Ben Bridge Jeweler

My boyfriend and I came into this Ben Bridge location this weekend to look for a promise ring. We started out by looking at the morganite rings, which they did not have a large selection. The woman helping us asked what we were looking for and I said a promise ring that was simple, not too gaudy, and that potentially had a morganite stone. She said most of their morganite pieces were larger and more of a statement piece. She then showed me a ring she was wearing that I said was absolutely gorgeous and I loved the setting. She then scoffed at us with the comment «well that’s actually a diamond» as if we had no clue what we were looking at and as if we couldn’t afford a diamond. I have worked in fine jewelry and know what I’m looking at and really did not appreciate being talked to as if I was some poor person. In working in that industry you need to learn to not judge a book by it’s cover and just because we are a young couple does not mean we can’t afford certain pieces. Moving forward I definitely question going into a Ben Bridge and definitely don’t want to be talked down to as I’m trying to purchase an important piece.

I first visited Ben Bridge because I needed a Tag Heuer dealer to change my watch battery. $ 25 – 30 seemed high for a battery, but it has to be done a certain way to maintain the waterproof status (or water resistant — I was surprised that they don’t actually guarantee that it will be waterproof). It needs a battery every 18 – 24 months, so I hadn’t been there in a while, but I popped in to ask about custom designing an anniversary ring. The gentlemen I spoke to were very pleasant, but unfortunately I never heard back with a quote. I expected the quote within a few days, then I emailed, and finally, weeks later, got a brief reply asking me to come in again. I emailed back and said I had taken my business elsewhere because of their poor communication. I know I found a much better value anyway — so if you’re looking for a jeweler, I would not recommend Ben Bridge. Go to Redmond Diamond Center — their service was better by far (light years ahead!) — and I came away with a stunning ring without paying for the overhead of a mall location. And by the way, I never even received an apology from Ben Bridge — so I’ll be finding somewhere else for my measly watch battery business too.

My fiancé and I came here over the weekend to look for his wedding band. Karen Lee was the rep who helped us. She was amazing. She took the time to get to know our likes and dislikes. She really strive to get something we both loved. There was a nice selection, however, my fiancé wanted to hold off on it for now.
Some how in the mist of this, i looked for a wedding band for myself: P Granted i tried on about 6 bands. Karen was great because she did not stop looking for what i wanted in a ring until i said i absolutely loved it. AND THE LAST ONE DID IT FOR ME! It was in our price range, it was exactly what i wanted, ii complimented my engagement ring, (sigh) I just love it!
All in all, if you come here, ask for Karen Lee because she was amazing!!!

I’m a fan of Ben Bridge Jewelers on many levels. First off, selection… better than average. Their prices may be more expensive than average mall Jewelers but you’re paying for quality here!
Secondly: service! They are helpful and very responsive. My wife and I have had our items worked on here and they are fast and reasonably priced. If you buy your rings there come in for complimentary cleaning. Make it a regular thing! They check out your ring, see if anything is loose then clean it.
Thirdly, convenience. They are in most malls so you can stop in if you’re traveling.
Ask for Lana. She is very knowledgeable and great to work with!

Bought my first Rolex at this location. Prior to taking the «plunge», I did some EXTENSIVE research of the model I was looking at. I wanted to see if whether or not the staff would try to B.S. or mislead me. Kelli G. was my salesperson and she answered ALL of my questions honestly (and there were many) and treated me with the utmost respect and dignity even way before I committed to the purchase. I would definitely shop here again. Thank you again Kelli.

I will never patronize this establishment again. Back in May, I got engaged and we picked out a ring at Ben Bridge. Unfortunately, it did not work out but I got to keep the ring. Looking to sale it, I took it in to Ben Bridge and explained my situation. How my ex was still paying it off, I would be keeping it, and that I wanted to get rid of it. They gladly offered to send it off to a third party they contracted through to see if they would be interested in it. The offer was not high enough so I wanted it back. I get a call a week later from the manager saying that they were not able to release it to me because the ring was in my ex’s name… Even though I signed the paperwork to send it in and was in possession of the ring. Horrible business ethics!

My fiancé and I both got our rings here. Can’t say enough good things about Zach. He is very helpful, genuine and friendly. We never felt pressured to buy, or that he was guiding us a certain way based upon what we were saying. We put the first ring on layaway and paid it off before we picked it up, the next ring was put on a payment plan, so they have lots of options if you can’t afford a ring right away. Not to mention the payment plan has no interest for a year. There is a great selection of rings no matter what your price range, and if you can work with Zach even better!

Have purchased many items over the last 27 years of marriage from Ben Bridge and many items, in general, from this store. After this last experience — we are done with Ben Bridge.
Raymond Weil watch purchased in 2005 for $ 2500K+. Watch never kept time, really, from the beginning but it was serviceable.
Have been back here 2x in the past month to get watch «fixed» because was told the first time that it needed a complete overhaul — which was supposedly done. BUT the watch still doesn’t work or keep time.
Watchmaker is mostly either on vacation or otherwise gone. They had my watch for a MONTH this last time and I am still waiting now.
Customer Service of store employees is truly atrocious and poor. The first time we took my watch in there to have it fixed, the guy was so arrogant and aloof my husband was distraught over it.
Note to self, however, on expensive watches: Why bother? Buy a Timex, or 2 or 3 and they will run for years and you can change them however you like.
Their billing system and client account system is old and antiquated. People don’t take the time to write stuff down properly, know your name correctly, etc.
Once I get my watch back — which had better not cost me a thing and the watch had better run — I will never be going to any Ben Bridge store again.

We have been to a lot of jewelers (and some antique stores) looking for the right engagement ring. Every sales person at all the jewelers were polite and professional. But Kelli at Ben Bridge was the first sales person that you can tell is actually enjoying her job. She was more engaging and fun to work with than anyone else at the other stores. She asked and noticed things that no one at other jewelers thought to ask. She even noticed and asked about the rings we had on already (promise rings) and was the only person to offer to look at evaluate the family heirloom diamond we were hoping to use in a new setting.
You are a pleasure to work with Kelli!

I have purchased many items from this store. Rolex. Mikimoto pearls. Baum et merciere watch. Diamond bracelet. Gold necklace. And much more. Prices are not the best by any means but in many cases I justify it because design adds value. Here is the reason for the low stars. One of the watches broke and needed a $ 500 repair. Ben bridge charged me $ 50 for the postage to send it to the factory. When it finally came back, they forgot to call that it was done. Mind you, this watch was $ 1200 cheaper on
. you would think they would try a little harder than whacking me for the postage on a watch they sold with that kind of price disadvantage.
Brian

Review for watch band replacement by Ken.
Thorough, quick and great job swapping out my watch band.
The place was packed when we went in but we still received attentive service.
Also, it was very nice of them to not charge me the service fee!

I recently got engaged this past summer & was presented with a gorgeous halo diamond ring! Many months later I asked my fiancée if he had bought an engagement set, that came with the wedding band. He had no idea whatsoever he was suppose to, etc and rest assured me that I can pick out a ring and he would get it.
What I thought was a simple task was a daunting one, because there were so many bands to choose from. I visited the Shane Co. They were nice and all, but something about that place felt cheesy. I was not impressed as none of the rings stood out to me at all. The selection of wedding bands were limited and lacked characteristics.
I came to Ben Bridge after someone recommended Richard, a personal jeweler that has worked there many years. Richard was more than kind, and very patient in letting me try on several rings. The selections were enormous, from their own Ben Bridge line, to many other wedding and engagement jewelry lines like Scott Kay, Art Carved, and Forever Mark.
I originally wanted to get a matching ring with my halo setting, something like an eternity band with prong set diamonds either all around, or ½ or ¾ all around. Richard, however had the eye for something much more creative and original. He had me try on a beautiful contour band with pave set diamonds. It was very antique yet timeless looking, and had intricate filigree details. I was surprised that it complimented by engagement ring so perfectly, and even enhanced the center diamond to even more sparkles! The contour band even secured my halo from moving back and forth on my finger, so that was an added bonus. To top it off, it was priced so well, my fiancée would be happy to hear!
Overall, I was impressed by Richard, his high level customer service as well as all the other staff members there. There is never pressure to buy and the gentle approach is much appreciated. The rings and other jewelry here are absolutely beautiful. Even though Ben Bridge is a mall chain, it means better access for all to quality, fine jewelry compared to other jewelry chains.

After six years of getting up the nerve to switch out my wedding band, I was absolutely thrilled to work with Ben Bridge in getting what I love. When I say «working» I mean multiple conversations around choices, weeks of mulling over my choices. I am extremely particular and was approaching this purchase as one that is a final one — no more switching out wedding bands. All conversations were fun, informative, paced, I did not feel pressured in any way and I can honestly say the entire experience was ENJOYABLE. I was consulted by Regina, who gave me excellent, solid advice. Her customer service is incredible and she is a true professional. She provided details around things to consider that I would never have thought of and her number # priority was to ensure I was thrilled with my experience at her business and my final selection. This advice did not increase the overall cost of my ring at all — instead, decreased it if anything, which indicates to me her primary interest is me and wanting me to be happy with my choice for and building a trusted and ongoing relationship with her business for the long term. I also have to say that there were a few times I came in when Regina was not there and although I was her customer, the other staff at Ben Bridge were happy to spend time helping me. They treated me with the same care and attention to detail as if I were their own customer — in my observation, this indicates excellent teamwork within the staff. Thank you all for the great service — much appreciated and I’ll definitely be back!!!

«Big girls need big diamonds» –Elizabeth Taylor
I think the most shallow thing (or maybe its a guilty pleasure?) about me is that I love diamonds. I know it makes me sound like a bitch, but some really do take my breath away. Sure they are just made of ordinary, everyday carbon– but the way in which that carbon is transformed into a stunning diamond is anything but ordinary.
I highly suggest starting here, even if you don’t go through with a purchase you will walk out much more knowledgeable about diamonds and with a better idea of what you want. From there you may want to visit Cartier (hint hint ALEX!), a reputable online dealer or Kays. No matter where, make sure to make this a mandatory stop. And if you want 5 star service, speak with Bryan Ellis. That man is a gem himself, very nice.
Last year my boyfriend gave me a beautiful 1 carat solitaire ring that is perfect, I try to take it to Ben Bridge as much as possible to be cleaned and inspected since we plan on upgrading soon. Since he bought it with them, they have an exchange program where you exchange your diamond (or any other jewelry) and use the original full amount price towards another ring. So naturally, I like to look at all the rings when we stop by. Even though they know we aren’t buying that day, they always take their time to show me everything without rushing us.
Also, they don’t have the best selection, but when you are dropping money like this its impossible to carry everything. They are happy to find exactly what you want, just ask.

Terrible customer service! Went in to buy a screw on back for my diamond earring on Oct 20, 12 and the sales person asked if i would like any jewelry cleaned, of course i let her clean my wedding ring. When she brought it back all shiny she said that their jeweler looked at it and said my setting was worn badly and i was in danger of losing my diamond. I now realize she was lying because they don’t have a jeweler onsite and this was a sales tactic to get me to have work done.
I was assured it would be done in one week. They called in one week and told me my ring was ready for pickup. I picked it up it seemed good. But i noticed it was catching on everything i touched and snagging on hand towels my clothing, everything! After closer inspection i noticed the setting was sitting higher on one side. I took it back! The sales lady i talked to agreed and they said they would fix it. A week later they call me and say its ready to pick up. When i get where it looks exactly the same! No change. So they agreed with me and send it back again! Thats when they admitted it was being sent out to be done. In a week no call so i called them. They cant find my ring they will call me back they don’t so i call them they tell me they have a call in to the jeweler, finally a week later they admit they have my ring and it is ready for pick up but when i went to pick ip it looks the same they basically told me it looks good to them and thats that! I didn’t want to leave my ring with these clowns again! Horrible customer service and very unprofessional i will take my ring elsewhere after giving them $ 160.00 to make a mess of my ring! Don’t trust this location! Btw it is dec 11,12 the day i got it back, two months of their BS!

I really like this Ben Bridge location. Right now they are under a remodel so they should be getting brand new display cases soon and a nice new look.
Three years ago I purchased my wife’s wedding ring here and I was really impressed with the selection they had, but now there is even more beautiful rings and other jewelry to look at and choose from. I know my wife frequents this place quite a bit to get her ring cleaned and checked out, plus she likes to find rings to give me ideas for an anniversary or a bday gifts.
The staff here is fantastic and very knowledgeable about the jewelry they have. Yesterday was a great example of how wonderful their staff is. My wife and I came in to look at anniversary rings that can be added on to her wedding ring and to get our rings cleaned. The manager, who’s name a cannot remember for the life of me, helped us out. She was incredible, showing us many different rings and explaining different things about them. She showed us the ring that best matches my wife’s, so when it comes time to buy it I will be purchasing it from the manager. It’s people like her that keep my wife and I coming back.

The selection here was good. I really loved being able to see Alexandrite, Tsavorite, and a few other more rare gems. The man who was showing me and my now fiancée around was very nice and helpful. It was obvious he liked his job and enjoyed showing people their jewelry. I didn’t experience any pressure to buy from him at all.
That being said, Ben Bridge is still a mall jeweler, and their prices are inflated to match that. Good place to look to see what gem stones you like, but you can get much cheaper.

First I have to say I buy my diamonds online. I’ve spent years reading up on the importance of well-​cut ideal AGS and other reputable lab-​graded stones, so whenever I step into a B&M, I am armed and ready to listen to the sales nonsence presented to me. The great thing about this Ben Bridge is the sales associates ARE aware that cut is more important than clarity/​color and won’t try to trick me in going down in grading so they can make a sale.
They’ve complimented me on my ideal cut AGS diamonds rather than put them down as Jared’s did, so I give them credit for that. The downside to this retailer is they’re expensive. They cannot even closely match the prices I have found online. Also, when shopping online, I can get more information from vendors AND I am not tricked by the jewelry store lighting which can make the worst of any diamond look like a work of art.
The employees always clean my jewelry even though I haven’t purchased there and it’s fun to look while waiting, but I wouldn’t buy from them unless I was buying an inexpensive fashion piece.

A Picky Engagement Ring Buyer’s Review:
Ben Bridge
Mr. Bridge must be loaded, because he has a crap-​load of mall stores with a variety of jewelry.
Customer Service (CS) = Not Impressed
* I did peruse a few diamonds here, and CS did put on the sales heat once I started to refuse them.
* The staff were pretty casual, and probably due to dealing with the mall «lookie lous», didn’t fully engage me as a «highly respected customer» like other (non-​mall) stores did.
* Inconsistent service. One CS agent wanted to charge for mounting? I came back a few months later, another CS agent didn’t want to charge…
Diamond Selection & Price = Poor Variety and Poor Sticker Price
* CS was not able to order any diamonds to the quality specs that I wanted.
* Custom ring creation (outsourced) is available.
* The «sticker prices», according to my comparisons, were high but not outrageous.
* Yes, there is a «sticker price» just like when buying a new car.
* With all engagement ring stores there is room for negotiation.
BTW: A gemologist told me that jewelry stores at popular mall locations will have a significant markup because of leasing costs. He’s right.
Local Competition = Too Many
* I have spent a lot of $$ on gas to drive to different stores, and over a dozen hours inside them.
Here’s how EE Robbins ranked on my list during my diamond hunt:
#1: Nique Design: Bellevue: Extremely competitive prices and fantastic CS
#2: J. Rankin: Edmunds: Fantastic CS
#3: EE Robbins: Bellevue: Best in store selection and wonderful CS
#4: Blue Nile: Online: Great prices, coupons available, but no warranty or up-​close-​inspection before buying
#5: Tiffany: Seattle: Reputation of high quality, but ridiculous brand name price markup
#6: Shane Co.: Lynnwood: Poor diamond selection, «no commission sales» still felt like there is commission
#7: Ben Bridge: Alderwood Mall: Poor diamond selection, poor prices
#8: Justin Jewelers: Bellevue: CAD previews for custom work, but asked $$$ deposit before diamond browsing
#9: Zales: Alderwood Mall: Very poor diamond selection, very poor prices, not even a smile from CS
… I’d rather stab myself with a pickle than go through all that again.
I highly recommend calling a local gemologist/​appraiser for advice after you’ve done some research and diamond browsing on your own.

Every time I am at this jeweler they are friendly and it is obvious they care.