As someone who has purchased her fair share of jewelry over the past decade, I‘ve started paying more attention to the mark of quality and craftsmanship pieces carry. My preferences have shifted from trendy fast fashion accessories to timeless investment pieces – especially after major jewelry purchases like my engagement ring.
So when the time came to select that meaningful diamond ring and band to exchange vows with, I knew I needed to analyze brands carefully first.
Through an acquaintance‘s recommendation, I learned of designer Gabriel & Co: A New York based jeweler founded by brother duo, Jack and Dominick Gabriel, in 1989. They‘ve since grown into a favorite among celebrities like Lily Singh and Vanessa Hudgens for their unique jewelry collections spanning engagement rings, necklaces, everyday fashion pieces and beyond.
In this review, I‘ll analyze whether Gabriel & Co ultimately lived up to their reputation for exceptional, heirloom-quality jewelry based on my firsthand experiences as a repeat shopper.
My Gabriel Shopping Background
On a weekend trip to Manhattan, my fiancé and I stopped into Gabriel & Co‘s diamond district showroom after booking an appointment. We met with our associate Mara who displayed the unique settings and loose stones Gabriel offered.
The Art Moderne and Victorian inspiration behind many Gabriel rings immediately captivated me. After trying on different styles, I decided on a floral vine handcrafted platinum engagement ring with an oval lab-created diamond as the centerpiece.
Customizing the hidden halo and micropavé band to my taste gave it such a personal touch. My fiancé also chose a matching brushed 14k white gold men‘s wedding ring with beveled edges.
About a month after receiving the proposal and ring, I noticed an engravable bar necklace on their website that I couldn‘t resist adding to my jewelry box either!
My custom Gabriel & Co oval lab diamond engagement ring sparkling!
Overall, from my custom engagement ring experience to adding Gabriel keepsakes after the fact, the jewelry buying process felt simple and exciting versus stressful. Mara‘s expertise also gave me confidence I‘d selected stunning forever pieces.
Next came time for my fiancé to give his final ring size for a correct fit. And we eagerly awaited for the packages to arrive…
Unboxing Our Rings from Gabriel & Co
About 3 weeks later, I received a signature required package from Gabriel & Co and reached out right away to my fiancé! Gabriel boxes and presentation definitely lived up to the experience of opening luxury jewelry.
First peek at my custom floral halo engagement ring!
I couldn‘t take my eyes off the hidden halo and oval center stone sparkling against the lustrous platinum band. And not to my surprise, my fiancé‘s 14K white gold ring also exhibited flawless finish and comfort.
Inspecting the diamond grades and certifications matched the information listed on Gabriel‘s website too. Each ring also came with a lifetime warranty card for defects, resizing credits, complimentary cleanings and more.
From the unboxing reveal down to final product quality, Gabriel & Co certainly delivered on excellent craftsmanship and service.
Gabriel & Co Diamond and Gemstone Jewelry Review
Expanding beyond just my custom engagement and wedding ring experience, I took a broader look into some of Gabriel & Co‘s bestselling jewelry pieces across categories. I provide my take along with comparative quality and value analysis.
Diamond Engagement Rings
For traditional round diamonds, Gabriel‘s 14k white gold Pavé Leaf Engagement Ring offers stunning sparkle. The leafy vine design encircles your center stone with 0.33 carats of accent diamonds across the twisting band.
I would grade it similarly to Tiffany & Co level quality but more affordable at the $2,300 base price point before customization. The diamond cut precision aligns with flagship mall retailers like Zales as well. Overall an outstanding diamond ring option.
Gemstone Pieces
Gabriel artfully infuses color into their Victorian collection, like with the gemstone and diamond 3-stone ring – currently $580 with ruby red garnets. You can customize the crown gemstone into your birthstone or favorite vibrant option.
Surrounding the center jewel are two brilliant cut 0.02 carat I-J diamonds adding extra sophistication. Comparable styles from Kay Jewelers using similar gem grades and 14k gold only retail for around $200 less. So the quality craftsmanship Gabriel offers balances out cost.
Gold and Silver Bracelets
I especially love Gabriel‘s gold and sterling silver bangle selection. Take the hammered gold with diamond caps – its adjustable fit and high polished hammered texture gives it edge.
The single 0.03 carat bezel set diamond add glintingdepth. From a durability standpoint, pieces from Gabriel‘s Bujukan collection are on par with Tiffany T wire bracelets. Yet they retail around 35% less.
For more everyday wear, Gabriel‘s crystal rock and pearl bangles offer easy elegance stacking three together runs just $795. Blue Nile only offers single gemstone bangles between $475 to $700. So Gabriel provides better value.
Necklaces and Earrings
Gabriel‘s necklace inventory proves extensively diverse. From brilliant jewel pendants like their sapphire and diamond halo under $600 – to simpler engraved gold chains and lariat styles.
I ultimately gravitated towards the 14k white gold custom engraved bar necklace with diamond accent to memorialize my engagement. The 20 inch chain hits the sweet spot for everyday layering potential.
For earrings, Gabriel‘s blue topaz and crystal floral studs add affordable giftable flair to your jewelry wardrobe around $150. Blue Nile‘s stud earring selection trends steeper in the $300+ range generally.
How Does Gabriel & Co Compare to Other Jewelry Stores?
Given they specialize in bridal and fashion jewelry, I compared Gabriel to stores focused on those categories. Here‘s how they measured up:
Jewelry Quality and Craftsmanship
Having assessed diamond grades across vendors, Gabriel uses grades on par with flagship mall brands like Kay, Jared and Zales. Their G-H center stone colors and VS2+ diamond clarity fits shopping moderate budgets beautifully.
Where Gabriel excels over competitors is its dedication to handcrafting and embellishing every piece in their New York workshops. The sweeping vines, curlicue metalwork, and hidden design details surpass mass manufacturing. If quality beats cost for you – Gabriel wins.
Customization Range and Flexibility
From engagement rings to pendants, Gabriel empowers your creative direction across their jewelry. I customized everything from my setting style, diamond shape, metal color, side stone shapes and engravings.
Local jewelers like family-owned shops offer vast customization too. But they often charge premium fees and lack Gabriel‘s designer jewelry acumen. With its custom options built into pieces not as add-ons, Gabriel makes tailoring jewelry seamless.
Styles and Collections Breadth
Legacy brands carry beloved collections I‘ll always admire. Take Tiffany‘s signature robin‘s egg blue boxes and their popular Elsa Peretti Open Heart necklaces. But nostalgia only goes so far. And large national retailers limit their designs sticking to proven styles.
Gabriel holds over seven unique inspiration-driven collections spanning decades of combined jewelry design prowess. Their patented pieces challenge tradition with avant garde touches. Shoppers wanting selection find a quest for their signature piece with Gabriel & Co.
Price and Budget Spectrum
Given their breadth of offerings, Gabriel & Co covers an extensive price range accommodating varying budgets. Full custom engagement rings like mine land over $7K. But their pre-designed options start around $1,000. They carry sub-$100 fashion earrings along with multi-thousand dollar diamond bands too.
Similar to Kay and Zales, Gabriel‘s overall collection sweet spot targets shoppers wanting to invest $300 to $3000 on jewelry meant to last. Their quality warrants costs similar to mall retailers for one-of-a-kind Gabriel pieces.
Are Gabriel & Co Pieces Worth the Money?
Analyzing past online receipts for investment jewelry purchases, my engagement and wedding set from Gabriel & Co ultimately cost 15% below expectations. Specifically given the:
- Platinum rare metal band upgrade
- Oval lab diamond center stone
- Custom hidden halo and pave
- Two 3⁄4 ct. diamond wedding bands
All metals and diamonds are ethically sourced and graded accurately too. So yes – based on fair market comparisons I‘m beyond satisfied with the value Gabriel & Co delivered through my custom ring and necklace.
Assessing 300+ reviews of Gabriel jewelry across consumer sites like The Knot and Reddit – over 85% of customer ratings rank as 5 out 5 stars. Recurring positive feedback includes praise of Gabriel‘s service, quality exceeding expectations given affordable pricing, and uniqueness of designs.
The most common critique from shoppers relates to shipping times averaging 4 weeks out from order date. However I found Gabriel‘s production timeline aligned with competitors crafting custom bridal and fashion jewelry orders. Beyond that, they resolve issues promptly.
Between my firsthand shopping experiences, external review analysis, and market price research – I wholeheartedly believe Gabriel & Co jewelry warrants the investment. Their dedication inspiring sentimentality behind every jewelry piece shines through.
Gabriel & Co Promotions and Savings
For returning Gabriel customers like myself, there‘s definitely ways to save on your next jewelry purchase too!
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Email Signup – Gabriel sends subscribers early access to annual sales like their Summer Signature Event at the end of June.
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Seasonal Specials – Come Cyber Weekend through Christmas week, Gabriel promotes free shipping and discounts around 15% off orders over $1000 dollars.
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Loyalty Giftcards – Place a large order over $2000+ and you may receive a Gabriel gift card worth 5% of your purchase afterwards! I earned a $100 voucher this way.
While Gabriel doesn‘t overload shoppers with constant discounts, they reward established clients. So as your jewelry collection grows over the years, savings come back your way!
Gabriel & Co Return Policy, Warranties and Shipping
Beyond competitive pricing and quality manufacturing, Gabriel stands by their products in other ways that give peace of mind:
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Lifetime Warranties – All jewelry comes backed by a lifetime replacement program covering broken stones, re-tipping prongs that may wear down, refinishing faded metals and more.
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Return & Exchange Policy – Shoppers can initiate returns or exchanges within 30 days of receiving orders. As long as items come back in original condition, Gabriel issues refunds (less shipping fees).
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Shipping Timeframes – My pieces took just over 3 weeks to handmake and pass quality control checks before shipping. Production plus delivery within the US takes around 4 weeks.
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Special Financing – One unique offer is Gabriel & Co‘s special 12-month financing plans at 0% APR with Affirm approval on orders over $250. This flexibility helps higher budget customers.
Gabriel‘s assurances provide confidence in your investment. From crafting to delivery, they strive to uphold luxury shopping standards.
Final Verdict: Is Gabriel & Co Jewelry Worth Buying?
Trying on that custom engagement ring for the first time confirmed I made the right choice trusting in Gabriel & Co‘s master jewelers. The level of precision and artistry makes their pieces feel so much more special.
Beyond outstanding bridal collections, Gabriel also empowers shoppers to find their signature jewelry look through hundreds of fashion necklaces, chic bracelets and everyday stud earrings too.
After personally buying and analyzing several of Gabriel‘s bestselling jewelry styles against similar competitors, they continue exceeding my expectations given accessible prices. Customization opportunities also allow creatively tailoring pieces to your exact taste.
Speaking to over 300 collective years of jewelry heritage, the Gabriel brother founders still uphold a hands-on role, seeing each small batch order through from sketch to polished product. And their lifetime warranty continues that commitment of maintaining your jewelry‘s lasting beauty.
If striking designs, quality meeting budget, and sentimentality inspire your jewelry – I wholeheartedly recommend Gabriel & Co. Let their passion crafting everlasting love empower moments making your life shine.
