Inta Gems

INTA Gems offers the best selection of Sapphire engagement rings. With every visit I was able to have all my questions answered. I felt this family owned jeweler store offered the best customer cervice and best prices around. When purchasing my fiance?s Sapphire engagement ring Peter was able to work with my budget and could I not have found a better deal. I highly recommend them to anyone who is in search of rare, high quality gems. I will defiantly return for future jewelry purchases.

Posted 01/01/08

Everyone at Inta Gems was very friendly and, more importantly, honest and sincere. We went in to look at blue sapphire stones and, boy do they have a nice selection. We found an amazing stone that was GIA certified. Peter and his team custom built the setting and it was created in a timely manner. The ring came back beautiful and I was very happy with it. After we purchased the ring we took it to get an unbiased appraisal (in addition to the one Peter gave us free of charge) and it came back slightly lower than what we paid, which indicates a fair retail price but not a "wholesale" price. However the appraisal did verify the quality of the stone. I would suggest to be cautious and educated about the price you are willing to pay - don't expect wholesale prices just because you are shopping `downtown.

Pros: Customer service

Cons: Not wholesale prices

Posted 12/29/07

INTA Gems is truly a "diamond in the rough." Amongst the many choices of jewelers in the downtown Los Angeles jewelry district is a store that truly treats you as a valued customer. I went to SEVERAL of the jewelers both in the downtown jewelery district as well as the china town jewelery district. INTA Gems is THE ONLY place that had an amazing selection, UNBEATABLE prices, and THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE out of all the places I had visited (and I visited many many many stores). PETER YOUNG is one of the sons of the family run INTA Gems who really took his time to explain and help select THE BEST DIAMOND that I encountered. The wide selection of diamonds is intimidating at first but with Peter's GIA Graduate Gemologist's expertise I quickly found and purchased THE MOST unbelievable GIA CERTIFIED, LASER INSCRIBED, D-color, 0.86, Ex Ex Ex (yes the best of the best of the best of the best) diamond. The entire family was attentive and inviting as if I were a personal guest in their home. I will ALWAYS go back to INTA Gems for ALL of my future purchases and you should too. Shop around if you like but you will not be able to beat the customer service and value that you are guaranteed to receive at INTA Gems.

Pros: UNBEATABLE service, quality, and value

Cons: NONE...they are THE BEST

Posted 12/15/07

I recently purchased a diamond engagement ring at INTA Gems (Nov 07) and had a truly fantastic experience doing so. I was impressed by their knowledge and quick access to diamonds and that they took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for, versus forcing something that had on display on me. They were also very upfront and definitely helped educate me during the buying process. I highly recommend INTA Gems and believe anyone who does research to understand the market upfront will be satisfied and feel like they got a fair deal when buying from them.

Pros: Great customer service and value. Very accessible

Posted 12/08/07

just got a gorgeous custom made alexandrite ring from inta gems. i've always wanted a colorstone engagement ring for my birthstone - june. something different from the rest. went shopping in the jewelry district and couldn't find any natural color change alexandrites until we found inta gems. they had a nice selection - very hard to find. i found the perfect cushion 1.52 ct alexandrite and they custom made me a ring in 18k white gold that i absolutely love. tons of compliments... so happy. it's perfect.

Pros: excellent quality, good service, friendly people

Cons: none

Posted 11/22/07

I agree that the customer service at INTA gems is excellent. It is family-run, and they do make you feel special. Their selection of loose gems, especially sapphires, is very good for such a small place. I feel they gave us a good price for the sapphire and diamond engagement ring my fiance and I purchased, and they gave us a written appraisal to go with it. I originally chose an in-stock ring setting, but the diamond baguettes on either side of the main stone were very asymmetrical, and there were a few spots where the engraving on the platinum was flawed. So my fiance and I went back to see if they could help us find a better setting, and Steve made sure he was there to personally assist us. He immediately recognized the flaws in the ring and told us he would have it custom built at no charge. He personally chose a matching pair of diamond baguettes and, using my original sapphire, had the ring made for me. The custom-built ring is basically flawless and looks amazing. I am very happy with my ring and with the special attention Steve gave to making sure it came out looking beautiful. My fiance and I are going back in January to purchase sapphire earrings to match the ring. I will definitely be returning to INTA Gems for my future fine jewelry purchases and will recommend them to my friends and family.

Posted 11/08/07

After looking for engagement rings at several jewelery stores, I am happy to announce that I just purchased my first engagement ring from Inta Gems. I visited IntaGems myself 3 times (and my fiance visited the store 5 times) before we made our purchase. The entire staff (especially Peter) was very patient and helpful in showing us different rings and different diamonds. Peter is extremely knowledgable and helped my fiance and I pick the perfect ring for this milestone in our lives together. Thank you Peter. I would strongly suggest you stop at IntaGems for a quick look before buying your ring anywhere else.

Posted 10/31/07

I just received the most incredible ring from my fiancee, who bought it at Inta Gems. The jeweler is truly unbelievable. My setting has so many intricate stones and detailing, and was hand-engraved. I have never seen anything like it before. When I received the ring, it was a little big. I went to have it resized and they finished it right away. They not only remembered the ring itself, but they remembered my fiancee and were very accommodating. The customer service there cannot be matched. After getting the ring resized, we bought our wedding bands there. They customized them for us exactly how we wanted them, and had them ready in four days. What is nice about this place is that they are very willing to work with you to give you exactly what you want. They are a smaller store, so they remember their customers, and treat them with the utmost respect. I recently found out that my fiancee was looking for the right ring and diamond for over a year. When he went into Inta Gems, he found the diamond he wanted that was laser inscribed (which helps prevent theft). He didn't buy it, but went home to find the exact specs of that diamond online. The online price was somewhat lower than what Inta Gems offered. When he went back to Inta Gems to make his purchase, they matched the online price. Another incentive to buy? If you pay in cash, they will give you a discount if you ask for it. I have found my jeweler and am so very pleased with the quality of craftsmanship and service that Inta Gems has offers.

Pros: Great quality jewelry, customer service, and customization

Cons: parking

Posted 10/09/07

Buying an engagement ring is a daunting task. After looking at many of the big retail chains and online shops (e.g. Robbins Bros, Blue Nile) I decided that the jewelry district in Downtown LA would provide the best value. The only problem was finding a reputable jeweler among the hundreds of vendors. I did my research online and found INTA Gems. I was very impressed with the many positive reviews they had received. I had a general idea of the kind of diamond I wanted and conveyed that to them (Princess, At least 2 carat, colorless, VS2 or higher). They had 1 on-hand that met my specifications. I wanted to see more to compare it with. Within 1 day, they rounded up 4 more diamonds for me to look at. After picking the diamond and getting their price, I looked on Blue Nile and could not find a diamond with similar characteristics for a better price. I found a setting online that I liked and brought in pictures. They were able to recreate the look AND beat the online price. The ring was ready more than a week before they had promised it too. All in all, I got a fabulous ring at a great price. They even provided an appraisal for the ring for insurance purposes. They were very professional and knowledgeable. I would recommend INTA to my friends and will return to buy the wedding bands. Thanks Steve and Tina, she loves the ring!!

Pros: High quality and great value.

Cons: None

Posted 08/15/07

I highly recommend Inta Gems.

I purchased an engagement ring and a pair of diamond earrings from these guys over the past year. After visiting the numerous vendors in the jewelery district (and also the major chains), Inta Gems was hands down the best to work with. Their quality of service, stones, and price point was exactly what I was looking for. I walked out really feeling like I got a good deal and a great stone(GIA certified).

They're also excellent at establishing a relationship with their customers, and this is why I'll be returning to them any time I need to purchase jewelery. Several of my friends and family have also purchased from them with the same remarks.

Pros: The entire family are experts at stones and gemology, and are often consulted by their peers. Want credibility? They design the jewelery for Miss California and celebrities. That says something.

Cons: Compared to any other store... none. Really.

Posted 08/13/07

I was hunting around the Jewelry District for an engagement and it was such an overwhelming process, I just happened to walk into Inta Gems. Immediately I was talking to Peter who is GIA certified gemologist who I actually felt knew what he was talking about. All the other people I encountered that day really felt like they were pushing me these stones without really explaining to me what was so great about them. The people at Inta Gems even told me to check out online companies and compare prices and they were guaranteeing that they would match if not beat the price! My fiancee loved the diamond ring and we went back to get our wedding rings. I would recommend Inta Gems to anyone who is serious about getting an engagement ring!

Posted 07/14/07

I love Inta Gems! My now-fiance and I were completely ignorant to the world of diamond engagement rings, and thanks to Inta Gems, I was able to pick my dream ring, well within our budget. Peter was extremely helpful, taking over an hour just to look at diamonds and settings, without pressuring us to make a purchase. When I returned to have the ring sized, the courteous staff were able to do it in less than a half hour, and did not charge me extra when the initial size I picked turned out to be too big. All in all, shopping for an engagement ring was a much more fun, special experience than I had even hoped for, and I owe this to Inta Gems.

Posted 07/05/07

Beautiful Jewelry, Great Price, Top Grade Service. The Jewelry stores is located at a busy down town jewelry location. parking is difficult to find, but the value for your purchase is worth it. I found the price to be much better than bigger chain stores like Robbins Brothers or Jewelry Exchange in Tustin. Inta gems Service is better.

Posted 06/17/07

Hi, we drove from South Orange County (about 60 miles) to visit INTA Gems. It was certainly worth the drive! We had searched many jewelry stores in our area, but nothing could compare to what we purchased at INTA. My husband purchased a wedding ring for me for our 20th Anniversary. It is so beautiful, I love it! The service there was incredible, no high pressure, they are there to educate you and help you select the ring that fits your budget and lifestyle. We would definitely recommend INTA Gems to anyone looking for exquisite jewelry. Tina, Peter and Connie were wonderful! Thanks!

Pros: great quality, prices and service

Cons: wish it was closer to my house!

Posted 06/12/07

I discovered INTA Gems online and was impressed by all the great reviews they had. To experience it myself, I called and set an appointment to view several Emerald cut diamonds that met my standards. Steve assisted me with no pressure, provided superb service, educated me, and worked exactly with what I wanted. He had the ring ready a few days before the deadline I gave him on when I was going to propose!

Overall, making a significant purchase like this requires trust, honesty, quality, and exceptional service. These are all characteristics I experienced with INTA Gems. In addition, they already have an established reputation in the L.A. Diamond District, which made it easy for me to gain their trust. Strop wasting your valuable time and searching for a reputable location, INTA Gems is the place to go with comfort, value, and affordability.

Posted 06/11/07

If you are looking for great deal and quality on jewelries, Steven Pheng is your man. He found the perfect rock (1.35 FVS2 3X!!) for the engagement ring I am about to give. I've visited the Diamond District in Manhattan, surfed on Blue Nile, and shopped around various dealers, but nobody came close his quality and price. Although I live in NY, the transaction was seamless. I will not hesitate to recommend him to all my friends! Thanks Steven!

Posted 05/18/07

Wow!! INTA gems gets two thumbs up!!

Hoping to find a unique, colorful, on-of-a-kind engagement ring, my fiancee was directed to INTA Gems because of their great reputation and extensive selection of sapphires. Now, neither my fiancee nor I know a whole lot about gems, but the courteous and knowledgeable staff at INTA Gems succeeded in helping him find a gorgeous engagement ring: a stunning 6+ carat light sapphire surrounded by tons of sparkly diamonds. Bling Bling!

When we went back to size the ring to my finger, we were greeted by such a helpful and genuinely friendly staff. The owner gave us her undivided attention as all of our questions were answered. Additionally, the prices are great. I have no doubt this piece would cost double elsewhere. Seriously, make the drive to downtown, it's worth it.

I couldn't be more satisfied with my ring... it's gorgeous. And to know that it didn't break the bank makes me happy too. ;)

Pros: prices, quality, selection, service

Posted 05/16/07

I got a gorgeous custom-made 3 stone diamond ring in platinum and 18K yellow gold. What makes my ring special is that I?ve got two matching color-change alexandrites next to the center diamond!!! Do you realize how difficult it is to get a genuine Alexandrite gemstone!??? And two matching ones no less! It?s one of the rarest gems on the planet and it?s really special because it?s the birthstone of my girlfriend (June). I was weighing between emerald, princess and radiant cut center diamonds, but eventually got a cushion cut diamond to match the 2 cushion alexandrites. Inta Gems had the best selection of natural alexandrite in the jewelry district and anywhere! Ya, Inta's not a traditional retailer in the mall... and ya, people get confused in the jewelry mart... but if you're a wise shopper, it's worth it to go there. The drive, the parking, the traffic... but what did I get in return? My girfriend (now fiance) is so happy with her engagement ring! She's hasn't stop talking about it. If you ever hesitate to go to the downtown jewelry mart in the LA jewelry district, don't. Inta gems is the best jewelry store in LA! I even saw Miss California there trying on jewelry when I picked up my ring! So, trust me, it?s worth it the drive (I?m from San Diego). Thanks Inta, we?ll be back for our wedding bands soon! And diamond stud earrings for my mom too!

Pros: great diamond and natural alexandrite selection, nice service, great price

Cons: downtown la traffic

Posted 05/13/07

Wow!!! INTA Gems DESTROYS the competition. And when I say competition I mean ALL competition:
Robbins Bros
Bailey Banks & Biddle
Zales
Any other Jeweler in the Los Angeles Jewelry District.

I purchased a 1.50 Diamond Asscher cut center stone from Steve Pheng a couple weeks ago. First of all, this type of stone is difficult to find in the first place. I searched all over the internet and all over town for the perfect stone. I was doing months of research and went to several jewelers. I went to Robbins Bros thinking they would deal. Was I wrong!! Finally I found INTA Gems. It was late in the day and I just came from a "wholesale" diamond dealer ( you know, one of those dealers whose office is in one of those tall buildings surrounding the Jewelry District) and wAs extremely disappointed in the service I received. So as soon as I walked in I was greeted with a friendly smile and asked how they could help me. It was not even 5 minutes when Steve found my stone, and for 1/3 if not 1/2 the price!!!
A week later I came back to Steve and purchased the stone. Not only was Steve helpful but he sat me down and gave me an hour lesson on how to look, examine, and research a diamond. He was the first person that actually knew what they were talking about!

The stone has been burning a hole in my pocket ever since and can't wait to show it to my lovely bride to be.

I have never written a review but felt the need to do so after I walked away from INTA Gems. I even put Steve's # in my cell phone.
INTA DESTROYS THE COMPETITION!!!

Thanks INTA, hope to see you soon.

-Erik

Pros: EVERYTHING

Cons: ABSOLUTELY NONE

Posted 05/04/07

We purchased our first gem in April 2006. We had already bought the setting from another jeweler and they promised that they would find me a sapphire that I loved! Of course they could not.. They brought in 4 stones for me to look at, none of which I thought were the right size or color.
That led us to downtown L.A. where we shopped at many different vendors.. Again no one could provide me with what I was looking for:( I was beginning to become depressed and think that we were NEVER going to find a stone that I liked.
We stumbeled across Inta Gems.. I had not read any reviews and had never been to the store before. However Peter and his Mom were able to help us immed! We were able to find a beautiful Sapphire that I loved for UNDER $1000!!! They were very patient with me and let me look at many different stones explaining what made one more valuable than another. Once we had made our final selection they had the Sapphire set in my ring the same day!
We were so happy with the way it turned out we could not wait to get Officially Engaged and my boyfriend proposed that night!! I just could not wait to start wearing my beautiful ring!!
I wore that ring for a little over a year and just a few days ago my fiance Robert suprised me with a trip to see Peter to do a trade in on my stone and get an even BIGGER and more BEAUTIFUL Sapphire!!! We bought the very first one that we looked at!! This one is close to two carats and deeper in color and oval in shape. It is STUNNING and we paid just a little over $2000!!!!
This time we were at the store even longer that the first time because I truly loved the first Sapphire. I had a bit of a hard time letting it go. AGAIN Peter and his Mom were extremly helpful, not at all pushy and they did not EVER try to hurry me along in making a choice!
As usual they had the stone set same day and I must tell you my ring now is EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL than before!! We are getting married this Saturday and I cannot wait to show off my ring!!

Pros: Huge Selection, Great product knowledge

Cons: So many great stones, It's hard to pick

Posted 04/30/07

Inta Gems provided excellent service to my fiance and myself. We had tirelessly looked for the perfect diamond for her and because her interest was in a fancy cut even in the Jewelry District of LA, it was very difficult to find what she wanted. When we walked in the door to Inta Gems, we saw that they had an impressive selection of high quality diamonds. Steve was gracious and patient with my fiances specifc requests and he found us the diamond we were looking over a month for. With numerous other shops in the area, we were taken up to offices, other peoples stores but were never showed a fraction of the selection that Steve had for us within the price range & quality of stones we so hoped for. I would highly recommend Inta Gems to anyone looking for the diamond of their dreams. We should have gone straight to Inta Gems but all our looking, and looking, and looking has made us appreciate the service and selection that Inta Gems has to offer. Thank you sooooo much for giving us a beautiful diamond that my fiance will forever enjoy!

Pros: Selection, Selection, Selection, Service, Quality

Cons: None

Posted 03/26/07

My fiance and I have been together for nine years. We have three beautiful children and as you can imagine finances can be tight. Most women, as you know, have been dreaming of the perfect ring since we were old enough to understand what one stands for, and I am no exception. I researched, and researched for over a year looking for the perfect ring. I soon discovered that the perfect ring was going to be way out of my price range. That is until I found Jerry and Peter at INTA Gems. They were so helpful and kind that I really felt like part of the family. Peter took the time to help us create the ring I have been dreaming about for 25 years and I was able to afford it. Not only did we end up buying my wedding set, but my fiances as well. I guarantee that when my children are old enough to get married I will be taking them to INTA. Thank you Peter and Jerry for an amazing ring. I will see you soon for more diamonds! Jennifer and Jim.

Posted 03/25/07

If you're like me, most of what you know about choosing an engagement ring you learned online. With that in mind, considering their amazing rating on CitySearch, it's not surprising that I'd choose Inta Gems as the first dealer to visit in my quest to find the perfect ring. My girlfriend and I decided to shop for rings together. She didn't want a boring diamond like everyone else seems to get, so we researched alternative stones. We were leaning towards a Aquamarine due to it being my girlfriend's birth stone. Fortunately, Peter at Inta Gems was caring enough to inform us that Aquamarine stones are too soft for a lifetime of daily wear. We then looked at Rubies, but eventually my girlfriend decided on a beautiful pink sapphire ring at about 1/3 the cost of a similar ruby. We didn't expect to find a perfect matching ring for the stone at Inta Gems, but sure enough they had one that was just right. My girlfriend has tiny fingers, so her ring needed to be re-sized a few times for the perfect fit (which I believe ended up being 3.5 with a ball). Inta gems did the resizing without any additional cost and were pleasant to deal with throughout the process. They seem like very nice people and our experience couldn't have been better. I went in with a budget around $2k for the ring and stone, and found something perfect for our price. As much as it pained me to spend $2k for jewelry, I couldn't have chosen a better company to work with. One stop shopping! I highly recommend checking out Inta Gems, especially if you're looking to purchase an alternative stone instead of the usual diamond engagement ring. Thank you Inta Gems and we wish you continued success with your company! (Shane & Lisa)

Pros: Service, Selection, Value, Quality

Posted 03/21/07

When my girlfriend told me she wanted a ruby engagement ring, I started searching and quickly learned that the selection of QUALITY stones is FAR more limited (and pricey!) than when shopping for quality diamonds. Then I found Inta Gems. Peter and his whole family were so very nice and helpful and they had a wonderful selection of IN STOCK gems. They showed me a 3 carat ruby that they had just brought back from Burma and it was gorgeous. Peter designed it and set it in platinum with two half moon diamonds on either side. My fiance LOVES it and says it is the most beautiful ring she has ever seen (mission accomplished!).

Plus, the price was great and their service and attitude couldn't have been better. All in all, a wonderful buying experience. Check them out for other gems too. Their selection is really great and you won't find a better gem at a better price anywhere.

Pros: Gem selection, quality, price and SERVICE

Cons: None

Posted 02/26/07

Before I began the process, I did a considerable amount of research (e.g., books, the internet). Afterwards, I went to a number of jewelers in the Los Angeles area (e.g., Robbins Brothers and others) and a variety of on-line sites. Given what I experienced at other jewelers, I was prepared for more of the same at INTA Gems. Much to my surprise, I found quite the opposite. Steve had a straight forward, no pressure approach. He was very knowledgeable and patiently answered all of my questions. I ended up with a great, high quality diamond for a fantastic price. This was later confirmed when I had the diamond independently appraised. I have nothing but great things to say about my experience with Steve and INTA Gems. I would recommend them to anyone (and already have).

Pros: Price and Service

Posted 02/21/07

Steve and the Inta team showed me dozens of diamonds in my price range and I nailed the perect stone! My girl was blown away (she was expecting a little chip and I got her a ROCK). I looked everywhere first, Bluenile, Robbins Bros, and a bunch of others. Steve beat their prices without any tactics or hard selling. This is a family operated business and they really take pride in what they're doing. I've been back since with a tricky custom order and they knocked it out overnight. Shop here, you'll buy, end of story! I'm bummed at how much I've spent at Tiffany & Co over the years just to get the cute little blue bag. I've learned my lesson, and it turns out they don't care about the bag, But, If you ask Steve's Father will give you a great little bag... and some tea.

Thanks INTA,
Martin Garret
COO, LTR Inc.
Beverly Hills, CA

Pros: They really knew the business and what the market was for thier products. No pressure.

Cons: It's downtown, but in a safe and accessable spot.

Posted 02/01/07

My friend took me up to LA last September, and he told me that Inta Gems was the best jeweler he ever heard of. He bought a beautiful engagement ring there, and I decided to make the trip up from San Diego to by my girlfriend an engagement ring there. Inta Gems is extremely easy to find, the people there are experts; furthermore, they are extremely nice and fair. The ring that I bought is absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for all your help.

Pros: Everything

Posted 01/08/07

Hello, Hello!

I have never written a review before, and before this year really knew very little about jewelry, or Diamonds, let alone world class custom jewelry... I met the woman of my DREAMS, and set out to find the most AMAZING Exquisite ring on earth for a ridiculously good price... well, all i can say is that GOD led me to THE place...

I had traveled through what seemed like millions of webpages learning all i could learn about diamonds, and jewelry, and designs, and all the regular places, high end mall jewelry stores in the O.C., Robbins Brothers, and various 'jewelry marts' all over the place, i even ventured over an hour to the Jewelry district and met with people who came HIGHLY recommended from close friends and peers, and STILL could not find what i had hoped for, and wanted... UNTIL!...

My good bro who is a jeweler by hobby was in search of rare colored stones, and we stumbled upon this shop among the thousands of shops in LA's downtown Jewelry district and make a long story even longer, ended up meeting Steve Pheng, (who now has my phone number in his personal cell phone) and tracked down the ONLY Diamond in the world that fit my criteria AND saved me over a $1000.00 on the lowest of the low prices i had found so far, AND $1,500.00 on the Most PERFECT Diamond i'd ever seen of all the diamonds my eyes had seen!! He introduced me to his designer who exceeded my high and picky expectations with the final design, and all i can say is Steve and his awesome family at Inta Gems are Industry Experts and Key Note speakers at for the G.I.A. and they are the only jewelers I will ever use.

I promise you will not find a better deal, or better service, or more honest people. (and they have close parking!)

Thank you Steve for everything, Jessica and I are looking forward to placing our order for my wedding ring tomorrow...

~ Benj and Jess

Pros: HONESTY, parking, versatility, industry expertise

Cons: None

Posted 12/15/06

The service and gem selection at this classy, yet modest jewelry store is absolutely superb! Walking through downtown?s jewelry district past the sea of countless stores was very unnerving. Luckily my sister brought us to Inta Gems where we found the most beautiful radiant cut diamond for a fraction of the price I was willing to spend! Thanks again and again Peter!

Posted 11/13/06

I am so happy I ended up at Inta Gems! My woman had been making me stop at every jewelry store in the mall 'just to look'. Every time I went into one of these stores, I would feel pressured by the salesman. They were worse than used car lots. Plus, I didn't know who to trust and everything looked the same.
I read all the fantastic reviews on city search and decided to check out Inta Gems on my own. From the first conversation with Peter, I felt totally relaxed. He took the time to educate and advise. He listened to me and really understood what I was looking for. Then, he custom designed a ring that was perfect. It was exactly what I had in my mind's eye and the woman loved it. I would recommend Inta Gems to anyone who is looking for that perfect ring. Not only was it perfect, but the price was totally within my budget. Peter didn't try to upsell me, but worked within my budget and helped me determine the best place to focus my funds. I hate shopping, but I actually enjoyed my experience with Inta Gems. Thanks so much!

Pros: Patience, knowledge, friendly, listening, no pressures.

Cons: Best place I went... hands down.

Posted 11/10/06

My fiance and I were nervous about the whole process of choosing an engagement ring. Peter helped us to figure out what we were looking for, educated us on the choices and made some insightful suggestions. Even though we didn't know much about gems in the beginning, he never made us feel out of our element. He also encouraged us to go with exactly what we wanted. We ended up with a gorgeous blue sapphire ring in a platinum bezel setting custom made to match a ring we had seen on the web. We just went in to pick up the ring and it's everything we wanted and more. If you want professional service, an impressive selection of gems, and a warm, inviting atmosphere, visit Peter and his family at Inta Gems.

Posted 11/05/06

I just purchased a 1.08 carat F/VS2 princess cut diamond from Inta Gems in a solitaire platinum setting. Peter, who helped me, was very informative about the different cuts of diamonds. I actually got the best information from Inta than anyone else in Los Angeles. I read the review from Musey, and I have to disagree with him/her. Inta is probably the most informative diamond jeweler in the Los Angeles Jewelry District. When I got inquisitive, Peter brought out the GIA Diamond Grading Manual to show me all the details of how the GIA determines the grade of a diamond's color, clarity, shapes and cut. Actually, the information in the book was really detailed and I highly doubt it if most people would even want to read through it because it's about 3 inches thick. I am a medical student who is very inquizative. So, I already spent 3 months researching diamonds online and another 2 weeks actually looking at diamonds in the jewelry district. I think that I knew more about diamonds than most guys would ever want to know.

In any case, Inta has a nice selection of diamonds at the store and Peter really took the time to show me the differences between all of them. I decided on a princess cut diamond eventually because it had the most sparkle for a square shaped diamond. I am VERY happy with my purchase and more importantly, so is my fiance!

Just don't expect anything super fancy or luxurious because fancy stores are not what the jewelry district is about price and value are the main reasons to buy! So, I would stop by the jewelry district just to see if you don't mind the downtown urban street vibe. Inta's prices are very competitive and the service very attentive. Highly recommended.

Pros: Nice People and No Pressure

Cons: None

Posted 11/01/06

After reading the fantastic reviews of INTA, my bf and I were anxious to visit and hopefully make our final purchase there. We recieved quick service and lots of questions (good) and diamonds to look at, but when I said I was still trying to decide between an Asscher cut and a Square Emerald cut, the salesman said "Oh, they're actually exactly the same." I immediately pushed all of the diamonds back to him and walked away. If you know diamonds, then you know why!

They are NOT the same cut, there are several subtle but important differences. A knowledgeable jeweler should be able to describe every one of those differences. I hope for this salesman's sake that he actually knew there was a difference, but didn't expect a customer to know, rather than that he actually thought they were identical cuts. Neither option bodes well for this jeweler.

Posted 10/30/06

I was a first time diamond buyer, looking for the perfect ring to give to my partner. Steve and Peter definitely gave me all the guidance I needed for selecting the best diamond at my budgeted price. All the other vendors I sought out were not as helpful as the staff at Inta Gems.

If you're looking for a quick response, great customer service, and an excellent diamond inventory, Inta Gems is the way to go.

Posted 10/02/06

I purchased an engagement ring from Steve and Peter at Intagems and I can't say enough good things about my experience. They are extremely knowledgeable and gave me a very fair price. They are not hyper-agressive salesmen and instead work from a place of educating you about your options and allowing you to decide what's best for your tastes, budget, etc. I proposed to my girlfriend at the top of Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland and I think at that moment she fell more in love with the ring than with me! j/k. But seriously, she loved the ring and her family has been fawning over it ever since. Everyone notes how great of a diamond it is. For great service and quality product, I can't recommend Intagems enough. In fact, I loved my experience so much that I sent them two more customers who have since purchased engagement rings from Intagems and have similarly wonderful things to say.

Keep up the good work Peter and Steve.

Best,

Rob

p.s. I left it a 9.9 review so that they don't get too cocky. :)

Pros: great prices, excellent product and wonderful customer service

Cons: parking is a bit tricky if you're just shopping and don't buy

Posted 09/25/06

After reading the reviews on Citysearch, my fiance and I decided to go there to look for our wedding bands. Steve was amazing-- never tried to upsell us and really worked within our budget. His Mom even gave us cut-up tangerines while we tried on rings! Visiiting INTA gems is well worth the drive downtown. The level of service and quality is second to none!

Pros: Family business--- high level of customer service

Posted 08/23/06

So, my girlfriend and I wanted to look at engangement ring settings. I had an old family diamond ring which we wanted to reset, but knowing nothing about jewelry we had no idea where to start. After checking out citysearch and seeing the amazing rviews for INTA Gems we decided to make it our first stop. It ended up being our only stop. Peter and Steve took the time to educate us about ring settings, made us feel VERY relaxed and comfortable, and their parents even brought us some fruit! The setting we found wasn't exactly what we were looking for, but Peter brought in their jeweler and they came up with a way to customize the setting so it was PERFECT for our antique diamond.

They also created a customized wedding band to match, and reset our old ring with a new stone. We spent three hours with them and the customer service was really beyond great. They treated us like we were there to spend $50,000 even though we didn't spend much at all, considering what we got. We picked everything up yesterday and are incredibly happy with the way all the customized work came out. Thanks so much to the whole family!

Pros: Service, custom work, low prices

Cons: there's really nothing wrong here

Posted 08/20/06

I am from Utah, Steve and his staff we very helpful when we bought our sons engagement ring and wedding bands. They sent us pictures of the rings so we could pick the one we wanted. We also used Inta Gems for our other sons engagement ring. I would definately use them again for all of our jewlery purchases. I highly recommend Inta Gems and Steve. Very helpful and knowledgeable!!!

Posted 08/17/06

I'm one of those people who has embraced the internet for shopping, education, everything. For 2 weeks I did endless searches on all the diamond websites to become familiar with the 4 C's. Espeicially the "Cut" . While I was doing that, I also visited, emailed, and called Steve at INTA. He was so patient, answering all my questions. As I narrowed my search, it came down to a diamond on Blue Nile or one that he was offering. He never pressured me. Tina helped me pick out a fabulous setting, but they told me that I could buy either diamond and that would be fine! I decided to go with the INTA one, F-VS2-1.09-Excellent cut. When it came down to it, there was no substitute for customer service. Where other jewelers in the same area became annoyed with all my questions, Steve and his salespeople welcomed them. The family is wonderful also. I will be back and my friends are going to join me.

Posted 08/17/06

A wonderful family and staff who create fantastic pieces and truly care about each interaction with every customer! I have purchased 8 pieces from them thus far and they have exceeded my expectations each and every time!

Pros: Great personal service

Posted 08/16/06