Distinctive GemReviews 172

I'm writing this review while looking at my brand new, absolutely stunning 4ct emerald cut -- which I purchased sight unseen (!) on Jonathan's recommendation.

I could not be happier with this purchase and Jon's thorough analysis and assessment on clarity, color, and cut were right on the money and invaluable in making the decision to purchase this stone. Shopping for fancy shapes is especially difficult, and before starting this process I knew that I only wanted a stone that was up to Jon's very high standards. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge when it comes to evaluating diamonds, and I HIGHLY recommend that all future purchasers take advantage of his expertise. Seriously, you would be crazy not to!

So just in case it wasn't clear, in summary I cannot recommend Jon enough and THANK YOU for my gorgeous, one of a kind forever diamond!

I think like the vinage cushions most of all, especially the idea of creating vintage looking diamonds with the highest tecnical standard possible. What I like especially is the colour range, which include the warmer diamond colors as well. The result is, that it is possible for many people to buy a beautifully cut diamond in a remarkable size in a warmer tone. They are sparkling just as beautiful as the stones from the colourless range. So thank you for your invention of the August Vintage Cushion cut diamond.

I wanted to wait for my stone to be set so I had a photo to go with my review, but I just couldn't wait any longer.

I had THE best experience. Jonathan is my saviour.

I'd been researching and looking for my engagement stone for months. Seven. Painful. Months. There is soo much information out there, and soo many people that just want to sell you their "stuff". They don't care, and they don't want to make the experience enjoyable, or go out of their way.

Johnathan was the complete opposite. I sent him an email in desperation, hoping that this time someone would want to help. And did he ever! I got a personalised video, quick and friendly responses to my many emails and silly questions. And then, to top off the worlds best customer service, THE MOST AMAZING STONE EVER. My August Vintage OEC diamond is simply stunning. I couldn't stop looking at from every angle when it arrived (super quick and efficiently all the way to Australia!).

Thank you. I had given up hope of ever enjoying the purchase of my engagement ring, and you turned that around. I couldn't be happier!

What more can I say about Jonathan the MAGNIFICANT!
Here goes:

Is he kind? YES
Is he professional? YES
Is he funny? YES
Does he provide the best customer service In the entire universe? YES
Does he give the best advice? YES
Does he go WAY above and beyond: YES
Does he love what he does: YES

It has been a true pleasure to go through my wedding set designing process with Jonathan.
He is AMAZINGLY PHENOMINAL.
Tyou my friend
LESA
Ck out my custom ring on the August Vintage Webster. It's called "LESA"

I recently purchased a diamond from Jonathan. The whole experience was great, I had many questions and Jonathan took the time to answer them in detail. I ended up buying a diamond that was very beautiful and also for a good value according to the independent appraiser. Overall I'm very happy with the experience purchasing this diamond from Jonathan. Thanks!

This is the fourth AV stone I've owned (both cushion and european round diamonds) - they're all stunning, but this stone - a 1.767ct AVR - is my holy grail. The transaction was flawless, with Jonathan always going above and beyond to make the customer happy. I received a video on request comparing two stones I was deciding between, which ultimately did help me choose. He sent the stone directly to the ring designer for me, so I didn't even get to see it until about 5-6 weeks later. When I opened that box for the first time I was *blown away*. I'm just awestruck that such beauty exists, and so grateful that I am able to enjoy it every day. Thank you, Jonathan!

I was not prepared for how awesome Jonathan is. I've been staring at those AVCs for a year but I didn't know that the guy behind this spectacular work would be such an absolute pleasure to work and collaborate with. I called on a weekend night (probably about 930 pm ny time) to leave a message. Yes I was very excited to let him know I wanted to work with him. Never expected him to pick up. But he did, from a sushi bar! And heard me out and got the ball rolling all on his own personal time. And I'm so glad he did pick up, because he's such a tremendously kind, down to earth, no nonsense guy who strikes you as helpful and trustworthy from the very first moment. This was a relief. I was in the right place. I spent endless nights hemming and hawing over diamond vs moissy AVCs (which I never before knew existed) and I went w/the moissy's (my gf loves them and she thought it was by far the smarter move). Plus finding/cutting a 3ct diamond avc would have taken quite a while. The 1:1.1 avc cusion will be paired w/2 OEC round 5mm moissy's along side. Jonathan literally pulled 20 different views of megans ring from the internet to be sure we got the beautiful ratios she has just right. Moissy or Diamond, it's an awesome feeling to know your stones are cut by the best on the planet and that it will sparkle in a way that almost no other stones out there do. Sorry Harry Winston, you ain't got stones like these!

From the start August vintage has exceptional quality diamonds and moissanite gemstones to choose from with the finest optical quality out there. They know their stuff. The process of buying a center stone and building the ring went smoothly. Finally when we received the ring it was exactly what we wanted and we couldn't be happier with it overall. We were just blown away with all the sparkle, beauty, and quality! Its magnificent! We just loved our experience with August vintage and we will return for future purchases. Cant thank them enough for making our anniversary ring purchase a wonderful experience! We are extremely happy! 5 stars, we would do 10 stars but it's not available to choose lol :)

Jonathan will help you find whatever it is you are looking for and without feeling rushed to complete a sale. For me Jonathan picked out three different ovals within my parameters and made an individual video as well as pictures online to compare them.

He was then patient enough to allow for multiple back and forth in regards to a custom ring without anything but enthusiasm for the process. Through skype and emails over a few weeks we finally nailed down the design. All I can say is she loved everything about it and without Jonathan's help none of this would have been possible.

I can not say enough about Jonathan in regards to his professionalism and knowledge he provided whenever I had questions. Would recommend him to anyone looking for a unique and personal experience to helping you find exactly what you are looking for!

Thanks again Jonathan!

Let me start by saying Jonathan's knowledge of diamonds is undeniably one of the best in the business. I've watched videos and read articles by him, and they really are insightful. The Opulence Oval is absolutely gorgeous!

That being said, my issue is that Jonathan wasn't upfront with the costs. Yes, his website says that you pay for shipping on returns, but when he explicitly says "I could provide you with return shipping label at my cost" then deducts all the shipping costs from the refund, it definitely affected my experience working with him. I understand as he lost some money on shipping and spent a lot of his personal time helping me. However, I was out ~$200 from "shipping and transportation costs" because I did not purchase a diamond from him.

In the end, I would recommend his diamonds and service, but only if you know for sure what to buy. If you are unsure about a diamond, there are many other retailers out there that ship you the loose stone and do returns for free.

TLDR: My fiance loves her ring and seeing her face is priceless every time I catch her gazing at it in different lighting conditions.

Full Review:
I had done a good deal of research, almost a year (learning the 4Cs, understanding costs, budgeting, etc) before reaching out to Jonathan. I went with a custom cut AVC diamond because, at the time, there just was not a rock available at my desired spec level. The process was straight forward and Jonathan kept open communication along every step of the way.

For the setting, I drew the initial design on a piece of paper and emailed it to Jonathan. He was able to take that drawing and realize it into CAD. After a couple of back and forth emails with some CAD tweaks, we came to a design that had all the elements in my original sketch.

Once the diamond got certified, everything got put together and shipped overnight and was fully insured.

When I received the courier package and opened the box, I was so happy how everything turned out. The AVC needs no additional rave review. If you have seen one in video or in person, there is no denying you have one of the best performing diamonds you can buy. The setting was very high quality and looked better in person than on the CAD simulation.

The whole experience was great! Jonathan is a professional and his passion for customer service, bundled with his knowledge and experience in the business made everything that much more worthwhile.