Catbird Wedding Annex

My boyfriend and I came to Catbird because we’ve been talking more seriously about getting engaged, and it seems like ¾ of the rings I like online come from Catbird’s Wedding Annex. It’s still a really big deal to be thinking about really doing this, so we of course didn’t make an appointment and had to circle the store before we got the gumption up to actually go in!
Despite this, the woman who was there was SO incredibly helpful. She walked us through all of her options, and even gave us the names of a few other jewelers once it became clear that Catbird just didn’t have what I’m looking for. At no point did I feel pressured, and although they didn’t have what I might want when the time comes, I got some great ideas and would definitely come back as some of the vintage rings will obviously change with time.
I think if you’re looking for a unique engagement ring that isn’t what all of your friends are wearing, this should be your go-​to place. Unfortunately, (for me) I don’t want a diamond, which is actually a huge pain in the butt. It’s partially a moral stance, since I work in international development, but also just a personal preference. At least from looking online, it appeared that Catbird had some diamond alternatives, and just some really gorgeous but unique pieces that I wanted to see if I loved as much in-​person as I did on pinterest/​Instagram. (Which, if you don’t follow them on Insta, you should). Sadly, when I got there many of the rings I thought I loved were much more delicate and dainty, and not really of the engagement ring (just gorgeous, though!) variety. The other, more engagement-​ring-​esque non-​diamond rings still had diamond accents.
The only ONLY reason I’m not giving Catbird 5 stars isn’t because they didn’t have what I wanted but because the girl who was helping us (who again was SO kind and helpful) was dismissive of my not wanting a diamond for moral reasons, saying that all of Catbird’s jewelry is ethical, and how raw diamonds are different than polished diamonds, etc. The diamond industry is problematic, and even ethical jewelry comes with caveats, but whether you agree with that or not I think when a customer has a preference it’s better to honor that than it is to try to convince them of your view. I know she’s in sales, and this is my thing and she was just doing her job but I just maybe would like to see more jewelry that isn’t diamond-​centric, and an understanding from salespeople that there are ladies like me who have that preference and that it’s okay!

My fiancé and I had an appointment at the annex May of 2015. We live in the neighborhood and had bought several gifts from the regular store over the years. It was just us and 2 reps from Catbird. We sat and discussed budget and what we liked that we had seen online. It was SO relaxed. We had just went to another boutique jeweler in Soho the day before and wow, it was night and day. They made the experience pleasant, not awkward and again no pressure. We even got a gift. I slept on on it and went with the Odette in Rose gold. Love the name, love the story, love CATBIRD!

The jewelry is gorgeous. I find typical engagement rings to be mostly gaudy, ugly, and gauche. I hate engagement rings so much that I thought I didn’t even want one. But when my fiancée and I came to Catbird to pick out our wedding bands, I found an engagement ring that I fell in love with and we bought it on the spot – the showroom model was a half-​size too big on me, but our wedding was only 3 weeks away I didn’t want to wait the 2 – 3 weeks for a special order. The sales woman helped us with sizers and we put in orders for our wedding bands. The whole in-​store experience was quick and pleasant.
Well– I will say that I’m not a precious gems & metals expert, but I think the prices are quite high based on what you’re getting. Which is fine, actually, I understand that the price isn’t just for materials, its for design. And the designs! Are! Amazing!
When I wanted to get the engagement ring sized down (which is fine, because I bought it knowing it was a little big), Catbird wanted $ 40 and 7 – 10 days to do the resizing. Given the simplicity of the band, I went to Kathe’s Jewelry in the East Village to have it resized. They did it in 2 hours for $ 15. TWO HOURS! Ps, if you need jewelry care, Kathe’s is amazing.
Our wedding rings arrived a few days before the wedding – which was within the 2 week window we were told about upfront. Mine fit well, but unfortunately my wife’s band was much too big. The sales woman told her to buy that size, so I was pretty pissed. Because of the brushed matte finish, we both agreed that she shouldn’t go elsewhere for resizing, so she had to pay $ 40…for THEIR mistake. Smh… And she still hasn’t gotten her ring back. Ugh.
UPDATE: when she picked up the resized ring, they comped the resizing fee. I changed my rating from 3 to 4 stars.

My engagement ring is from Catbird Wedding Annex, and I love it! I have also appreciated the time and attention of their team through the process of resizing. I would highly recommend them! They have many engagement ring choices that are non-​traditional, yet still maintain some design concepts that make the rings read as engagement rings. My Fiancé also appreciated the support of the team while making his decision!

Stopped in here minutes before they were closing and the staff was still extremely friendly and helpful!
The boutique is pretty small and was staffed by two really nice ladies. I feel like I tried on just about every ring and they helped with sizing options too.
Rings come in a variety of styles and price points, and most are designed by local artists. Some of the pieces are one of a kind, so if you’re looking for something unique, this could be your place. They also have a small collection of bands for the ‘gents.
A+ for the friendly service and the beautiful rings. I’d definitely recommend this place to others.