I'm the maid of honor for my sister who just recently got engaged. I went with her fiance to buy her engagement ring at Inta Gems and it was magnificent! Not only were the staff friendly, but they gave us a step by step educational breakdown of the four Cs (cut, color, clarity, and carat weight). The staff was super friendly. They even gave out tasty candy treats and water! And my sister's fiance had a set budget, so they were able to work within his budget. Here's how the process works:

1. They started off showing us the various loose certified diamonds. All of their loose stones were high-quality. We just told them the shape, carat weight, and budget. They pulled out a few diamonds and gave us a one by one breakdown of each one. We also got to see firsthand what a diamond looks like under magnification to view the clarity and color. One of the gemologists, Steve, explained that it was extremely important to make sure you get a certified diamond because it lists all the imformation of the diamond.

2. Next, after we chose the perfect diamond, we looked through the settings. There was an enormous selection of engagement settings! They had traditional solitaires, three stone rings, and other antique-looking rings.

3. Last, after choosing the proper diamond and ring setting, the process to make a complete ring only took an hour and a half! They also resized the ring.

All in all, the experience was very educational. They taught me and my sister's fiance the fundamentals of diamonds, metal types for rings, etc. My sister's ring was a GIA certified, D color, and SI2 clarity round brilliant cut diamond weighing 1.25 ct. She had it set in a platinum setting with small round and princess diamonds on the sides. Accompanied with the ring and GIA certificate was an appraisal signed by their company's gemologist, Steve. He explained that the appraisal should be used for insurance purposes. The end result was terrific! I love her ring! It sparkles at every angle! And she is extremely ecstatic about it. Inta Gems is a great find within Los Angeles' Jewelry District. Not only did they have high quality jewelry, but their prices were a lot lower than jewelry stores at the mall. My sister's fiance and I looked at jewelry retail stores like Robbins Brothers, Zales, and Kay Jewelers, but I felt the diamonds and engagment rings at Inta Gems were of better quality. It didn't look mass-produced.

I'm sure everyone else who goes to Inta Gems will have a great experience too. Even if you don't buy anything right away, you'll leave with a head full of knowledge.