C Kirk Root Designs

Let me begin with saying I agree Kirk Root has a fantastic selection of quality jewelry and has the aptitude to create wonderful custom pieces. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives stop and the lack of customer service warrants a one star rating. Here’s a summary of our experience:
So my bride had the idea to get custom matching rings for our upcoming wedding… cool. We talk to Kirk Root and they promise they can get her idea done in 5 – 6 weeks «no problem». We had 11 weeks till we needed them so we go for it. Needless to say «no problem» turned into «we’re busy» and we don’t get our rings until a few days before we leave for our wedding. My brides ring was just as promised. Mine, on the other hand, was NOT. So now the folks at Kirk Root have forced me into a bad situation. Do I «A» risk not having a ring for my wedding so they can correct their mistake, or «B» just go with it to ensure one of the most important pieces of symbolism isn’t missing from our wedding? Considering their proven lack of timeliness, I go with option «B» under the guarantee (verbal) that they want me to be happy and will work with me to fix the issue after I return from my wedding/​honeymoon. I pay for the ring and off to get married I go…
A day after we return to Austin I swing by Kirk Root to deal with the ring. On this visit, the guy I was working with (Matt) isn’t around so I leave a message with the women behind the counter and she promises he’ll get back to me, no problem. A week goes by without a phone call so I go back to the store. This time Matt is there and after discussing the issue he tells me the design can’t be fixed (as promised) without adding material, which I’ll have to pay for. Of course, I take issue with the suggestion considering the series of events that brought us to that point. He then agrees to talk to his boss and get back to me with a resolution. A few weeks then go by with zero follow up.
At this point I’m fed up with Kirk Root (any man with a newlywed wife preoccupied with a disappointing wedding ring set will understand) so I go back to the store once again. This time Matt isn’t there and I speak with the woman I had previously left the note with. I tell her I’m done waiting for on them to work with me to fix the ring and want a refund on the ring itself. She proceeds to say they don’t offer refunds on custom work and that I’ll have to speak with Matt on the issue.
At this point I don’t know when, or if, the issue will get resolved. I understand I should not have accepted a flawed product under good faith the provider will fix the issues. It’s just a difficult decision when the happiness of your bride-​to-​be is at risk. The choice was mine, but I definitely fault Kirk Root for putting me in that predicament.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a place with a good display case selection, Kirk Root is still a must. But, if you’re interested in making a piece of custom jewelry under any sort of deadline (ESPECIALLY A WEDDING), I strongly suggest going elsewhere.

Great Custom Jewelry Maker! I took some hand sketches photos to illustrate the design I wanted. Matt provided a price and I pulled the trigger. Then Daniel used CAD to bring my design to fruition. Once the CAD design was approved they made a 3d model out of wax so I could hold in my hand and check the scale and details. Upon approval of the 3d model they sent it to cast. Good communication from beginning to end. Matt, Daniel, and the rest of the team produced an amazing piece of jewelry that my wife loves and it will be in the family for generations

I had searched a few different jewelry stores in and around Austin before I walked into West Bank. I had a very unique request with a colored diamond and a completely custom design, for a proposal. Dan told me he would get me what I wanted and had a few options in the store within a few days. The setting and band had to be completely built from scratch and the design was very specific. Dan didn’t miss a beat and the ring came out incredible.
Couldn’t say enough about the great experience and the ease of purchase. I will be a customer for a long time and would suggest using them for any special occasion.
Nick

Went in on a whim and was very impressed. Great customer service and super helpful staff. I would definitely recommend.

My wife and I wanted strikingly unique, custom rings. We had been dealing with another jeweler who was more than a little bit shady, and wanted us to pay the invoice in full before they’d even show us samples of the stones/​color dinosaur bone that they had. Kirk Root Designs had excellent customer service, even though I’m sure we weren’t easy to deal with, since we were very stressed out and had our wedding about a month after we first started the process of creating custom rings.
They showed us their entire inventory, helped us select exactly the right stone and special ordered stones until we found one that was the perfect match, and they made sure to order a block of fossilized dinosaur bone that was the exact color I wanted (which our other jeweler had said was pretty much impossible to do.) I also got to choose the exact section of the slab of bone myself, so that the colors were absolutely perfect.
They worked on our rings diligently, to the point where one of their jewelers stayed until 3:00 a.m. and then came back at 6:00 a.m. to make sure it was done on time. And even though we hadn’t really given them enough time to go through their normal timetable, they still got us our rings, looking absolutely perfect, by our wedding ceremony. In fact, they drove them out to us without any charge. Until you’re running around like crazy on your wedding day, it’s hard to appreciate how much of a difference it makes to have a jeweler who will cater to your exact needs, and make sure that you don’t need to take time out of your day to pick up your ring. And while it turns out that my wife’s ring is just a tiny bit too snug, they’re going to fix it for free and make sure that it’s going to fit her perfectly. (The only reason it wasn’t 100% perfectly sized in the first place, is that the ring is irregularly shaped and we didn’t give them enough lead time to do multiple fittings. Otherwise they would’ve nailed it perfectly).
My wife’s ring is gorgeous and elegant, and mine is beyond amazing — it’s strikingly unique and I know that, wherever I go, my ring is going to be one of a kind. Because both my wife’s ring and mine were custom, they reflect who we are, and what our marriage means to us, perfectly. By going custom, we got the perfect rings for us as individuals, and for us as a couple. Our rings are more meaningful than any off-​the-​rack ring would have been, and mine is the only piece of jewelry I have ever actually been excited about in my entire life. I am absolutely thrilled that I’ll be wearing this amazing piece of art for the rest of my life.
Long story short, choose Kirk Root if you want custom work done of any sort. Whether it’s laser engraving of detailed images, or finding friendly, patient, knowledgeable, informative jewelers who’ll take an idea that only exists in your imagination and turn that idea into an amazing work of art, I wouldn’t recommend anybody other than Kirk Root Designs.

the jewelers were very knowledgeable and extremely nice, and wish i had talked to them first. unfortunately i was directed to the jewelry designer first and he was very very rude.

The service and selection here are excellent. I had scouted other establishments, however after initially finding this place, my husband and I have been back several times. Everyone is always very welcoming and helpful; familial yet professional. They helped with the insurance appraisal, sizing, and overall cleaning and restoration of an heirloom ring that has been in my family for generations and I wanted to wear as my wedding ring. My husband also wanted a specific ring but with some different attributes and they worked to make it all come together. Both turned out lovely. Another time I brought in a ring for a trade in. I felt they were open and honest about the value and how it was determined, and then proceeded to help me find something within my price range to purchase. I never felt pressured or oversold at any time. Employees were knowledgeable and patient. I look forward to doing future business with them and highly recommend them. (Special thanks to Virginia and Chris. I apologize for not recalling the name of the third gentleman that helped me!)

Not all jewelry stores are created equal, it takes more than bling to make a store «shine». The jewelers here are well informed of every gem, patient and not at all pushy. We went in looking for an emerald ring and left with one on a beautiful diamond platinum band.
The selection of unique, quality gems is very nice, they have a nice verity and have a lot of the harder to find ones too.
They definitely are not the big box type of jeweler you’ll find at the mall, I highly recommend checking them out!

I purchased my wife’s wedding ring here when we lived in Austin and Dan was very helpful. He took a lot of time to go over all of the options and helped me get a beautiful ring that my wife cherishes. I shopped around at several Austin area jewelers and the price/​quality/​service ratio is clearly best at C Kirk Root. I also purchased our wedding bands here and my wife and I are very happy with them.
My wife accidentally jammed her ring against the subway door while traveling recently and it bent one of the prongs but luckily she noticed in time to not lose the diamond stone. Having moved to Denver recently and it being almost two years after purchasing the ring we figured it was too late to check on a free repair for the damage. I decided to call and see what they could do to fix the ring and what the cost would be. I was pleasantly surprised when Dan said to mail the ring in next day air with insurance and they would take care of fixing the ring back to new condition for no charge besides the shipping. Our ring was promptly fixed and sent back to us in Denver looking good as new if not better. UPS was late delivering our ring but it eventually came later that evening (supposed to be next day air by 10:30 am). I called to see about a shipping refund via UPS and Tish was very helpful. She was able to get my shipping charge refunded promptly and super nice to me during the process. I can’t say enough about how great this jeweler is! Outstanding customer service.

We came in here to look at mens wedding bands and didnt like a single thing we saw. We were in and out in less than 5 minutes.
Just not our cup of tea.
On a side note: its right near Cheesecake Factory. who wants cheesecake?
The girl was polite, showed us the limited selection she had. Poor girl. It wasnt her fault she was polite, and offered what she had… what else could she do.
My review was just based on the small selection that just wasnt for us.

I have to say I am shocked at the 1 star ratings and hope my review helps. This last Monday my boyfriend proposed to me on top of Pikes Peak and presented me with a one of a kind ring. My taste is vintage and I didn’t want anything that was mass produced. This ring is absolutely gorgeous. He told me how he found this jeweler through my Pinterest. The designer worked with him to come up with a perfect creation. They both used my Pinterest to design my ring. I am allergic to gold. My ring is made of palladium and platinum. I’m an avid gardner and they rounded off the ring so it wouldn’t snag. Plus i have these little child hands but they managed to scale the ring design down to fit. The diamond is nearly flawless. There are so many intricate details on the ring. I love that it was designed for me. My now fiancée tells me he had a great experience and they even told him to return to make sure everything is set right. I plan on having his ring designed there. I absolutely love my ring. Can’t wait to see what is in the works for my band! Great job!

I’m puzzled by the few negative reviews of C Kirk Root Designs. I went to high school with Kirk, and my husband and I bought my engagement ring and our wedding bands from him 15 years ago. He sadly passed away a few months ago, but he was greatly respected by his peers in the jewelry and appraisal business (he was one of the few Master Appraisers in the USA), and his ethics and honesty were often spoken of.
I bought 2 bracelets at a sale at Kirk’s store several months ago. The sale was clearly marked «final», with no returns. Today I wore the bracelets for just the third time, and this morning I looked down and noticed that something was off. Hard to describe, but the bracelets are bands of black finely twisted metal with small white gold embellishments on them that are encrusted with tiny diamonds. Well, the top of one of the embellishments was gone. Apparently, it was in 2 parts, and the top part just fell off. I hadn’t knocked the bracelet into anything; it just came off.
I called the store and spoke with Matt (I believe he is the manager, or one of the co-​managers), and he explained that the bracelet could not be sent back to the company that made it because the company is involved in a lawsuit with its distributor (who knocked off its designs), and at any rate, C Kirk Root Designs is no longer carrying this line. They had one bracelet left that is identical to mine, except that it has 3 of the little white gold and diamond embellishments on it, and mine has 2. Obviously, the one in their store costs a lot more than mine, yet Matt still said that they would let me have the more expensive bracelet to make me happy because «we’re not going to lose a customer over this.»
THAT is why I would never hesitate to buy jewelry from C Kirk Root Designs. They stand behind their pieces. They’re honest. They design gorgeous custom pieces (just ask to look at Daniel’s portfolio if you want to be blown away — he used to design the custom pieces for Anthony Nak’s stunning jewelry, which I own a lot of). These folks rock.

Our experience with Kirk Root Designs has been nothing short of phenomenal. When my fiancé and I began looking at rings, we happened to walk in here and were immediately greeted by Dan who assured us that what we wanted could be done! We were able to design the ring we both wanted and the final product is perfect! I’m so glad we stopped in here that one Saturday and will continue to refer friends and family to work with the staff here! Thank you for making this process fun and seamless!!!

So far this is the store that has the most color stones in Austin, it has modern and classic design. I love to visit the store every time I pass by. Hope I can find something I want one day.
My first visit of the store was most impressive, my son was interested in the alexandrite, they let him into their workshop to show him the color change of the stone in different lighting.
Another thing I like this store is that, the owner is trustworthy, he will list the stone treated, or untreated, or how it has been treated. So shop with confidence if you like high quality untreated stones here.
I used to think the shop is pricy due to the location, after comparing shop, I found their price is very reasonable, I need to look carefully what they have during my next visit, the shop assistant is not pushy.

I spent a few hundred dollars getting all my jewelry appraised here a couple years ago. I called today and asked for a copy to be emailed to me. I was told they don’t email appraisals and wanted a $ 45 «reprinting fee!!!» This severed my relationship with this jeweler permanently.

I had Kirk Root do some restoration work on my 1925 Art Deco engagement ring, and I am planning to work with them to get custom wedding bands for my husband and I. Every time I’ve been in there I’ve had GREAT, unfailingly polite customer service, and their restoration work was both top-​notch and surprisingly affordable. Not only that, but Kirk himself explained that if I wasn’t interested in paying for the «full» restoration my ring needed, he could fix some smaller, more pressing things first. As it turned out, the full restoration was only $ 225.
It’s a lovely store filled with friendly people. I think their strength probably lies in their design work and original pieces.
The review by Cory O. is unwarranted and is unduly lowering this great local business’ ratings. I’m a pretty fussy consumer, and I don’t give great reviews unless the business deserves them.

We purchased my husband’s wedding band from C. Kirk Root after seeing some of their designs at the Bridal Extravaganza in September. We ordered him a really beautiful Tungsten band, and they even gave me a discount for having visited them at the Expo! They were very easy to work with and very accommodating to what he was looking for. Great people, LOCAL company, great value as well. Will definitely be telling my friends!!!

I had the best experience of my jewelry shopping life in this place. I wanted something different for my engagement ring, but I also needed it to be affordable. And yes, I’m one of those ladies who didn’t trust my betrothed to accomplish this monumental task. I didn’t know where to start shopping. The only thing that I knew was that I needed palladium as this is a hypoallergenic metal that is more affordable than platinum. I started out going to Samuel’s, but the sales woman there gave me the cold shoulder when she heard my budget, so I ended up at C. Kirk Root. This place had a way better selection. But most importantly, the owner respected and accommodated my budget, AND I have a gorgeous Australian sapphire engagement ring that turns heads!

I decided to write this review because I think the negative review is skewing the rating. This shop is local and has very uniquely Texas designs, including jewelry with their signature Texas star topaz, bluebonnet, Indian paintbrush and UT designs. I have not personally purchased any of the jewelry for myself, but over the years, I have received a handful of beautiful pieces from my loving husband and children for Mother’s day.
They have their own lab so custom work is something they specialize in. Yesterday, my husband purchased a ring for me, but he didn’t like the design so he asked for the oval shaped stone to be placed on a simpler setting that was designed to hold a round stone. Two hours later, the ring was reset and sized. The piece is absolutely stunning. Being able to get a last minute gift customized and ready to be gifted… priceless.
Every piece from here is timeless and extremely well crafted. I recommend that you come here if you are looking for something special.

I haven’t purchesed jewelry here but it’s where I go for jewelry cleaning and repairs.
They are pleasant and affordable.