So I was first going to go with a wholesaler - I was told by a couple buddies that the prices were cheaper since you cut out the middle-man. But when the store didn't return my emails at first and I couldn't find them on yelp, I checked out the #1 yelp rated store (I was skeptical at the rating) - dimend SCASSI - and I could not have gotten a luckier break.
I was not living in Chicago at the time, so Shannon and I emailed back and forth for about 2 weeks which included close to 50 emails. She was/is amazingly responsive, detailed, and really has the goal of finding the ring that is right for you. Plus she knows what she's talking about. I thought I had done a lot of research, but my education really started with Shannon.
I traveled back to Chicago to pick out the ring, and meet with Shannon in-person. We spent an hour and a half finding the perfect stone and setting - even though we had narrowed it down considerably through email. The incredible customer service continued in person.
And the prices - we came in right on budget, within the range Shannon and I had originally discussed. They say with shops vs. wholesalers that you pay for the customer service of the shop. With Shannon it would have been more than worth any difference in cost, but I even found out that dimend SCASSI was less expensive than the wholesaler anyways.
It was a terrific experience with Shannon at dimend SCASSI. Perfect in fact, which is exactly what you want for such a huge point in your life.
Pros: Customer Services, Prices
Cons: None!
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