Chicago Diamond Experts, Inc.

I went to a bunch of different retailers such as Rogers & Hollands, Helzberg and felt completely uncomfortable. I was not going to be forced into a purchase of an overpriced diamond. After those painful visits I decided to hop online to yelp and other sites to see what people thought about different shops. Turned out to be an excellent idea, and that's why I'm posting up here as well.

Wally is great at Chicago Diamond Experts. He met with me multiple times, even though I stayed late and made him late to some of his other plans. He gave me the education on diamonds and showed me all of the options within my price range. Ended up with a beautiful ring that I wanted and my fiance couldn't be happier. If you were like me, a young guy in his twenties and don't know where to start, give Wally a call and stop by. You won't be disappointed that you did.

Thanks again Wally.

-Ryan

Pros: Great selection, Buyer Friendly

Cons: None

Posted 11/04/09

My husband and I got married when we were really young, but never invested in rings until now. I had done all the research online and through reading. Being that we are now in a recession and funds are tight we decided to go to the Jewelry Exchange in Villa Park to see what they would offer us. Without hesitation we hastily bought a diamond semi mount wedding set and put money down on the loose diamond itself, but left it at the store. After reading some very questionable reviews online, I was extremely afraid to go back and purchase the loose diamond from them afterward. I really wanted to get the semi mount set appraised to see if what I had paid was really what the ring was worth.
After some additional looking around, I found Chicago Diamond Experts and the reviews were excellent, so I made an appointment. When I arrived, Wally greeted my husband and I warmly. He took a look at my ring and told me what he thought it was worth (which ended up being more than what I thought) but he was very patient with us and explained everything. He educated us on the 4 C's and even showed us the "hearts and arrows" in a loose diamond he had there in his store. We felt so comfortable with Wally because he educated us rather than sold us on a diamond and did not push us into purchasing anything from his store. We told him what our price range was for a loose diamond and he not only found us a more beautiful diamond than we wanted but for a cheaper price! Instantly we purchased the diamond and my ring will be ready by tomorrow!!! I am so happy to have found Wally online and thank you to all the other consumers who took the time to write a review, this has really helped me a lot!!
Wally...I will be back soon or the right hand ring we discussed!! Thank you so much!!

Pros: Patient, Informative, Trustworthy

Posted 07/26/09

I had Wally make me an custom egagement ring for my fiancee last year. She has very particular tastes, which included a specific type of design from Tacori. If you know anything about Tacori they are know for there side archs and other specific details. They are also one of the most expensive rings on the market.

After a couple of consultation meetings with Wally, where he explained everything about the diamonds, the custom ring process, and any other information I needed to make a decision, I decided to have him create a custom version of a Tacori ring with a 1.55 carat center diamond. I was able to add a couple of special touches to the ring to make it very unique. In about 2 weeks the ring was ready and looked beautiful. My fiancee loved the ring and still gets complements on it all the time.

The best part about the entire process is that I probably saved about $5 to $7 K over a simlar ring from Tacori.

I would also like to point out that Wally's selection of diamonds is vast and his diamond prices are fabulous. I will never use another Jeweler after this experience.

Pros: Value, Selection, Quality, Service

Posted 05/12/09

Admittedly, I do not know much about diamonds and the concept of buying an engagement ring was rather overwhelming. I was very concerned that I would be "taken" at some point in the process. Wally and Chicago Diamond Experts came highly recommended by a close friend. Working with Wally was the wisest decision I made! Wally has a very straight forward, personable, friendly and honest approach. He seeks to educate first, and then match a product with your exact specs. Best part is that he has tremendously fair prices and really, really high quality products. I would highly recommend that anyone in the market for a diamond saves themselves a ton of time shopping around and goes directly to Wally on the 12th floor, around the corner from the elevators at 5 S. Wabash. You will be very pleased with the entire process.

Pros: Every aspect of the proces was perfect

Cons: Absolutely nothing...go talk to Wally!

Posted 01/31/09

And that is all that matters.

I am so glad for the help i received when picking out the perfect stone.

You are truly experts and I am getting married for it!
(think she would have said yes regardless though :)

Thank you.

She wants matching earings now

Pros: She said yes

Posted 01/25/09

Wally is the real deal. A genuinely nice guy who is a pleasure to deal with.

I was looking for a diamond, to be set in a placeholder ring for my fiancee. Based on the Cityscape reviews I arranged a meeting with him.

The guy knows what he's talking about, but does not give you the hard sell. He will point out the pros and cons of each diamond (including those that are expensive). He is very patient, and does not rush you.

In terms of value I got an absolutely fantastic deal - and that's not just my opinion. I checked the value with two independent gemologists who told me that the price he had quoted was a very fair price.

I normally all in favour of giving constructive criticism but I honestly don't have one bad thing to say about the guy.

Pros: Everything

Cons: None

Posted 10/27/08

Our experience at Chicago Diamond Experts was a good one. Wally helped us through the entire process of choosing stones and a setting. He explained the qualities of diamonds and took the time to show us different ones. It was a great learning experience for my husband and myself. I now have a beautiful 5 diamond platinum ring which I love. Many thanks to Wally for his guidance. I plan to return to have my original wedding ring stones reset next time I am in Chicago.

Posted 10/24/08

My ring is beautiful (so brilliant!!) and everyone compliments it! I catch myself staring at it and my fiance just smiles. We looked at several places in the area and CDE has some of the best QUALITY for a very reasonable price. Also, Wally and staff are nice people to work with.

Pros: Nice people, great quality, reasonable prices

Cons: Parking but that is to be expected for the area

Posted 10/06/08

I went to several other places before finding Wally. I liked what I saw at the other stores, but the prices were way out of my range.

Wally listened to everything I was looking for, never pressured me into anything I wasn't interested in. He showed me several rings and diamonds that were in my exact price range and exactly what I was looking for.

He was willing to meet with me at times convenient for my schedule, later in the day, on the weekends, etc.

There was never any pressure to buy. He seemed not to care about making a big sale, but cared only about getting me something that my soon-to-be fiance would love.

I picked up the ring today, and I couldn't be happier with it. The ring is absolutely gorgeous, and I am still amazed at the price I paid.

I can't stress it enough - to anyone reading this: If you're buying jewelry, this place is worth the visit. You will NOT be disappointed.

Pros: Polite, no pressure sales. Great variety. Beautiful jewelry. Amazing prices.

Cons: None. Go visit Wally.

Posted 06/09/08

I found Wally right here on City Search, and based on the comments I made him my first stop as I shopped for a ring. I like the fact that Wally takes the time to educate you (you will still learn something even if you have done diamon research), doesn't act like a salesperson, and find the best deal for your budget.

I ended up looking at a few other places on Jewelers' Row, but none made me feel as comfortable as Wally. I wound up with a beautiful ring at a good price.

Needless to say when I made my proposal my now fiancee she loved the ring and I catch her staring at it all the time

Thanks Wally!

Posted 06/01/08

WALLY MY HUSBAND AND I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR TIME SPENT AND KNOWLEDGE NOT TO MENTION A GREAT PRICE ON OUR GORGEOUS PRINCESS DIAMOND. FOR ANYONE READING THESE REVIEWS DO NOT GO TO A RETAIL JEWELER. YOU WILL SAVE QUITE A BIT OF MONEY COMING TO CHICAGO DIAMOND EXPERTS AND SITTING DOWN TO TALK WITH WALLY. MY CUSTOM WEDDING BANDS ARE BETTER THAN I EVER EXPECTED. YOUR BENCH JEWELERS ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD AS ARE YOU. THANKS A MILLION!

Posted 12/26/07

Wally is a great guy. He is friendly and welcomed me with a private viewing. I decided to buy, and my wife was pleased, she should be considering I dropped 2 months salary!

Posted 12/02/07

Wally had a great sales style, he calmly explained the 4C's and spent as much time with me as I needed. I visited a couple other places with strong sales pitches and I really appreciated the difference. I got a great deal on the diamond, very close if not better than the online shops. The diamond has incredible brilliance, I've never seen one with so much sparkle. To top it all off, I gave him my budget, and ended up getting the diamond for $2,500 less than I had budgeted! You really have to see the diamonds in person to pick the right one, go see Wally!

Pros: Great sales style, patient, great deals!!

Cons: None

Posted 09/09/07

I went to Wally to fix and re-size my engagement ring, and to make a custom wedding band to match. He was very friendly and personable throughout the entire process. When I asked for small adjustments to the initial wedding band design, he was more than happy to make the changes. I am very happy with the end products, and I?m looking forward to wearing both rings together!

Posted 07/17/07

My fiance and I went to a number of places at the 5 South Wabash Jewelers Mall, but talking with Wally put us at ease. Probably had something to do with his candor, and the fact that he was never pushy, nor tried to up-sell us on a more expensive diamond. We gave him a price range, and he showed us an exhaustive number of diamonds right around what we asked. Answered all of our questions and was willing to accommodate us and our schedule (which was admittedly a little tight) without any problems. I would highly recommend a stop at Chicago Diamond Experts when you're looking. My Fiance loves her ring. I know we'll be going back for our wedding bands.

Pros: very accommodating, friendly & candid, great value

Posted 06/24/07

As we all know, buying an engagement ring can be an intense process and requires a thorough understanding both of the industry as well as what you're looking for. I found that after learning the basics on-line and talking to a few other places, Wally was a good person to purchase my diamond from. He is very patient and will give you his honest opinion, not just what you want to hear. He also doesn't create a pressure environment and welcomed me back to look at a particular diamond several times.
I must admit my fiance is very happy with her ring and we've had several compliments from complete strangers. I recommend you stop by and see Wally, you won't be disappointed.

Pros: Pressure-free environment, trustworthy

Posted 04/08/07

As a first time diamond buyer I started my search by trying to learn some of the basics. Then I looked for diamond sellers in Chicago - for me price, quality, and service were very important. Once I read the reviews about how wonderful the Chicago Diamond Experts were I decided to meet them in person. I decided that I would visit them and if they were as nice as the reviews seemed to indicate that they'd have my business. I was NOT disappointed at all. Walter put me at ease and made me feel comfortable discussing some of the different stone qualities and characteristics. After a about an hour we settled on a stone and setting. My fiance is thrilled with her diamond! I guessed wrong on the ring size so she and I both went back together to have it re-sized; and Walter was happy to see us and see that the ring was so well loved. We are both very happy with the ring and will always remember our experiences with the Chicago Diamond Experts. Thank you Walter!

Pros: Very personable and knowledgeable

Posted 03/29/07

My fiance and I went to Wally to find the perfect engagement ring. He was very friendly, patient and informative - we went in knowing very little about diamonds!! Never felt like we were working with a "salesman" who wanted to sell us just 'a' diamond - he wanted to find the best diamond for our budget. The setting was created by Janusz Goralski and it turned out absolutely stunning - truly a one of a kind unique piece. Couldn't have asked for a better experience! Thanks.

Pros: Great service, friendly, flexible hours

Cons: none

Posted 03/20/07

Wally stayed within our budget and got us a great deal. We shopped around but no one could do for us what he did. He's such a good guy, you wouldn't want to go with anyone else anyway. My wife was thrilled with both her engagement and wedding rings and Wally followed up and made sure that she was happy.

Posted 03/15/07

After searching extensively in Chicago and other cities, I decided to try one more place before purchasing my engagement ring and luckily that place was Chicago Diamond Experts. I purchased a gorgeous ring for a great price and I will be going back to get my wedding band and some earrings. Chicago Diamond Experts have excellent quality diamonds at different price points. Wally is great! He is honest, friendly and very easy to work with. My friends who have seen my ring have already asked me to take them to see him. If you are in the market for diamonds, stop here first. You won't be sorry.

Pros: Great prices, excellent quality, convenient location.

Cons: None

Posted 01/31/07

My fiance and I stumbled upon Chicago Diamond Experts Inc. after searching for the perfect diamond at several stores in two countries!! We came down from Canada looking for a ring and to our surprise, the moment we entered this building of diamond sellers, we were directed to Wally who was a pleasure to meet with. He had a great selection of diamonds and at all different price points. He was very honest, friendly and made us feel quite comfortable in our purchase. We bought a gorgeous ring and setting that blew even our expectations. Overall, a stress-free and wonderful experience. We certainly will be visiting Wally again for the wedding bands and future jewellery needs. If you are ring shopping, make sure you pay a visit to Chicago Diamond Experts before making your purchase. Thanks very much, Wally. You have our Canadian stamp of approval :-)

Pros: Very accommodating, honest, and amazing customer service

Cons: NONE

Posted 01/13/07

I recently accompanied my fiance to look for an engagement ring that I would love for years to come and be proud to wear, and after his careful research we visited Chicago Diamond Experts. Wally was wonderful to work with...he was very patient and knowledgeable and took time to educate us on diamond selection and purchasing. He listened to our needs, likes, dislikes, and budget constraints and then helped us find the perfect diamond for us! He was friendly, personable, and honest. He didn't rush or push us into a quick decision. I felt like I was meeting and talking with a friend. And there was not only top customer service but a great selection of quality loose diamonds and beautiful settings to choose from. I couldn't be happier with the ring we selected and I'm so excited to wear it for the next 60 years! I would highly recommend Chicago Diamond Experts to my friends and family. It was a great, fun, and memorable experience!

Posted 12/17/06

I recently went to the pain to buy an engagement ring and after visit many stores and read some internet reviews I selected three stores at 5 S Wabash. After visit these three stores we decided to purchase a wonderful diamond with Wally. He was the most friendly one and based on his prices and comments, we were 100% sure that we were making the right choice.

Pros: Patience, Price and product quality

Posted 12/10/06

Went to the mall, went to J@redz, HELLzburg, all the online blue-in-denile dotcom type outfits, and nothing gave me the satisfaction I received when I called up CDE, met with them one-on-one, and selected from hundreds of raw diamonds. They then created a custom ring of my design for my fiance. The proposal went flawlessly in beautiful Czech Republic, thanks in part to CDE's flawless diamond. I will definitely tell my family and friends to shop there for engagement rings.

Pros: in Jeweler's row; personal touch; excellent prices

Cons: would like more online content to browse

Posted 12/05/06

I shopped extensively for a diamond engagement ring, both in the city (predominantly on Jewelers' row) and at home in Madison, WI and Wally had consistently beautiful, high-quality diamonds at reasonable prices and provided extremely good, patient customer service. While other shops now and again had diamonds that were in the ballpark of what Wally was offering, I felt Wally's stones presented a combination of the best cuts and quality elements along with a price tag that I could more than live with. Through the process of deciding on a stone, I made several appointments (one late Sunday afternoon, which Wally was more than happy to accomodate), all of which Wally handled with professionalism and patience. He then worked with me to custom design a ring to my exact specifications. While the ring was being cast, I was a little nervous it wouldn't come out the way I was hoping, but when I saw the wax mold, all of my worries were vanquished. The designers that Wally worked with had nailed it and I new from that moment the ring with the stone Wally and I had worked to select would be perfect. They designed, cast and set the ring in under a week and I walked out of the store with a treasure I knew my fiance and I would love for the rest of our lives. Somewhere along the line, someone told me you should buy your diamond from someone you feel confident in and comfortable with - they were right and Wally was the man.

Pros: Product quality, flexibility, hours, location, patience

Cons: Not a huge amount of examples of settings, but I know he has plans to expand this selection and showroom

Posted 11/23/06

After visiting 3 chain jewelry stores in the city, my fiance and I were so fed up with the prices, quality, sales tactics, etc... for a diamond engagement ring. We decided we would buy the diamonds wholesale and shop for the band elsewhere. I came upon this place when searching for places on wabash in jewelry row. All the reviews were positive, so we made an appt with Wally for a Sunday morning and then again on Tuesday.
He worked within our budget and we bought the diamond and setting on tuesday. It just so happens he had the set I was looking for. He was very patient, professional, and educational when showing us the diamonds. He wasn't your typical jewelry salesperson. The ring was ready within a week. Very happy with everything . I would definitely recommend.

Pros: Customer Service, Quality of diamonds, Flexible, Professional

Cons: None

Posted 11/09/06

bought some wedding bands and a diamond wedding band set from Wally. The guy is down to earth, honest and delivers on his promises. The diamonds are quality. We really enjoyed our experience because he did not try and sell us things we did not need and he really appreciated our business. We went to some other jewelry places in the same building and we found they were smooth salespeople who really didn't care for our business and were just interested in making the quickest sale! Maybe his showrrom isn't so fancy but then again I wasn't interested in paying his overhead in the price of my rings...just wanted someone who had good diamonds and knew what he was talking about!

Pros: honest, no sales pitches, flexible appts

Cons: parking pricey

Posted 10/22/06

It had gotten so frustrating going from jeweler to jeweler. We got so tired of jewelers who would look at you funny if you asked them a question that was outside of the 4 C's. Wally definitely made our experience more at ease. Very accommodating to our work schedules and the distance we had to drive to get there. He was very honest about what we would like and wouldn't like. He helped us purchase a quality diamond for our budget. My fiancee' and I were very pleased with how much time he spent educating us on our purchase. We are definitely happy with the beautiful diamond we purchased from him!!!!

Pros: Customer Service, Selection, Quality

Posted 10/05/06

When I called Wally, I was simply a stranger with a sad story: several years ago, amidst regrettable circumstances, I lost my mother's diamond earrings... simple round cut studs that were one of my few remembrances of her. This year, my husband asked to replace them for my birthday. After he'd been taken for a ride and puchased some low quality diamonds from a mall jeweler, I returned the overpriced pair and called Wally. From the onset, Wally's kindness, courtesy and professionalism sparkled. I told him the carat weight, cut and budget limitations I preferred to work within. When my husband and I arrived (on a Sunday!), he arranged a variety of stones for me to choose from. I got a pair of beautiful, wedding-ring quality stones for just a little more than my husband had paid for the mall ripoff. My husband was thrilled! Additionally, Wally arranged to have my engagement ring appraised, and even gave me a loop to keep for my entomological enjoyment :) He's a lovely person, and I'm grateful for the consideration and professionalism he showed us. Thanks to Wally, it was the best birthday in many years.

Posted 08/22/06

Wally provided great service and a superior product that no other jeweler could offer. He stayed within my budget and helped me design a unique ring that my Fiance just loves. I felt comfortable through the whole process and was amazed how well the ring turned out at the end...

Thanks!!!

Pros: Service, Quality, Customization

Posted 08/15/06

My husband and I recently purchased a diamond engagement ring from the Chicago Diamond Experts. After showing interest via the web inventory list, I received a call quickly and we set-up an appointment. Wally, the Sales Manager, provided education and good insight while picking the right diamond and setting. There was no pressure to spend more than I could afford to and I am very happy with my purchase.

Posted 08/13/06

My fiance and I purchased my diamond wedding band from Chicago Diamond Experts. We had such a wonderful experience working with Wally. Neither of us really knew what we were looking for, but Wally was so patient with us and took the time to explain things and show us lots of options. He was completely willing to work within our budget and gave us a beautiful ring at an excellent price. He helped us make a great decision and I can't wait to put on my wedding band in October!
In the future, if I am lucky enough to get any other diamond jewelry, I am sure my fiance will be going back to Chicago Diamond Experts. ;-)

Posted 06/24/06

My fiance and I have been shopping around for about 6 months before we met Wally. He had excellent knowledge of diamonds and was very helpful in choosing the right diamond setting for me. Every time I look down at my diamond ring I smile. Once you meet Wally you will understand the great experience Eric and I had.

Pros: beautiful diamond inventory

Cons: not enough engagement rings to look at

Posted 06/23/06