Marchi

It was such a pleasure to work with John to make an engagement ring for my now fiancé. I already had a diamond (family heirloom), so I was just looking for a setting. I had initially started my ring search at one of the larger chains (through a family recommendation), but then relocated to Jeweler’s Row. I was very unfamiliar with the jewelers in that area, so I turned to Unilocal for guidance and in doing so, found John’s shop through all of the incredible reviews he had received.
The first time I walked into his shop, he was helping another couple design a custom setting. He gave me his card and asked me to return, but encouraged me to check out other shops in the area, which was surprisingly honest of him. He was so awesome to work with. I already had a pretty good idea of what my fiancé wanted, and John helped bring it to reality. He never tried to push me one way or another, gave me plenty of time to come to a decision (3 visits before I gave him a deposit), and was just so nice and helpful (and knowledgeable) the entire time.
The ring itself was beautiful, and exactly what my fiancé wanted. Also, it was incredibly affordable. It was a little too big (apparently I had the wrong ring size), but a week after I proposed, my fiancé brought it to John and he resized it the same day. It now fits perfectly.
Overall, an amazing experience and we will definitely be back for our wedding bands. I would recommend John to anyone.

I also found Marchi through the amazing reviews it received on Unilocal.Since coming to Marchi for two different pieces of jewelry I now know that John is not just a jeweler — he is an artist. The first time I had a vague idea of what I wanted the engagement ring to look like and he turned it into an incredibly beautiful reality. He is also a very nice guy and was very patient throughout the process. I strongly recommend Marchi to everyone.

My best friend and I went to Marchi after reading these stellar reviews on Unilocal– even though we were in to just chat and find our own respective styles and what looked good, John was SO attentive and helpful. He gave us so much information about various stones and settings, and shared really solid advice about finding a special and unique ring.
John was eager to show us his various designs, and let us try on the stock he had in. He answered several questions about cost and time and quality, and attended to my friend’s and my very different styles. I would send my partner here in a heartbeat (and I have John’s card, so when the time comes, I will!) Overall, such a pleasant shopping experience, and I’m excited to share this place with anyone in the market for rings and gorgeous jewelry.

John is a true artist who strives to surpass all expectations. Since my family and I discovered Johns work, we never looked anywhere else for jewelry for all occasions. He is extremely articulate and very fair with pricing. Pictured here are my wedding band, one year anniversary Onyx ring, and my exquisite engagement ring.
When you walk in his tasteful and comfortable shop, you’re greeted with a warm smile and easy conversation– the music is good too. Johns expertise and versatility go unmatched and the proof is in the product.
Thanks John!

I used to work near jeweler’s row and despite the big, blingy stores in the area, this one caught my eye. It’s smaller but had just what I was looking for. So when my now fiancé and I were getting engaged we came here and met John, the owner. He’s honest, helpful, knowledgeable, and if he doesn’t have it, he can make it/​have it made.
Apparently, he is flexible on terms and can turn an order around quickly, says my fiancé.
I LOVE my engagement ring. John will clean it any time I come by, and he does so with a smile.
I highly recommend him if you’re into more unique pieces, or aren’t certain about the prices of buying an engagement ring — he’ll make you comfortable, and make the person you’re buying for happy.

I’m not sure what more can or needs to be said about Marchi. He is, hands down, the best jeweler I’ve had the pleasure of working with (and in full disclosure, I don’t usually like them).
I went to two other places on Jeweler’s row before meeting Marchi. Both places were merchants. Once they heard I had bought a diamond already and was looking for a setting, the tone/​level of interest changed and it turned into trying to get me to pick a setting that’s the least amount of work for them.
Marchi was completely different. First, he chatted with me about diamonds and rings for 30 – 40 mins without even trying to sell me anything. I was trying to design an engagement ring for an artist, and being a non-​artist (understatement of the year) myself, I knew a typical setting wouldn’t do it. When I explained to John that I wanted pave, filigree, twisting bands, and rubies, all in the same ring in a non-​tacky way, he was happy and actually excited to take on the challenge.
After several back & forths on sketches that he made from scratch, we created a truly unique engagement ring. Cliché as it may sound, it is spot on perfect. My wife still gets compliments on well after our wedding. Her friends and (even more so) my friends are shocked at how creative and unique and beautiful it is. Being a non-​swagger jacker, I always tell them about Marchi :).
We got our bands there as well. I was and am thoroughly impressed by John’s level of customer engagement, listening to his customers, and «selling» style, if you can call it that. He just gets it, period.
Thank you, John!

I went in to get my grandfathers ring resized, ended up only spending 5 bucks for a quick attachment and now the ring fits pretty well, I wonder if he smokes though, smelled a bit like herbs

I love that John is «my jeweler.» It’s terrific to have a person/​shop I know I can trust and who is so down-​to-​earth, helpful, knowledgeable about stones and metals, and has some truly creative designs. I’ll definitely bring my friends and family to Marchi!
After doing a fair amount of research on jewelers on Jeweler’s Row, I made an appointment at Marchi. My then boyfriend came with a strict budget and I wandered away to look at his cases as they discreetly discussed. John asked what I was looking for and then brought me a variety of options, sticking with boyfriend’s budget: he even called another jeweler he knew would have the stone that is now my engagement ring! At every step of the way he made my boyfriend comfortable (always important!) and let me know pros and cons of each decision (we discussed sapphires and other non-​diamond options) without pushing me toward or away from any of them. I didn’t get the engagement ring till months later, but it’s exactly what I wanted!
We returned for my wedding ring, which John tweaked three times till it was perfect. And later my then fiancé returned for his wedding band.
I ventured back to Jewelers Row to have pearl earrings made to match a borrowed necklace and brought my mother by Marchi jut to say «hi,» ’cause I hadn’t seen pearl work at Marchi and it turned out that he could (and did) craft pearl earrings exactly what I wanted for far cheaper than the other jewelers we had stopped in with beforehand.
Ps. He also had my engagement ring polished to perfection before my wedding free of charge and asked me to stop by from time-​to-​time to steam clean my rings. Looking forward to those visits!

My husband and I had such a great experience with John. I don’t think we will ever go anywhere else. We were looking for a non-​traditional engagement ring, and made the rounds in Jewelers Row asking about black diamonds and sapphires. I felt like I was dealing with salesmen rather than jewelers pretty much everywhere else. At Marchi, John took the time to not just show us rings, but to teach us about stones. He helped us design the perfect ring, and he never tried to push something else or something more expensive. I could not be happier with my rings (engagement and band), and I can’t wait to have an excuse to go back! Bonus– John had my engagement ring polished a couple of days before our wedding free of charge!

I wanted to review this place when I bought my engagement ring back in february. John is absolutely a gem to work with. John basically brought my envisioned ring into reality. I cross shopped close to 30 retailers (online and B&M), and about 50 different diamonds. Armed with an enormus spreadsheet weighing dollar/​carat, cut, clarity, settings etc and after seeing a buttload of diamonds, believe it or not, his diamond was the top 3 best, and I picked the very first one he had shown me. John delieverd the ring on time as promised and it fit perfectly. I’d recommend him without skipping a beat.

I had some old jewelry given to me by my Mom in anticipation of my April 2015 wedding and after reading Marchi’s reviews decided this would be the best place. I’ve walked by his store a hundred times and loved the jewelry in the window! He re-​set my engagement ring so that it would fit the band I wanted and did my wedding band in white gold. He also took emeralds from my Mom’s ring and made them into stunning earrings that I plan to give her as a gift! John was so easy to work with and we were able to work out a trade so that I didn’t have to pay him anything and the rings are PERFECT!!! The only problem is that I have to wait to wear it!

There is nothing I can say here that hasn’t already been said. He is the best jeweler around, and you can see the pictures I posted as proof of his beautiful custom work.
He didn’t «sell» me a diamond, but help me pick out the perfect diamond and setting for my price range without being pushy. I visited a few other jewelers on diamond row and immediately realized that I was wasting my time with them.
Thanks again John and hope to see you soon for the wedding bands!

John is great — no need to keep searching.
I strolled into Marchi after searching Unilocal for a reputable jeweler. Long story short, the reviews are to be believed. John spent a great deal of time with me (I knew nothing about buying an engagement ring) and explained the ins and outs. We came up with a few designs and I was ready to buy, but went home to think things over.
Fortunately for me, I stumbled upon an heirloom I couldn’t pass up. Of course, this isn’t good for John’s bottom line. I ended up using John to perform some repairs on the ring and to clean it up. He was just as helpful as when he thought I might be spending a lot more with him.
Even though I didn’t follow through with the big purchase, I knew he was the guy to use for the job. We’ll be returning to have the ring re-​sized and I’m sure we’ll be using him for wedding bands.

As I begin my engagement ring research, I went to see John based on all the reviews I had read. (This happens to also be my first Unilocal review ever). It’s rare that someone lives up to the hype but he absolutely did. He spent an enormous amount of time with me knowing full well today was not my purchase day, even asked «regular» customers to return so we could finish our conversation. That kind of customer service is rare these days but it was so appreciated…

We are so happy to have found John and Marchi. This is not the place you go if you are looking for department store style selection or used car style salespeople. John is an artist, not a salesman. His work and service are top notch. He spent a lot of time with us on multiple occasions and was flexible and accommodating when my husband had an allergy to a metal in the ring we had purchased for him. We had a diamond from our family and he designed the setting for us as well as our wedding bands. He has done jobs large and small for my husband and me and we have always been happy. He also has a great selection of unique pieces on hand.

His space is tiny, and if you weren’t paying attention, you might just walk right past his store and wander accidentally into Steven Singer right next door. And then you would be very very very sad, because John Marchi is the Messiah of engagement rings. My fiancée and I did the «lets stroll through jeweler’s row» on the quest for my ring, and honestly, I loathed every other salesperson we met. They were swarthy and pushy and it took me weeks to get rid of their cologne stench.
Marchi, (aka John Marchiafava) however, is none of those things. He is not a salesperson: he is a magical wizard of metal and stone who seems to genuinely love creating custom rings for whatever budget, style, design you can throw at him. My fiancée and I spent hours with him on several occasions, even before we put a deposit down on the ring! He was personable, doesn’t take himself too seriously (his sketches are everywhere and he «launched» diamonds from his tweezers while we were there and just laughed!), intelligent, and provided such one-​to-​one attention, that I kind of fell in love with him. His service is unlike anything I have ever experienced and we could not be happier with the results. He searched for the perfect emerald cut for my ring, reworked the design each time we requested, and the final product is an engagement ring unlike anything I have seen before.
I cannot recommend this store enough. My fiancée and I will be getting our wedding bands done here as well.
Be careful going on the weekends: because he is the only working the store, if he’s with another client he will ask that you leave and come back in a little bit. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED! COME BACK! IT WILL BE WORTH IT!

Wonderful things certainly do come in petite packages! This truism is superbly demonstrated by the pocket jewelry store, Marchi. John Marchiafava, the store’s owner, swooped in and saved us from a series of disasters.
The Disasters: Long story, semi-​short. .. Another jeweler («Le Pismire» who should be avoided at all costs and whose positive ratings were submitted by his friends) just a few storefronts down block broke our hearts by treating us incredibly rudely, yelling at my groom for no reason, and refusing to complete the appointed task. Hint: If you encounter a jeweler who claims that he abides by the imaginary «jeweler-​client» privilege, then you will know to flee. Immediately! Le Pismire not only did not keep secrets but he went out of his way to publicize the details of our wedding to ex-​friends, who in turn plotted to crash our wedding (the plot was memorialized on FaceBook and visible to all). Classless verging on the criminal. But I digress…
Our problems were compounded when the Post Office mis-​delivered my grandmother’s irreplaceable 90-​year-​old wedding band to a former address and the lummox residents retained the ring instead of returning it to sender, according to the Post Office.
How We Found Marchi: Our journey to John’s doorstep at Marchi included a comprehensive survey of friends and coworkers for recommendations, stops at numerous prominent Philadelphia jewelers and a thorough reading of Unilocal reviews. The chorus of enthusiastic, positive Unilocalers, many of whom had had parallel pre-​Marchi jewelery catastrophes, was breathtaking.
Unable were we to find any other jeweler whose ratings and reviews approached those of John, so we were impelled to meet him.
Expedited, Exquisite Service: Our fellow Unilocalers truly understated John’s talents and charm. In two (2) weeks, we went from a mash-​up of designs to flawlessly-​executed, gorgeous custom bands. Importantly, the rings were completed with a comfortable margin of time before the wedding.
Evaluation: Don’t be fooled by others who lay claim to being the «best in class» or «as good as it gets.» Marchi is 100% platinum in a sea of pyrite and absolutely the cream of the crop! If we could award 10 stars to Marchi, we would do so in a New York minute!
The Final Scene: From the highest rooftops, my groom and I sing John’s praises, and he now has two devoted customers. Ours is a Nora Ephron-​worthy happy ending and yours will be too!

In the summer of ’08 I was 25 living the bachelor life and business was good… very good. That’s when God thew me a Cole Hammel-​esque change up and on a boozy night in Manayunk I met boo…
I didn’t come quietly, quite the opposite in fact but she wore me out and a few months after that chance encounter she locked me up. 25 and already out of the game, I felt like Kijana Carter. What followed was a whirlwind of four years of blood, sweat, and beers culminating in a decision about six months ago to take things to the next level… Flyers season tickets! Actually that plan had to be put on the back burner as I had decided I wanted to marry boo and would need a ring to propose.
All knew was that she wanted a custom ring that no one else had and it had to be vintage. Hmmmm, okkkkk this is going to be tough (in her defense I don’t think she ever thought this was possible, just things she would say as a joke). Unilocal led me to Marchi and from the past reviews I felt ok going in and saying «know nothing at all about how to do this can we talk».
Meeting one: I told John what she wanted and asked if it was possible. He showed me some other designs he had done and sketched out a quick mock-​up of what we could do. It looked pretty good so we looked at some diamonds and I picked out the one we felt looked best.
Meeting two: I brought my mom in for a female prospective, we discussed some more of the details with the design, did a little more sketching and boom, there it was, a drawing of the perfect ring! John gave me a quote that was extremely reasonable considering the work and the diamond. Then with mom’s stamp of approval I put down the deposit and and production began!
Meeting three: I picked the ring up on a Friday night three and a half weeks later and the ring turned out better than I could ever have imagined. There it was, a one of a kind art deco vintage engagement ring.
I popped the question the following day and she couldn’t believe it… literally. She didn’t give me an answer she just kept saying «are you serious» ten times. But eventually she said yes and the ring was perfect and I am recommending any friend that is looking to get engaged over to Marchi. It’s a rare can’t miss.

My fiancé and I were shopping for an engagement ring. Marchi is a welcoming, non-​intimidating place with no pressure sales tactics. John (the owner) was the only person in the store each time we went. John was very friendly, completely honest, and informative.
Our first trip, John sat with us and went over diamonds to give us a full education on diamonds. John was patient and understanding. My fiancé was able to email a picture of the setting she wanted so he could have it custom made.
We went two 2 other places and shopped around online to find a stone and John was very patient with us. When we found a diamond online that she really liked and when I told John, he put his salesmanship aside and told me that if she really like the diamond, it would probably be hard for him to find an exact match in a short period of time (time was important to us). He even said he would make the ring for only a modest price increase (He could’ve uncharged us a lot but didn’t).
In the end, we nixed the idea of ordering a stone online and purchased the diamond from John had because we trusted and liked him. We could see and touch the stone as opposed to relying on pictures and purchasing a diamond online. His price was very competitive for the diamond and setting (ring) and most importantly, she was thrilled with the final product!
I would highly recommend going to John for you jewelry needs! He is very trustworthy and puts honestly ahead of salesmanship. He never once asked for my info or pestered me to make a decision. He even agreed to put extended holds on the diamonds while we made up our mind.
It is better to call ahead before going to the store so he can be prepared to show you what you want!

I have been corresponding with John M. recently to help someone I know pick out a ring for his current girlfriend, and the experience has been great. I have not yet been to the shop (hopefully soon, which will warrant an update) but there are a few things I can already ascertain about this shop and it’s owner.
1. Prompt reply (via email) and very professional
2. Knowledgeable about diamonds! (I guess that’s a duh… but you never know)
3. Fair with price quotes, when compared to similar competitors
4. Helpful, and not at all pushy
5. Very willing to answer a barrage of questions and see to it that we are educated no matter what, despite me never setting foot in the door
I truly support small businesses and am glad to have stumbled upon his page on Unilocal with so many 5 star reviews you’d think his jewelry is free. Hopefully the person I help will find what he needs here and I will be able to further add details to this review. I feel bad not giving that last star based on how happy everyone else is with his work and professionalism, but I only hold back because I have not been to the shop or actually purchased anything. Still, I believe this guy is definitely worth trying and is the real deal.
ps. the email address on his website currently does not go thru, so you can contact him via email at