I have had the pleasure of wearing glasses since I was approximately 5 years old (yes, kindergarten!). for some reason, I have never had a prescription that seems perfect--and I normally just end up going without glasses until my next stab at an annual exam. Dr. Holley is the most thorough doctor i have ever been to, and answered all of my questions explaining exactly what was happening in each of eyes, and further detailing my options. I have never been so excited to have a pair of glasses. Piggybacking on BKs review, Dr. Holley is not the most outwardly friendly individual BUT I really felt like he was putting all of his energy into making sure my prescription was perfect. The only downside (and it's obviously very minor, since I maintained the 5 star rating), they have an extremely small selection of frames. It's a small location, so I suppose its understandable, but the frames covered under my plan (about 70% of the inventory available) are a bit outdated. read more

Fast takers & one pair of eye wear not the same as the other? Just not 90% happy with second eye wear! I always need two pair of eye wear read more

I'm visiting from outta town and needed some emergency contacts. Rodney (sorry if I misremembered your name) was very patient while I waited for my optometrist to email me my prescription, and when he discovered that they didn't have my specific contact in stock, he very kindly gave me two trial boxes to hold me over for the trip, a real life saver! read more

Jems Optical - Eyewear & Opticians Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Warning: Took my Ray-Ban glasses in to upgrade to transition lenses -- total scam! They promised lenses that adapt to almost any color, but it was a bait-and-switch. DO NOT trust these people. This place is running a straight-up con. read more

I have been a customer for 30 plus years! The customer service provided is awesome. In addition, it's conveniently located.

Been seeing Dr. Holly for over 30 years. I even travel from out of the country to see him. ALWAYS TERRIFIC. And Linda? Goes out of her way to accommodate and assist. These two make a great team. Nobody else will do!!!! read more

Yea so... a negative 20 stars if I could give it. I came to this Jem's Optical on March 9 or March 10 to get an updated prescription because my current one had expired, my normal eye doctor didn't have anything available for a few weeks and I needed/wanted to order my contacts through a site I normally order with. The doctor gives me a very thorough and old school (like back in the day before all this new technology happened) exam. It's discovered that my prescription hasn't changed at all. It's still the same. The doctor makes some recommendations about going for single use contacts and goes so far as to give me about a week's worth of single use contacts. I accept the contacts and explain that I just need the prescription so that I can order my contacts... He then says that he wants me to come in for follow up testing for dilation and some other test. I gave a noncommittal response because as I said I I could just go to my normal eye doctor. So I return to work with a copy of my updated prescription and I immediately order my contacts through the site... YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE WHAT THAT DOCTOR DID. The site contacts the doctor to verify the prescription and he tells them "that you needed to return for a follow-up and that the prescription had not been finalized yet." This statement, mind you, is directly from the site. Well, now I'm good and pissed and pretty shocked. How can my prescription not be finalized when it literally hasn't changed from two years ago. Now I want to know, did he not do the exam correctly or is he being petty and trying to milk a testing from my insurance... (seems pretty clear which one is the correct answer doesn't it). So here I am in the midst of a COVID-19 lockdown and no contacts blind as hell... because for some reason the doctor I went to, decided to be a swindler. I can honestly say I've never had something like this happen and I've been wearing glasses for most of my life... With all of this said... do I recommend this eye doctor? Well... If you're keen on being held hostage for additional testing that you don't need and a "not finalized prescription" (seriously wtf does that even mean....?) Sure. If you're looking for a doctor who isn't trying to force you to use ALL of their services even if you don't think you need them by holding your prescription in a vise grip from hell... Absolutely not. Good luck with your decision because although he is conveniently located near my job I will now be taking off from work to visit my normal eye doctor... Ò_Ó read more

I had an unexpected glasses snafu and went to JEMS on a recommendation. It was worth the trip. The woman at the front who helped me was lovely and I am very grateful for her assistance. The space itself was clean and serene. read more

Love supporting this small business (especially since they were victims of looting twice during all of the chaos in DC!). Linda and Dr. Holley take care of you like you are family and we got thorough eye exams and great glasses. They have a nice selection of frames and Linda is very helpful with them. If you want something other than what is in the store she will find it for you! read more

I had a terrible experience with JEMS Optical earlier this year. I waited until I was able to make another appointment with an eye doctor that was affordable (since I wasted my one exam covered by insurance here), I could receive new glasses elsewhere, and frankly to calm down since JEMS was blood-boilingly awful. To begin, although the woman who answered the phone was knowledgeable and helpful, the other two staff behind the desk were beyond inappropriate and unprofessional. The first was an elderly gentleman who wasn't trained on the computer system, so had to be tagged out, but first told me to "smile" when I rushed in and apologized for arriving late to my appointment. (I don't care what your personal feelings are towards women, but if you are in a service position do not ever EVER tell your customer to smile.) I told him I don't appreciate being told what to do with my face and that I was concerned about whether the doctor could still see me. He could, which turns out was not great news. The doctor wrote a completely wrong Rx for me (confirmed by my most recent eye exam and the new glasses I received). His numbers were the exact opposite (negative instead of positive) as the proper Rx - and yes I checked to make sure the table rows/columns were the same. He also suggested I needed bifocals, which my current doctor confirmed is ludicrous with my vision. This doesn't surprise me as the doctor at JEMS seemed to be guessing the whole time and was not a bit concerned when I told him the final "picture" didn't look right to me. The final straw: the last staff member I dealt with broke my glasses. I asked a woman behind the desk if she could adjust my current glasses as they were very loose and I was worried they would fall apart before I could order new ones. I cautioned her to be gentle when - SNAP - she broke an arm off. No apology, just a "wow, these ARE really loose". Brilliant. Never, ever give these incompetent people your money. read more

I visited Dr. Holley because I ran out of contact lenses and needed a new prescription in order a years supply. I wear daily lenses and my supply finished. With no contact lenses and a very old pair of glasses with a very old prescription, I visited Dr. Holley. On my first visit, he gave me 10 pairs of lenses to wear (I use dailies) and told me to come back a week later to ensure that the lens were a good fit. Dr. Holley separated out my exam exam such that I had to come back 8 days after my contact lens fitting for the dilation of my pupils - meaning that I only had 1 pair of lenses left when I came back for my 2nd visit. When I returned to his office for this 2nd visit - with only one pair left - he informed me that the lenses were a good fit and would cost me $650 to order a year supply with him (meanwhile online sites provide the same exact lenses for 400 and below!) I asked him why this was so expensive. He informed me that he has to pay overhead (which is fair) and that he is doing all the work as my doctor (which I do not understand, as I pay for his service - it is not free - and that is not a reason to require me to pay ridiculous prices for contacts!). Anyway, we concluded the dilation and he attempted to send me on my way without a new set of lenses to last me until I placed an order for a new set of contact lenses. [It was very important for me to have this new set because my glasses were very old and I cannot see wearing them.] He refused, upset that I did not want to pay his exorbitant price for his contact lenses. Can you imagine that he said "I think I gave you more than enough" and left me, HIS PATIENT, to leave the office without anything (no trial, no glasses) to help me see properly for the next week (and my eyesight is pretty bad)! I intentionally sought out Dr. Holley (I do my best to patronize diverse businesses). I will take my business elsewhere and do not recommend anyone to patronize an office that tethers professional service to paying a ridiculous amount for an optional addition. read more

I was tired of my previous eye doctor not showing much interest in fixing a double vision issue I've been having in my left eye, so I took to searching for a new doctor. Dr. Holley, a soft-spoken gentleman, really knows what he's doing. The store wasn't too busy when I came in (around 2PM on a Monday) and I was able to be seen right away without an appointment. He did a variety of tests on my eyes, including the typical Snellen chart ("which is better, X or Y"?) as well as internal eye pressure, eye muscle movement, etc. As mentioned by J K. he even uses a red-green color test to make sure everything's fine. Never seen that before! He was also happy to explain any of the instruments and tests he was doing (what can I say, I'm a curious fella). In all, the exam was $38 after a discount, I believe it's about $50 without discount. I'll have to schedule a follow-up exam where Dr. Holley will be dialating my pupils after I get my new lenses, to make sure he's taken care of all my vision problems. Very glad I've found this doc!! read more

Happy to support a small business that takes Eye Med insurance! Went for an eye exam and contact lens prescription/fitting. Dr Holley is relaxed and knowledgeable so you don't feel like you're buying a used car. He says doesn't try to sell you something you don't need just because companies are promoting.The front desk staff is friendly and will help schedule you and figure out your insurance with ease. Haven't done glasses here but the staff sounds very helpful and friendly and they have a decent selection of frames. Wish they were open a little later so I could go after work, especially when you have to get your eyes dilated. It's a small shop so there isn't much space while you wait to see the doctor. I could imagine it getting kind of crowded in there but I've haven't seen it that way. Closed on weekends as this place is meant for weekday workers in the Franklin Square/Metro Center area. read more

Wow. Dr. Holley was amazing. To say he was thorough is an understatement. I had gone to one of those eye chains and my eyes were bothering me after I had my "new prescription". He found out that the other "doctor" completely misdiagnosed me and immediately found the issue. I see perfectly and now take my entire family to see Dr. Holley. Thank you! read more

Dr. Holley is hands down the most thorough eye doctor ... scratch that... doctors....that I have ever encountered! This does mean that your initial eye examine will require 2 visits - which includes dialating drops both times. I have a doctorate in visual perception. He ran me through some tests that I haven't even heard of (i.e. beyond the typical Snellen Acuity Chart). He even doubled checked his work with some sort of color test -- this is so that he doesn't over correct your vision. I am so lucky to have found him. He will definitely take great care of your eyes. Highly recommend! read more

Dr. Holley is one of the most thorough providers I have ever been to! He was efficient and meticulous, assessing every little aspect of my eyes. He was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions. Front desk staff was incredibly helpful and kind as well. Great place overall! read more

They were able to see me 30 minutes after I called. I had tried to go to other eye doctors and had been cancelled on multiple times. Quick, efficient, kind :) read more

Dr. Holley is very thorough. After the exam, he clearly knew what lenses my eyes needed to see things at different ranges. He doesn't offer up much information about the process, but if you ask him questions, he answers in detail. He also has frank advice on the types of lenses available. The selection is reasonable--not huge. Once I decided on a pair of glasses, the turn-around was quick. Less than a week. But as the other reviewer mentioned: ask for an itemized bill. read more

Very thorough and professional service. Clean and high-tech equipment. Kind eye doctor and front receptionists. I had one not-so-great experience in the past here where I had an unexpectedly long wait for the exam and my contacts to arrive, but am now happy with the improvements. read more

Jems is a real gem. (Pun intended) This is not one of your cookie cutter optician shops with shops nation wide. This is one shop with highly trained people working here, every one of them knowing their line of work extremely well. I had the pleasure of working with Sean Kirby, he is an excellent craftsman, and know's what he is doing. I recommend this place to anyone who is looking for professionals, and are sick of being upsold by amateurs. read more

I debated whether or not to write this review, but after the chilly response I got today, I decided to go ahead with it. A while back my boyfriend (now-husband) needed new contacts and asked if I knew of a good place near our apartment. I found this one on Yelp and set up an appointment for him. He later went in for his exam, said it was good, and since it's on my way home from work, I stopped in to pick up his contacts a week later. I was really impressed with how friendly everyone was. Now that we're married and I'm on his insurance (my company didn't offer vision benefits), I decided to make this my new go-to place for eye exams also. So...a few weeks ago, I came in for an eye exam and while I found Dr. Holley to be a little standoffish, I was really impressed with how thorough the exam was and he introduced me to contacts that I hadn't tried before that fit great. So far so good. He then tells me the cost for the visit, to which I reply, "Got to love having insurance." I said that because before getting on my husband's plan, I had to pay well north of $150 for an eye exam and was happy that it was now only going to be $28. Dr. Holley then says, "Insurance isn't always so great. But, well, you've got federal insurance - which throws a bunch of extra unnecessary perks on there because they know, we the taxpayers, will foot the bill for it regardless of how expensive it is." I"m sorry, but really, dude? Obviously this really rubbed me the wrong way. I find comments like that to be super annoying. My husband works super long hours at the Senate and pays almost $300 a month in health insurance premiums, so it's not like we're getting this for free - not that that matters. I get that we're in a much better place than those that don't have insurance, etc. but the whole "taxpayer v. federal employee" thing gets real old real fast. I used to work at the Senate too and I'd hear that from people, extended family, etc., all the time but never from my own health care provider. Also, hello! This is DC - which is obviously very dependent on government workers and their health insurance, so maybe you should keep your resentment to yourself. This little comment is the only small talk the guy made with me. Anyway, against my better judgement, I agreed to a follow up appointment where they evaluate the fitting, etc. even though I was still seething. This brings us to today. After a few weeks of thinking about it, I decided to take my business elsewhere. I called today to cancel my appointment and to get my prescription so I could order my contacts from somewhere else. The front desk assistant asked why and when I politely told him that I didn't appreciate Dr. Holley's comments he said, "okay, I'll email your prescription." I explained further that I felt bad about it, but that it really just bugged me that he felt the need to comment on my insurance and he said "well sorry, I'll email the script." Nothing else, no sincere apology or anything. I guess you'd have to hear it for it to make sense, but I was surprised they didn't make more of an effort to keep my business. Maybe this guy felt the same way. Anyway, too bad - this place is convenient and I felt the exam was good, but I'm really tired of the vitriol directed at federal employees, so if I have a choice, I'll avoid it when I can. read more

What a wonderful first-time experience. The friendly and helpful staff made my entire visit seem genuine. No pressure to buy, buy, buy, just helpful customer service to fulfill the reason I came there. Dr. Holley provided the best and most thorough eye exam I've ever experienced. The help received picking out glasses was genuine and authentic. They provide a great selection of glasses to choose from. So glad I found this place. read more

The eye exams are very thorough. The staff, and this is very important, can make excellent adjustments to eyeglasses. Multifocal glass frames can bend and this can affect your vision. This office and extremely competent staff was the best at making accurate corrections to frames so that my prescriptions work as well as new. That is the difference between mass market shops and shops that put more care into customer service. There selection of prescription lenses is well above that of others as well, with well known brands, not house brands. But the doctor will explain to you which you need. Customer service is excellent. That is why I go there. The eye exams are meticulous and accurate, but they allow rechecks as well if needed. 5 stars read more

Dr. James Holley is the optometrist in this office (as well as the location on C Street). In addition, there is also an on-site optician, which is great if you wear glasses. Dr. Holley is thorough and soft-spoken. I have been going to him for as long as I've lived in DC (8 years) and I really like him. Sometimes you have to remind the office staff that you need an itemized receipt for insurance or flex spending, but overall they are great. read more

I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Holley. He really is as good as it gets. He creates a very comfortable environment in the office His skill, manner and knowledge are all top notch. I also had a terrific experience with Linda the optician. Choosing frames and discussing billing was clear and accurate. I am happy I chose Jems and recommend that others give this place a try as well. read more

Attentive and skillful, the eye doctor here is great, and everyone here is friendly and accommodating. I recommend this place to any one who uses glasses or contacts in DC. read more

I've had 3 or 4 exams with Dr. Holley. He is very good, takes his time, and is thorough. His staff is very nice too. I've had some weird insurance plans due to the cheap nature of my employer heath plans, so far he has taken each one of them. read more

I love this place. Dr. Holley is the best eye doctor ever. I recommend him to everyone. I have a really difficult prescription and he gets it right every single time. I've tried other places but in the last 10 years, he is absolutely the best eye doctor I've been to. read more

I had a really fantastic experience at JEMS. I had a regular eye exam and their price was very reasonable. JEMS was flexible with scheduling and had very convenient appointment times (availability during lunch hours and after work hours with not too much notice). I went in twice and I was seen promptly/on time both times. Everyone is really friendly! read more

Wonderful, professional and considerate team. Everyone at JEMS has been helpful and considerate. It helps that they're in a great location, too. I'm glad to have found my new optometrist!! read more

Dr. Holley is a rare, great find. He listened carefully, did the most thorough eye exam I've ever had, and explained clearly so that I understood exactly what he had found and what he recommended. He even added an extra test at no extra charge, after the rest of the exam was done. His colleague (can't remember her name, sorry!) was very helpful in choosing frames, but did not push me to buy them, and was honest about how long they would take to make (I was about to leave on a trip). This is a great place, all around. read more

Boy, what a find in Dr. Holley and his team. Dr. Holley is thorough, informative and responsive to all questions. He gave me a fair deal on contact lenses, compared to an on-line purchase and the glasses, while expensive, were perfect. I haven't be able to see and read at the same time like this in a good while. read more

I started going to JEMS for annual eye exams recently because JEMS worked better with my insurance plan than my old optometrist's place did. The store has a relatively unassuming, plain appearance, but my experience was far from ordinary. I was able to get an eye appointment here within two weeks, and the experience I had with the doctor went very well. Dr. Holley isn't the most outwardly friendly person you'll meet, but behind the reserved demeanor is someone who puts the energy he doesn't expend on chit-chat into improving the exam itself. He gave one of the most thorough eye exams I've had in a long time. He conducted a number of tests on me that other places I have been to didn't touch, and the result was a more comprehensive evaluation of my eyes than I could have imagined. He detected some issues that my eyes were having with aligning properly, and he prescribed some lenses to help reduce the problem a bit. We'll see how they work. I will definitely come back here for annual eye exams if I'm still living in DC and if my insurance still works with this place. I wish this place had a somewhat larger selection of frames. And as I said before, the storefront is rather drab in appearance and tiny. They seem to be undergoing some renovations, however, that when finished will make the place bigger. Other than those minor issues, no major complaints about this place! read more

Just picked up my frames here and had to write a review. Their service was friendly and low pressure, even though I was getting free frames from my insurer and gave JEMS $0. I'll be back and recommending this business to others. read more

Jems scammed me out of refilling my prescription (for less $$) at another vendor. I had my eyes examined in 2016 at Jems. At that time I bought a supply contacts and got a copy of my prescription, which was valid for another year. In advance of my prescription expiring I tried to buy replacement contacts from Costco. Jems refused to verify my non-expired prescription and Costco couldnt fill the order. Now I have to pay for another eye exam for a contact prescription that hasnt changed in years. Jems is a total scam at if you dont buy contacts from them they charge you much more for the Dr visit, which in itself is supposed to be covered by insurance. read more

As other reviewers have noted in more detail, Dr. Holley was super thorough - much more thorough than my previous eye doctor. I never felt at any point like he was rushing my appointment along to get to the next patient. He also has a really nice, calm and quiet manner about him. He helped me find a pair of contact lenses that works for people like me, who suffer from dry eyes. The staff was extremely nice too. Definitely come here! I should also note, I never review things on Yelp but I liked Dr. Holley so much that I decided to post a review. read more

Dr. Holley is a really good doctor and knows what he's doing. I got a very thorough exam and accurate eye glass prescription from him and he also is helping me find a pair of contacts that fit. I have been back to the office multiple times to practice putting in contacts and they're always very patient and flexible. The staff are also super knowledgeable and friendly. I highly recommend. read more

I won't go back! They charge $50 more than anyone else for a box of Acuvue Oasys 90 one a day contacts -- $130 instead of $80! Stay away!!!! read more

Dr Holley quietly concentrates on what he's doing and isn't rushed. Doesn't chat during the exam, but does answer questions thoroughly with helpful advice. No hassle about using a Groupon which was great. To be picky, the office could use a spruce-up, especially the row of crooked picture frames on the walls... things like that signal attention to detail - seems relevant when you're dealing with vision and the artistic process of choosing flattering frames. read more

We were tourists, and my wife needed an exam for an acute condition. Dr. Holley was very professional, and they accommodated our tight travel schedule with great cheer. I would recommend them to D.C. visitors and residents alike. read more