we get this experience with the rings we received, but with every interaction we had with Jelena and Ruta. Jelena was incredibly responsive every time we contacted her. When we went in for our consultation we were scared and didn't know exactly what we wanted. She welcomed us in her amazing strange little studio with a porch (where she fed us tomatoes from her garden) down in the bowery, and spent over an hour with us talking with my fiancee and I about who we are, what we do for a living, regaling us with stories from her own life and how she met her wife Ruta, trying on examples of other rings she had made, showing us the varied and wide breadth of her talent. She has so many different kinds of pieces and her style is eclectic. Over the course of getting to know us she honed in on our personalities and helped us pick matching engagement rings that were perfect for both of us. She consulted with us on the prices between the different kinds of bands, types of stones, design, and how long it would take to make, and didn't make us feel pressured into anything at all. When we received our rings (two weeks before she said they would be done) she took us out on to her porch and sat with us while we wore them, making sure that we felt comfortable in them and that we were happy. Please, please, please get your rings from her. Not only will the result be beautiful, but she made the entire process a wonderful memory for us, and not only do we have gorgeous rings I am happy to wear every single day, but the memory of spending time with Jelena and Ruta makes the experience even more filled and beautiful. read more

My fiance and I found Jelena through an internet search and I fell in love with her work. After trying out a local jewelry store in our Brooklyn neighborhood and deciding that we wanted a set of wedding rings more custom, matching, and special, we made an appointment with Jelena. I'm not going to to question other reviewers' experiences, but I can say with certainty that we couldn't have had a better time in her studio, nor could we have asked for better service. Here's what happened: We showed up on the dot for our appointment and Jelena, her assistant Ruta, and her smiling, prancing Chihuahua Zlato all greeted us with enthusiasm. Jelena is funny and has a colorful, interesting background. We socialized and laughed for at least 20 minutes before we got down to business. When we started talking about rings, she was patient, gentle, and obviously knew how to read us and offer suggestions. She has a process for asking questions and finding out what people want. When we decided on the metal, width, and design, my fiance and I both knew, without saying a word, we'd found the right person and we'd found the right rings. Side note: she told us funny stories highlighting the range of couples who come into her studio. There are the people who inappropriately make out on her couch. There are those who quarrel through the whole process. There are the women who end up in tears (not the good kind). And none of this has to do with Jelena, you know? This is the crap people carry with them and put on display during even momentous occasions. So, I really don't want to judge, but good luck to you folks. Okay, fast forward a month (she was busy - wedding season is starting up, so 4 weeks was a rather long lead time for her, but we were careful to plan more than two months out from our event) and we're back in the studio, loving on Zlato, taking pictures with Jelena, and having a grand time. Both rings were fitting a little snugly so she made adjustments on the spot and welcomed us back after our event occurs, when we start wearing the rings on the regular, in case anything else is needed. Meanwhile, the rings are GORGEOUS. Weighty-looking yet light. Exactly what we asked for. An interesting matte gold, hammered and lovely. We cannot wait to wear them and I'm really, really hoping that my soon-to-be husband thinks of Jelena for future gifts. (Hint, hint, honey.) In the end, I'm SO glad we didn't go off-the-shelf, or with a jeweler/artisan full of pretension and/or lacking in personality. This is a big moment for us and we'll never forget what joy ring-buying brought us. read more

My soon-to-be-husband and I were struggling in finding wedding bands in a mass market that is far more focused on diamond rock rings for women, relegating men to bland, mass produced bands. Like most reviewers here, we stumbled upon Jelena online and have been delighted at the personal service and passion Jelena shares in creating rings for you. I think her studio will attract people who are open to the creative process of learning, testing ideas, taking advice and working together in creating that something special. With no storefront, and the studio the whole floor of a walkup in the Lower East Side, there is something very New York and personal about the experience, along with Jelena's grounded and lovely personality. She prides herself in the waning art of hand hammered rings and old school techniques, so beautiful We are currently half way through the ring making process, but know that we are delighted by the experience to date and look forward to the final rings. Be sure to plan ahead, this is a process that takes 4-6 weeks, well worth it though. A must if you are looking for a personal experience and unique jewelry designed just for you (and your other half too haha). read more

My husband adored Jelena, her art, and one particular wedding ring displayed on her website. We purchased the ring for our vows, and two weeks later, said beautiful dark brown patina-ed ring was a bright brass object staining my husband's ring finger in green. Three visits to Jelena brought temporary repairs, and ultimately, she kicked my husband out of her storefront in a fit or rage. So, a sentimental object is now really unwearable - we're out both the not insubstantial amount of money and what should have been a lovely symbol of the beginning of our new voyage together. I find it inexcusable to sell something called a wedding ring, typically intended for every-day wear, that won't hold it's finish for more a fortnight - and will stain the skin. read more

We found Jelena through NYMag, where she got great reviews. Can't beat that. We showed up and instantly got a kick out of Jelena. She's sassy and brilliant, and had us laughing with her brazen sense of humor. She knows exactly what she's doing and recommended a couple classic-with-a-twist bands that we loved. My fiance has never worn a ring before (nor was excited about wearing one), but she completely made him comfortable, joked around with him, and found him a beautiful hammered, subtle gold band. It's obvious she's been doing this for 20 twenty years, and many of her clients of celebrities and musicians. I had looked at the some of the negative reviews on YELP, but had a completely different experience. My guess is that if you show up on time, aren't extremely high maintenance, have a good sense of humor, and love beautiful pieces of jewelry, you'll love working with her (and love the pieces you end up with!) read more

I have known Jelena Behrend Studio and have admired her artful one-of-kind pieces for over ten years. Through these years I worked with Jelena on 12 pieces of jewelry and I have to say that I love each and every one more as time goes by. I cannot see myself buying from anyone else. My pieces are timeless and unique because Jelena took the time to know and understand me and she worked with me to create a collection that suited my tastes and were of the utmost quality. I cannot say enough about my wonderful experiences with Jelena and Ruta. They have always exceeded my expectations with courtesy and exquisite attention to detail. I have always been treated like a cherished customer by Jelena and Ruta and that makes me appreciate how they run their business. read more

When first shopping for an engagement ring, I was discouraged until I came across Jelena's jewelery. I fell in love with the attention to detail and handmade yet classic aesthetic. Frankly I was nearly deterred by some of the negative reviews, but decided to email Jelena for a studio visit anyway. Jelena was the first jeweler we visited in searching for an engagement ring. After our initial visit, we knew as soon as we left that we didn't need to go anywhere else and that her jewelery was perfect for us. Jelena personally is very passionate, like most artists are, about what she makes. She is opinionated about which metals, stones and styles might work best for her customers budget and aesthetic. As our jeweler, we were happy to have someone who was honest and easy to talk to about these things. At no time did we feel like she was trying to up sell us, nor did we feel that she was ever rude as mentioned in previous reviews. I couldn't be happier with the engagement ring Jelena made for me. Just recently we ordered our wedding bands and had a lovely experience. We respect Jelena as an artist and look forward to working with her again. read more

OMG! Can't believe how even more AWESOME our marriage decision got after Jelena and her stunning stylish pieces of art! We are much more proud to wear a bang now, since everything around is soooo boring and chessy. Jelena, we love you and Ruta! ps: if you are those normal boring couples don't waste your time going there, what she makes is unique and not for everyone! read more

Jelena helped us create a beautiful ring that is at the same time classic and unique. She made the whole experience of designing fun - we spent 2 hours with her drinking wine, telling stories and looking at her work. I can't wait for her to make our wedding bands! read more

Jelena is a nightmare to deal with. The stone in the engagement ring I purchased fell out after a years time. She berated me via text (yelling in all caps!) when I tried contacting her by phone to discuss the ring. Apparently, you can only discuss things with her by email. There was so much hostility coming from her that I decided to get the ring back rather than have it fixed. Unfortunately, there is so much bad energy surrounding the ring, my wife doesn't want to wear it. All this for trying to reset the stone! Unbelievable. read more

Jelena is a terrible person to deal with. She is abusive, unreasonable, yells and threatened to take my 75% deposit due to her own ambiguity and poor communication. Why have such negativity associated with the dearest most special event of your life? You can do far better. read more