Halloween

If I could give this store negative stars I ABSOLUTELY WOULD!!! There really are not enough words to explain my dissatisfaction with Halloween, most notably Henri David. Do not get me wrong, some of the pieces in his store are beautiful, but I must assume that those are not any of his custom creations. I am assuming as much since I am the former owner of a custom piece by Henri David. Let me clarify what I mean by ""former"", my engagement ring and wedding band are currently being completely remade at a new jeweler. I'll start from the beginning... When my now husband began shopping for a ring he asked his friend in Philadelphia for his advice, he had nothing but good things to say about Halloween. Though we are from South Jersey, he decided to have my ring custom made by them anyway. The first problem that we encountered was that my ring was way too big, my husband wanted to keep it a secret and decided to guess my size. So I wore my engagement ring on a necklace for 3 weeks until we could get up to Philadelphia to get it resized; you see Halloween is only open a few hours a day a few days a week. These hours are not conducive to people who work 9-5 and have to travel an hour and fight traffic to get there. My ring ended up needing to be resized from a 6.5 to a 3.75, and when I got it back, the craftsman ship literally went from an A to an F!! My ring has a princess cut center stone so the setting had very clean edges, when I got it back after sizing 2 of the edges were still clean and the other two were so sloppy and half-assed it was embarrassing. Plus there was a mysterious black mark on the setting and the band itself was crooked. But since it was so hard to get up there at all we figured it would just be easier to wait until we went to get our wedding bands to have them correct it. My engagement ring was designed so that the wedding band slides in between and underneath the center stone, so when we picked out wedding bands I needed to leave my engagement ring with them. But they said they would correct the problems and dip the ring so I didn't mind. It took almost 2 weeks for them to make the ring and another 2 weeks for us to get back to Philadelphia to pick up the ring. My husband left work early and we drove up only to find that they closed the store early - without any notice. That is also a big problem I have with the store; they come and go as they please without any regard for their customers, not a good way to do business. So with 8 days to go until our wedding I had no wedding band, or engagement ring. Luckily the following day I had an appointment to pick up my wedding dress in Haddonfield, so my mother and I hoped that Halloween employees felt like coming to work that day and I could get my ring. When we arrived the following day to pick up my ring, the famed Henri David himself was there. With a week until my wedding I was so excited to have my rings and for the whole ordeal to be over. When they brought me my rings, I noticed that instead of correcting the errors in my engagement ring they just tried to cover them up (pathetic). When I put my wedding band on, it didn't fit - I was devastated! When I asked them to measure the rings for me, my engagement rings still measured a 3.75, while my new wedding band measured a 3.5. I still cannot understand why the rings were different sizes, but my only conclusion is that Henri David does not care enough to take the time and exert the effort custom jewelry requires. He said he would resize the ring and one of my bridesmaids could pick it up two days before the wedding. When I finally got my ring the day before the wedding, it still did not fit. Hence me taking it to a new jeweler. This has been the most exhausting, aggravating, infuriating ordeal of my whole life. I feel sorry for anyone who decides to order custom work from Henri David, you've been warned. more

I brought a family heirlom of great sentimental value to Henry to have him design a bracelet. He worked attentively with me on it and really ""got"" the concept I was going for. He was very fair and honest in his pricing, even asking me to bring in any spare gold which then reduced the price considerably. A lot of jewelers would not volunteer this but would charge as much as they could. The final results were stunning. I could tell he was very proud and had put a lot of care into the project. This is not your run-of-the-mill jewelry store. Go elsewhere for cookie-cutter jewelry shopping. Pros: Attentive service, superior artistic eye. more

We had a completely different experience than some of the reviewers on this site; ours was quite good. Our weddings rings were custom made in a short period of time. One needed a small adjustment to the size, which was done promptly. For my ring, I had wanted a small stone inset into the band in place of an engagement ring (which I consider kind of ostentatious), so I asked for a 'non-conflict diamond.' Instead of just agreeing with me, the owner informed me there's no such thing as a 'non-conflict diamond,' and any claims to the contrary are too hard to substantiate. So, he steered me toward a white sapphire at a much lower cost, and informed me of the mining process for sapphires, which sit much closer to the surface of the earth and are mined by high-pressure water, and thus are not back-breaking pick axe labor like mining diamonds. We love our rings and the service we received. Pros: Custom made, unique, personal service more

I am truly shocked to find good reviews regarding custom jewelry on here considering the experience I had. I had a ring made for my wedding and it is a complete mess. I actually took it to another jeweler after I got over my extreme disappointment and disgust. Pros: Unique pre-made, antique jewelry selection Cons: Hard to find, poor craftsmanship more

I went to Henri to get my engagement ring. He walked my husband and I through the whole process, which took about 2 months. I had him combine several of his designs into a custom ring for me and I was blown away by the final product. I love my ring, and get complements on it all the time. I would recommend him to anyone without hesitation. Pros: Personal attention and beautiful jewelry Cons: A little difficult to find but once you're there- no cons more

When it came to getting an engagement ring, my husband took me to some of the chain-type stores because he wanted to see what I liked. (I didn't like anything). Finally he took me to Halloween, and we both fell in love! He went back and bought the ring, & when it came time for wedding bands, we went back to design matching bands that would fit with the engagement ring. I get multiple compliments, DAILY, on my rings! more

For 6 years now I have been using Henri as my Jeweler... He has been the master mind behind all my pieces, which have all been custom made. He shows interest in his work, and tells you what will work for you, or not, what is the best investment (when buying stones) and even when to hold off for better ones to come along. When my partner and I decided to get married, I admit I cheated and first went to all the big jewel houses, Tiffany's, Cartier, Bailey Banks & Biddle just to come running back and have Henri do our bands. In less that 10 minutes we were out of the store with our design and work on its way (we had spent HOURS in all the other places with no satisfactory results). People comment on the rings I wear, EVERY SINGLE DAY and that is why one buys jewelry at Henri's Halloween. :-) Pros: Great service and prices Cons: for those that drive, parking can be tricky... more

My custom ring was very poorly designed and shoddy. The first time it was way too big (4-5 sizes), and the owner didn't even apologize for the mistake. The second time around the ring was too small, but was told that's how the ring should fit. I haven't worn the ring, and I took it to another jeweler to fix it from scratch. Pros: unique item Cons: poor service; poor quality custom jewelry more

Despite their overall good review, I would be very wary of ordering any custom jewelry from then if you need it within a specific time period. I ordered custom earrings for an event and was told it would take only a few weeks. Several weeks later, and 1-2 weeks before the event I called to inquire if they were ready only to be greeted by an answering machine recording announcing they were on vacation until well after the event. When I went back later to pick up the earrings they made no effort to apologize or compensate for their poor customer service. I would be VERY careful about depending on them for timely work. more

We had my engagement ring designed by Henri David. He was very patient with us and produced a beautiful and original ring that is very detailed and has a handmade feel. Its gorgeous. more

I wish I had heeded the negative reviews on Citysearch before attempting to have a piece of custom jewellery made at Halloween. My experience is almost identical to the others who rated their experience as poor. My ring came back not once, not twice, but three times an amateur, shoddy mess. The level of craftsmanship was what one might expect to find in a beginner jewellery-making class. The proprietors were eager to try and make things right, but after three times, I gave up. It's really disappointing, given the rave reviews they had received in the past and their reputation for creating nice pieces. Makes me wonder what must have changed recently... Pros: Great selection of existing jewellery Cons: Poor craftsmanship on custom pieces more

I had high hopes for Halloween when I visited the store in search of wedding bands for myself and my wife. Unfortunately, the store failed to live up to expectations and the quality of the rings that we received was completely sub-standard. My wife's bands arrived two days before our wedding with a diamond missing and clear signs of shoddy craftsmanship (i.e., the ring looked like it had been stretched and soldered together and there were blemishes and discoloring on the band). more

I was looking for a place to get a unique wedding band and Halloween was recommended by several of my co-workers. The store itself is a wonderful experience...tucked away and not very obvious from the street and the inside of it is a visual delight! However the ring that was designed for me came out looking like it was designed by an inexperienced jewelry designer. It was partly my mistake for approving a shoddy design in the first place with the prototype that was shown to me however I thought it was just that, a prototype. Had I known that they were going to use the exact wax model as the mold for the finished design without smoothing it out better and ""finishing"" it, I never would have approved. There were very obvious flaws, very poor construction and sloppy finishing in the fine details, as if parts of the ring had either fallen or melted and they were soldered back in place. I paid for the ring but had another ring designed elsewhere to use as my wedding band instead. Pros: Very unique selections and ambiance Cons: Tough to find if you don't know what you are looking for, parking is not great more

Entering the store was an experience in and of itself. With wide eyed amazement, if you are looking for unique jewelry or to create one you are in the right place. Nice, fun, enjoyable employees and Henry just knows how to translate your interests. Just let him go, you will enjoy . And you WILL return Pros: No hype, individual attention Cons: none at all more

Henri David is fabulous!!! We went in for wedding rings and found so much more. He delivered exactly what we wanted. I will go nowhere else for jewelry. Halloween is a unique, must see shop in Center City. If you're looking for that special gift....look no further. Pros: Great jewelry designs, great service - all around the best shop I've been to Cons: Limited hours which make it hard if you have to drive 2 hours, like we do more

My husband and I ordered our wedding rings just two weeks before the wedding and they were handmade and finished in time. We absolutely love them! Their selection of rings is unlike anything else around. The service was wonderful. Henry is amazing! I will always recommend Halloween. Cons: Parking can be challenging! more

I was becoming flustered when trying to satisfy the whims of my future fiancee who wanted a simple change to a ring setting. Upon getting a recommendation from a friend of a friend, I found my way to a hidden gem in Philadelphia -- Halloween. Apart from the incredible variety, I was overwhlemed, impressed and utterly pleased with the incredible service. In a day and age where good service is an anomaly, Halloween has an overabundance of friendly people who are more than willing to help, and make the jewelry shopping experience a delight. Pros: Quality Merchandise, Great Service, Great Prices more

Halloween is the only place in Philly to buy your jewelry!!! It is where we bought our wedding rings and I always buy personal gifts for others there.... H.David thinks of every aspect including the packaging..... and there is no pretensiousness in this jewelry store.... and best of all he'll custom make pieces to try and fit your budget.... Halloween is the best!!!! more

If there is only one jewelry store that you frequent....make it Halloween. From the minute you walk in, you will know you are someplace special. I always start my visit by going up the fabulous staircase to the little walkway above which features lots of small glass-fronted cases filled with unique jewelry, I always find great silver rings. Many items are thoughtfully grouped together by genre (ie: dragons, celestial, etc.) Downstairs, don't miss the heart-shaped display case. Consider investing in a custom piece made just for you by Henri....you will be forever hopelessly enchanted!!! Pros: FABULOUS!, Worth every penny more

My wife and I drove down from NYC to Philadelphia for the weekend. One of the delightful surprises was this hidden treasure in an unassuming building on Pine Street. Mr. David, an incredible creation... I'll be back! more