Lisa Esztergalyos, Jeweler

For several years I had carried around with me lots of jewelry I had inherited from my mother and grandmother but hadn’t worn any of it. I wanted to take the old pieces that I did not like and have something new made. I had an idea for two pendants. I had no other experiences with making custom jewelry.
I emailed Lisa and set up a time to come in and meet with her. I brought in all my inherited jewelry and she was very patient with me going through each piece and explaining to me which were valuable and which were costume (I had no idea how to tell.) Then we talked about the two projects I had in mind and brought them to life. The price she quoted me in the beginning was the price I paid. She was very patient when during the design phase when on one of the pendants I changed my mind about what we had decided. After the wax mold was made I felt like it did not fit together quite right and she did not hesitate to have it modified before proceeding. She kept me updated through out the project and it was completed in a very reasonable time frame. My finished jewelry appraised for nearly twice as much as I paid to have the piece made.
Overall Lisa and her staff are extremely professional, knowledgable, and passionate about what they do. I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a unique piece of high quality jewelry or custom work.

When my husband and I decided to upgrade my wedding set for our 10^th, I searched online for a Seattle jeweler. Lisa’s reviews were the best and she did not disappoint. Her small shop in the 4^th and Pike bldg is adorable and elegant. She is too! She is gentle, elegant, patient, and knowledgeable. She met with me multiple times before we started the work, so we would both be on the exact same page. I did some research online and presented many pictures of rings with the look I was after. She reviewed them all, and paid attention to every detail. She does not do the work herself anymore, so she has to be able to pass the exact information onto the person who does the actual work. Even after we agreed on the work and it was done, she had no problem making changes that were my fault (I decided to add more diamonds!) The results are even better than I expected, and the price very reasonable.

I got engaged, yay! The ring was a 7 and I’m a 5, boo! Of course, I immediately searched Unilocal for «ring resizing» and located Lisa, whose shop is a half a block from my office. I’m a bit of a control freak and I’ll admit I’m also a little neurotic about my brand new ring. Lisa is calm and knowledgeable and she doesn’t send the ring somewhere else for resizing, it’s all done in building. The shop itself is adorable, a very small space full of shiny things in the lobby of an old timey building. Of course I wish that it could have been done instantly, but all good things in all good time. I dropped the ring off on Monday morning and got it back on Thursday, which felt like forever. But then I got it back and it fits great at a 4 ¾. Lisa recommended going down a touch from the 5 to make sure the ring doesn’t slide off my fingers since my knuckles aren’t really defined enough to hold the ring on. I was hesitant and freaked out that it would be too small, but as it turns out, she was right and it fits great. My only qualms are the cost which felt a bit high ($ 131 + tax) and that the platinum that was removed didn’t come back to me, granted I don’t know how much it would have been, it would have been nice to get it back. The woman who gave me my ring back, I’ll call her «not Lisa,» said something about it turning to dust, which sounds strange… and I don’t see anything about that mentioned in the articles I’ve read about resizing. Even with that, the experience was pretty good and the result is great — you can’t see a seam or anything, it looks like it was made in my size!

Trusting Unilocal reviews, I had a cocktail ring resized. Lisa and her staff were very helpful and professional. I was happy that the ring came out beautifully. The wait time was about one week, and the cost was reasonable. She also has a jewel-​box lik boutique with heirloom vintage jewelry that are feast for the eyes. Highly recommended!

Went in today to get my engagement ring resized and boy did they do a great job. They used a laser technique on my platinum ring vs soldering it together and the job was perfect! Yvonne at the front desk was so helpful and so friendly, she made us feel so at ease. She helped us get our ring resized, tightened up any loose diamonds, and we got it back in 2 hours! Amazing work. Definitely recommend this place to everyone. Although parking is difficult in Seattle and the price may be a little higher than some other places, the customer service and ease of stress is definitely worth coming here for. Thank you!

i inherited my mother’s wedding ring and had a special setting designed to reset the diamond. I needed assurance the jeweler doing the reset was experienced, reputable, guaranteed their work and reasonably priced. Lisa not only exceeded all my expectations, she had my ring ready earlier than promised! She put me at ease on how I could verify my diamond was MY diamond upon completion of the reset. I got to see my diamond under the ‘scope’ and learned of its occlusions so I could see same occlusions once the diamond was returned. Besides the excellent job, my whole experience was enhanced by Lisa and her employees’ friendliness. Lisa loves her profession and it’s abundantly obvious. Like her, her shop is warm and welcoming. It’s important to have a jeweler you can trust. I sure hope Lisa will be around for a very long time… she exudes good karma.

I shopped around downtown for an engagement ring and got the best service and price at Lisa’s. I had a budget and a vague idea of what I want the ring to look like; Lisa was tremendously helpful and patient in showing me a wide variety of both diamonds and design of the ring itself.
After three appointments we found the perfect design that fit my budget, and I’ve successfully proposed with it.
To sum it up, Lisa offers a very personalized experience you won’t find at the big brand store (that’s just next door). She will take the time to educate you if that’s what you’re looking for, and provide insight on actual value of a diamond versus the sticker price.
ps. Her lunch break is 1:30 — 2:30, so it was convenient for me to sneak away on my lunch break to see her.
pps. Her store isn’t visible from the sidewalk, it’s on the first floor in the lobby across from the building’s elevators. The workshop where the rings are done is upstairs, which makes for fast service because they don’t have to send the jewelry elsewhere.

Lisa is great. I’ve had her size my engagement ring and do a minor repair a year later. I’ve been happy with her work both times. She is incredibly knowledgeable and clearly takes pride in her work. She works quickly and is thorough.

Lisa resized my very detailed and unique Ileana Makri engagement ring perfectly — on ONE day’s notice. She is incredibly genuine, and the experience of being in her shop is the exact opposite of the boring diamond-​centric corporate jewelry stores.

Lisa saves the day! I accidentally dyed my ring blue by soaking it in windex overnight
:-(completely freaked out that I ruined my ring, I called Lisa and she told me to bring it in and she would take a look. I brought it in and she took a look asked if she could take it up to her lab to try to polish it out. I said of course and left to run an errand. Came back a few minutes later and it was better than new! No more blue and super sparkly! All free of charge and she even sent me home with some jewelry cleaner! Lisa you are amazing and it is always a pleasure coming in to see you!

So when I popped the question I guestimated her ring size a little on the large size as I was advised «you need to get that ring on her finger for it to be legitamite proposal!’. With my jewler in NYC I was at a loss of who to trust…
My fiancé is smitten by her engagement ring… calling it her precious and reenacts a scene from lord of the rings if she has to take it off for any reason… so finding someone to trust with her «precious» was not an easy task. We wanted somone reputable, who could do the work inhouse. without sending it out to some undisclosed location… I turned to Unilocal… which pointed me to Lisa…
From the moment we walked into her quaint yet well appointed shoppe Lisa had us feeling comforable. They do the work in the building! Lisa has many certifications from the Gemalogical Instiute of America displayed, and her general demenor was über professional… I was shocked when my Fiancé willingly turned over her ring. Lisa quickly eliminated any nervous feelings or doubt over the care that would be paid to her prized posession.
I picked up her ring the next day as promised… Lisa even saved the tinsy tiny peice of gold that was removed to resize it. Lisa then followed up two hours after I left to make sure that the ring was perfect. I was really impressed with how genuinely interested Lisa was in our happiness with the work. When after a week, my fiancé wondered if the ring could be resized a fraction of a size smaller Lisa was quick to fit her ring with an insert so she could feel out how that would fit her before they did the resizing. She wore the ring with the insert for 2 days to try it out… And in the end Lisa was able to fine tune the fitting by the millimeter to be sure that we were absoluely 100% satisfied. and after each visit, Lisa followed up with a call to be sure that we wre STILL happy!
Some people hate on Unilocal over Lisa’s hours. She does not run a ²⁴⁄₇ convenience store… She does run a very professional shoppe with class and style… if you can deal with the stated hours of opperation you will be rewarded with a customer experience and end product that can not be improved upon.
We are tough customers but we recognize when an establishment is up on their game. In an industry chock full of cubic zerconias this place is a true Diamond,

I am someone who is clueless about jewelry, so when my boyfriend found the perfect emerald ring at an antique shop, I thought it would be a snap to get it sized down to my little kid fingers. Turns out I have a lot to learn, and I am lucky to have chosen Lisa to teach me! Lisa explained that emeralds can’t take a lot of heat, otherwise you risk causing damage to the stone, and sizing down from a ring size 7 to a size 4 (told you I have little kid fingers) was not going to be the easiest task. Lisa developed a game plan to size the ring down to a 6, then put a bridge inside to fit my finger. She also tightened up the baguettes on the side which she noticed were lose under examination, and rhodium plated the ring to make it shine. All of these steps were explained to me in detail and the price of each was quoted to me so that I could make a decision before the work was done.
The only bit of «constructive criticism» I’d have to offer is that it would be helpful to call and give status updates to customers based on original timelines. When I first went in, I was told I’d have a quote in a couple days, but I had to call after the fifth day to find out what was up. Granted it was because my ring sizing posed a bigger challenge than originally anticipated, but since people are usually antsy to get their jewelry it is a bonus to get regular status updates if there are any bumps in the road.
All in all, I’d definitely recommend Lisa to anyone looking for an alternative to the big box jewelers that are constantly torturing people with their cheesy jingles and nauseating commercials (I guess I should save that rant for a different forum).

This business isn’t open nights or weekends (the business hours posted on its website are Mon-​Fri 10 – 5), so people with day-​jobs (like me) need to take time off work to make it while it’s open (which is fine). I left work early to get there before 5, but upon arrival was told that Lisa left at 1:30, and that she leaves every Wednesday at 1:30.
This was very frustrating. It feels like a customer trust issue: customers should be able to trust that a business is open during its posted business hours. If every Wednesday is a half-​day, hey that’s totally fine, but it should be listed on the website’s business hours ya know? Otherwise it seems disrespectful of people’s time. I feel as though this business alienated me as a customer before the transaction even started, which is a shame.
UPDATE: I went to Octo Designs, and Tony was great. I made an appointment, told him what I needed, and he did it right there in the blink of an eye! Very friendly, and very professional. Also, he’s available during his posted business hours.

I went in to get the chain for a necklace (silver chain with three pearls together in the center) my girlfriend gave me for my birthday repaired. Wonderful customer service. Lisa gave me both of my options without any pressure to choose the more expensive one, and was just very polite and professional without any of the snobbery you might fear from a high-​end place. (Especially since the necklace I wanted fixed, while delightful and gorgeous, isn’t an expensive piece.) Most importantly, she did a great job fixing the necklace chain. Thank you, Lisa! Would come again.

Amazing place for a person clueless about jewelry (me).
Took a couple of pieces of jewelry that my wife wanted repaired. Lisa was very friendly and explained that one needed to go somewhere else (gave me contact info) and then fixed the other chain for free.
Very happy I found my go to jewelry place.

Lisa is utterly amazing. Such a professional and expert in her field. She was knowledgeable, kind and patient. She help us design our wedding bands from inherited jewelery and it was just stunning. I get compliments on it everyday. We plan to come back for other jewelry services.

Lisa is charming and talented, and her price for resizing my vintage wedding ring set was much more reasonable than the other jewelers I checked with. I browsed a bunch of her custom work while I was there, too, and I know we’ll go back to her if we want to create new custom pieces in the future. She was a delight to meet, and I’m so happy with my perfectly sized rings!

Lisa is the best! Lisa provided luxury quality attention and customer service regardless of the customer’s stated budget. She is kind, knowledgeable, honest, and very fair. Lisa helped me and my fiancé choose an engagement ring that was the perfect fit for me and very similar to my dream ring and twenty-​five percent under our maximum ring budget. Lisa made me feel like I was a pampered princess and over a year later, I am still over joyed with my ring the purchasing experience.
I have specific tastes in just about everything, which led my fiancé to purpose without a ring, so I could pick out for myself exactly what I wanted.
I thought I wanted a lab made yellow princess cut diamond in a simple setting. I searched online for jewelry store in Seattle that carried Gemesis diamonds or something similar and came up empty. I found that I could order a loose diamond directly from the company, so I turned to Unilocal to find a jeweler.
Lisa quickly stood out as the obvious choice, so I set up an appointment. My fiancé and I had a private consultation in her adorable shop. I explained what I was dreaming of to Lisa and she listened and offered her expert advice. I emphasized that I wanted a yellow lab made stone in a simple setting. Lisa suggested a yellow sapphire and ordered a selection of colors in the size range that I wanted. During our second appointment, Lisa showed me the lab made sapphires next to mined sapphires in all in the yellow color family. The lab made sapphires exceeded my expectations, I found them superior in all categories when next to their mined counterparts, and at a fraction of the price. I chose a vibrant canary yellow sapphire and a setting and then anxiously waited about a week for my ring to be created.
My fiancé surprised me while I was at work, Lou Dobbler style with my perfect engagement ring. It is everything I wanted and more, and unlike any other rings I’ve seen. I couldn’t be happier with my ring or the entire ring buying experience. Lisa is the best!

My girlfriend is not into diamonds and has a specific style, so when I decided to propose, I wanted to a jeweler who had a deep understanding of precious gemstones so I could build a custom engagement ring.
Lisa patiently iterated with me through the stone selection and the ring design. She explained why ideas I had were good or not so good, communicated clearly about next steps and went above and beyond what most jewelers would do. For example, she worked with me to find a stone matched the shades of my girlfriend’s existing jewelry.
This was an epic eight month project and Lisa was always genuinely interested in my success. With her help, the ring came out beautifully (and under-​budget). And the fact that my now financé(!) continues to say how perfect the ring is for her is a testament to the quality of work Lisa does.

After reading review here, I went to her shop to repair and resize my engagement ring (emerald with raised triquenta knots) after it was bent somehow and also my wedding band.
I am super nervous whenever I go to jewelry stores or high-​end anything because I am quite clearly not rich. My rings are not the most expensive, especially relative to the stunning pieces you see in her shop. She treated me (and the other customers there) with lots of respect. She’s sincere and incredibly kind. There is not an ounce of pretension to her. I feel at ease almost instantly when I walk into her shop, you get a sense that she really likes people. Not to mention that she replies to her emails in a timely manner.
The rings were fixed perfectly and look beautiful.
One thing I will say that I love about her shop, even if I cannot afford most of the jewelry there, is that it’s not a barrage of diamonds as you see in many corporate jewelry stores. There are diamond pieces there, but she has a very rich selection of other gemstones there and vintage jewelry. I anticipate going back to her anytime I need advice or custom jewelry.