Max Weiner Jewelers & Gemologist

This is my first-​ever Unilocal review, but this place deserved it. I started my search for an engagement ring with a very limited idea of what I wanted and a fairly modest budget. I read the positive reviews here and decided to check it out despite the unassuming storefront. Max Weiner Jewelers was the first and last store I walked into. Madison was behind the counter and started by asking simple questions to get a feel for what I was looking for. She was very intrigued when she discovered that I was looking for a peach sapphire (my girlfriend didn’t want a diamond) and she threw herself enthusiastically into the project with me.
Peach sapphires aren’t common, but Madison put out some calls and ended up with a wide assortment of stones to choose from. Once I found the perfect one, we ended up custom-​designing the whole ring around it. I come from an art background, but this is way outside my wheelhouse and Madison was an essential creative partner throughout. She worked with me sketching out patterns while we threw out ideas and cherry-​picked elements from their existing stock based on what I knew of my girlfriend’s tastes. After all this we finally sent out the ring for CAD and casting. It was a long wait (don’t custom-​build a ring if you need to propose next week) but Madison kept me consistently updated on the status.
The finished product exceeded my expectations in every way. My fiancé adores it and gets compliments constantly about how unique it looks. I really have never seen anything like it. Madison’s professionalism, enthusiasm, and knack for design led me though the whole process. She went above and beyond to get me the perfect ring for my budget, and we ended up with a result that is so much more than the sum of its parts that it was appraised at nearly twice what I paid for it. If you need a unique, affordable piece of jewelry, I highly recommend you check Max Weiner out.

Just picked up a re-​set family heirloom ring from Max and I am SO thrilled. It is absolutely stunning! Max and Alicia took my vision and made my dream come true. Just wow and thank you so much– you were a pleasure to work with!!!

I have to first say that this review is long overdue.
I found my way into Max Weiner’s during my search for an engagement ring for my then girlfriend. I had just come off of an extremely negative and uncomfortable experience at a very popular jeweler who bombarded me with morning beers and models trying to close me on the spot. I will never and would never buy anything from that particular cheesy brand of jeweler. They were pushy and a little sleazy and kind of offensive in their sales strategy.
Max Weiner’s store could not be more different. Obviously the operation is on a much smaller scale than the other jeweler who spends countless $$ plastering his slogan all over town, but as soon as I walked in, I was greeted politely and then given about 5 minutes to get comfortable in the store before I was approached by the very capable and competent consultant, Will.
Will started a conversation with me, asking probing questions that painted a picture of the type of person I am, and the type of person my girlfriend is. His questions were qualifying questions, but not in the sense of trying to see what he could get away with selling me. I truly felt that Will was getting an understanding of me so he could present me with the best possible choices for my specific needs.
And he did. He brought out loose diamonds and talked me through the whole thing. I knew my girlfriend wanted a round cut, but I didn’t know why. I knew color and clarity were more important than size, but I didn’t truly understand the classifications. I didn’t get the differences in the certifications. Will explained it all plainly and clearly, giving me a real understanding of the product and the process. From our first diamond, he moved me up and down the scale a few places until we found the perfect one. And it truly was perfect. It was bigger, whiter, and clearer than anything I had seen at any of the other stores within my price range. It was the one right off the bat and I had no doubts. We went over the inclusions and imperfections. Will pointed out everything and explained how imperfections affect the passage and reflection of light.
After the diamond choice, he helped me construct the perfect setting based on my girlfriend’s taste and style. I had the ring independently appraised and it was valued at more than $ 5K over what I was charged.
Long story short, my girlfriend became my fiancée with that ring and she loves it. It gets attention and admiration every place that we go. It glimmers from across the room and her friends with giant cloudy diamonds are extremely jealous of the 1 ct. beautiful stone that puts theirs to shame. It is a next level ring that was priced so well as to make me feel like baller giving it to my beautiful fiancée. She feels like a princess in it and I catch her admiring it often.
A few months later we stopped in to thank Will and Max and look at wedding bands. While we shopped, Will stripped my fiancée of her antique rings and me of my Movado and cleaned everything without charge and then invited us to stay for a little party the company was having.
I could not speak more highly of the buying experience I had with Max and Will. In a sincere and professional way, they made me feel like a friend. They gave me everything I wanted and then way more and they made me look good. They sure as hell made my fiancée happy. Thank you Max Weiner for being the perfect start to the next chapter!

I have nothing but amazing things to say about Alicia, Max and Will!
When given a family engagement ring, we could not have been more excited– but being from the 50’s it had some issues in the beginning. After our appraisal and resizing the ring cracked from years and years of women in my family resizing it. Max re-​shanked my platinum band and it looked like BRAND NEW!
Of course I told everyone about their great service, and then my coworker found an engagement for his lady that he just loved and of course she said YES!
We then came back this past weekend to try on wedding bands for, both his and hers. They were so patient with me trying on almost every ring in stock and explaining the pros and cons of every ring, diamond and style to me. They kept our high end budget in mind respectfully and even came in way under leaving us more in love with the team!
TODAY I picked up our bands and could not be happier with our decisions. Now all I have to do is try to avoid wearing it around the house too much till our wedding :)
A Huge thank you the entire team at Max Weiner Fine Jewelers, we will definitely be back in the near future!!!

I bought an engagement ring from Alicia at Max Weiner earlier this summer, and I signed up for a Unilocal account just so that I could write a review about how amazing my experience was.
I browsed rings at other stores in the Jewelers’ Row area. I found the service at these other stores to be very pushy, especially with the big box jewelers who seemed to view our interaction as an opportunity to move inventory rather than a way to get me the ring that I wanted.
Max Weiner, on the other hand, was perfect. When I walked into other jewelers, the first question asked was always what my budget was. At Max Weiner, Alicia introduced herself and asked me for my name, adding a minor but much welcome human element to a process that others make cold and unpleasant.
Even though I was probably spending in the lower range of what customers spend, I received incredibly attentive service. I met with Alicia several times, spending hours looking at ring designs and different diamonds. Ultimately, I got the most beautiful setting I have seen – custom made – and my fiancée absolutely adores it. Alicia went out of her way to help me find something with which I was thrilled, and she also did everything she could to keep costs within my budget while doing so.
For anyone buying an engagement ring, regardless of the budget, I could not recommend Max Weiner more. They will work with you until you have the ideal ring. Instead of trying to move inventory or maximize profit, Max Weiner’s goal, at least from this customer’s perspective, is making sure that people walk away with an astounding product, well-​suited to their needs.
Max Weiner made the engagement ring buying experience better than I could have possibly hoped for, and because of that, my fiancée has a ring that she and I absolutely adore.

I have worked with Max Weiner Jeweler three times in the past year and have been impressed with their professional attitude and prices every time.
My fiancée was relieved to work with them for my antique engagement ring, since they were knowledgeable and personable and not pushy like some others in Jewelers’ Row. They made the experience fun and informational.
They carry antiques and new jewelry and have a great variety of diamonds and other stones. I don’t go anywhere else now because I’ve always been able to find what I want here! I’d highly recommend the store and their staff.

Max W. Is my jeweler! I tell everyone that because he is the only one I go to, the only one I trust, and the only one I am willing to do business with. I recommend and tell about him to everyone who comments on my jewelry and I get a lot of compliments. He has an array of beautiful pieces that are right for everyone, and will fit any budget. Great prices, and no hidden values that vary from a patron to patron, although I will say that if you build a relationship with him and are a repeat customer (* you buy a few things a year, like I do) there is a possibility for an individual discount structure.
But the real reason why he became my family’s jeweler and why his store stands out in the midst of diamond row district of Philadelphia is their customer service, product quality guarantee, and the fact that he is always willing to go that extra mile for a client. There are a lot of good jewelry but I would suggest always making a first stop at his store.