Philip Press

Philip Press is completely amazing! The guy is one of the most artistic talents in the business and completely authentic. The value for the money I spent was unparallel and I continue to recommend him to all of my friends and family, which says a lot about how I feel for Philip Press jewelry!

Treat others how you want to be treated. Take your business elsewhere. Came in and looked at a handful of rings for my wife to be and got snubbed by the owner Phillip. The whole time I was looking at rings he gave off terrible energy like I was wasting his time. When you are making a major purchase you want to feel good about it and after being underwhelmed by low-​quality, overpriced work in combination with a rude owner, I walked. I decided that everyone deserves a second chance and I came back with my wife and again he gave off the terrible energy again. I had a pocket full of cash and if my wife liked what she saw, I was ready. She was underwhelmed and the owner spewing poison and toxic vibes, I thanked Philis for his time and walked away. Take your business somewhere else. Shmuck of the year award goes to this shop and owner.

This is a little belated, but yesterday I had a very memorable experience with my 2 carat pear shape drop diamond pendant, custom made by Philip several years back. I was wearing my favorite two diamond pieces to have a discussion with the Chair of the Jewelry Department of a world famous design school. This pendant was a special request custom collaboration with Philip starting with emails and drawings. It is exquisite, intricate and WEARABLE, made «outside the box» and truly «for the ages». Yesterday I was informed by this expert, «Whoever made this went WAY BEYOND what was necessary to get the job done». As he turned the pendant from every angle, he pointed out the exacting work, the difficulty of the accomplishment and the exquisiteness of the detailing (proportions, lines and angles). Since I work in the investment diamond business and I have seen so much more jewelry than most, it still took a top notch jewelry expert to point out to me what Philip didn’t have the chance to do – since we have to collaborate from opposite sides of the U.S. on several of my favorite pieces and this was shipped to my home. So thank you Philip. Now I know my piece is not just exquisite but is highly unlikely to be equaled in mastery elsewhere. It makes me love wearing it even more. My Recommendation… if you want jewelry that shows well under the most expert scrutiny, then you have chosen well with Philip.

Always friendly and very attentive service. Highly recommend! Jewelry is beautiful and costume made. Philip is not just an amazing talent but a good friend, who is always there for his costumers. I find myself keep coming back for more.

I created a Unilocal account specifically to recommend Philip Press. For real!
I couldn’t be happier with the engagement ring I got from Philip. It is stunning and she loves it. They handmade a ring to my specs– making it so much more unique and special than if I went to one of those mall stores or ordered it online.
I never thought I’d be able to afford anything from a jeweler on Sunset in WeHo but the prices turned out to be reasonable. When you consider the service I got and the craftsmanship that went into the ring, I know I got a great deal.
There are people who sit behind the jewelry counter at Sears and sell cheap stuff made in China… and then there’s caring professionals like Philip Press who design and make amazing pieces right in their own shop. Skip the hassle and go straight to the pro — make an appointment with Philip.

If you want the best quality at a reasonable price, come to Philip. Philip is fanatical about quality. He will strive for nothing less than perfection.
I LOVE my ring and so does Philip. He could not take his eyes off of it!

Guys, listen to me closely.
If you are going to shell out some cash for a ring, you want the absolute best for your money, right?
Yeah, you do.
After shopping around in store AND online, there is no better mix of artistic quality, value, and customer service for the money. Hands down, this is the absolute best place to get jewelry (in my case, THE engagement ring).
Philip Press is a guy who cares a whole lot more for the craft of jewelry making than he does wringing your wallet of dollar bills, and in this industry, that’s a refreshing rarity.
You come for the craftsmanship, but you go back for the hands on, personal way he handles you and your business.
I cannot recommend Philip Press enough to anybody looking to make that big purchase. I’ll be back in a few months for the wedding bands.

I had my engagement ring re set ay Philip Press and it was the start of a great relationship. I later bought a larger diamond and they re set it in the setting they had made. I also bought an eternity wedding band and had a 70s tennice bracelet made into the most gorgeous antique style tennis bracelet ever. I continue to get compliments years later on everything I have purchased at Philip Press. The quality, creativity and good will that goes into every piece is fantastic.

I bought a stunning custom-​made vintage setting for my 4 carat diamond! I found Phillip through his reputation for making amazingly beautiful, platinum vintage settings. If you want a truly memorable ring for your proposal this is the place. While not a low cost provider you’ll see that you get all the quality and beauty you pay for with Phillip.
Phillip is passionate about jewelry design and as good a guy as you’ll meet in this business. Honest, ethical and not pushy at all.
I would and will recommend Phillip Press highly to anybody looking to impress with an engagement ring. He delivers!
~E. Martin ⁰⁵⁄₂₀₁₂

I can’t say enough about Philip Press. He painstakingly helped reset and redesign my engagement ring, using my fiancé’s grandmother’s ring. These were uniquely cut stones, and Philip was able to work with us to keep the character of the original ring, but streamline it and make it more comfortable to wear. It’s a stunner and we are both thrilled with the outcome!
We initially went to see Philip to get his ideas on how to reset the engagement ring, and also to look at wedding bands. After visiting some corporate stores, we realized Philip was giving us a fantastic deal for custom work, so we had him start right away. Philip consulted with us multiple times and even made a model of the ring using his 3D printer so we could see exactly how the finished product would come out. I can’t stop staring at it! Start to finish, this was such an enjoyable process.

Seriously, if you are looking to make that big step and get your dream girl the ring she deserves (not the one you «thought» you could afford), then go to Philip Press. I found his selection to be classy, custom, and quality.
If you value your time, money, and your relationship with your soon to be woman, I suggest you go to Philip Press. He made the whole process very stress free, natural, and special. All while being patient and dedicating the correct amount of time to me and my needs. If you saw the ring I bought you would be BLOWN away. My fiancée was literally stunned when she got the ring. The whole process could not have gone better. The ring makes my woman smile and the value I got makes me smile!
Guys, I know I sound like a commercial but I am just really that impressed by the ring, the value, and the whole experience of working with Phil, his staff, and receiving personal attention.

If you are shopping for an engagement ring, you owe it to yourself to visit Philip…
I am so glad I did. I now have a JEWELER.
That’s right… I now have a Jeweler. That’s how it is with Philip Press.
Philip is not you average, run of the mill shop. He is a craftsman of the highest caliber, who CARES about his customers. His goal is to establish lifelong relationships, not one-​time sales.
I came to him to help me with an engagement ring. Philip’s care and compassion for my situation (my first PROPOSAL), along with his sage counseling, allowed me to give my fiancée a one-​of-​a-​kind, hand crafted, stunning ring.
He skillfully recreated the style of my fiancée’s beloved grandmother’s deco style ring, while merging several diamonds from my own Grandmother’s wedding band. The resulting engagement ring consistantly draws Ooohs and Aaahs and positive comments wherever we go. My fiancée (now wife) says she is much less productive at work now because she is constantly staring at it. Don’t tell her boss ;) It is a stunning piece of work.
One of the selfish benefits for me… is that whenever someone ventures a guess at the cost, I just smile because they usually think it is worth about TWICE what Philip charged me to make it. Kudos to a master platinumsmith.
Of course, we returned to Philip for both of our wedding bands. I absolutely LOVE my big chunk of platinum… SO COOL. And… Philip came up with the perfect accompaniment to my wife’s engagement ring. I know for a fact she stares even more now!
Like I said… If you are looking for a jeweler, you owe it to yourself to give Philip a visit. Experience firsthand the customer service, quality, and the man himself. A truly wonderful experience.
Thanks Philip (and staff)

I custom designed an engagement ring with Philip last — and I can say from start to finish the experience was incredible.
Philip spent personal time with my fiancé and I looking at designs, learning about the diamonds, etc. and then spend another several hours with me looking through individual diamonds and various settings/​styles to sketch out the perfect ring (IMHO). Needless to say, SHE SAID YES, and the ring turned out better than expected. The price was completely reasonable given the time, quality and attention to detail that Philip and his team gave to us and the ring.
I would (and will) HIGHLY recommend working with Philip on engagement rings or any other custom platinum pieces, regardless of where you’re located or your budget.
Can’t wait to get the wedding bands made :-)

Philip Press made my fiancée’s engagement ring many months ago and she is still amazed by it’s beauty. Now it’s 3 weeks before the wedding and I want to upgrade the center diamond. I’ve been going downtown almost every weekend to find a «deal» and it dawned on me that I’m just wasting my time by not going to Press and have it done!
When I was first researching how I could make the engagement ring, I had an antique watch that had about 30 diamonds, and a half carat diamond. I wanted the best craftsman to handle the watch, so I found Press after reading reviews from around the city. Sunset Blvd… great…I’ll just have him take a look and he can tell me what I need to do… there’s no way I can afford to have him make it though. When I went in there and he told me he couldn’t do it because he respected the watch, that’s when the fun began. I convinced him that it was my only option, so he came up with a design that would fit all the diamonds I had! He knew my budget, and I got exactly what I wanted. I proposed and my fiancée has been getting compliments ever since!
Back to the present, after repeated attempts to find that «deal» downtown. I’ll tell you right now, just go to Philip Press! I’ve learned so much about the diamond business in the process and have looked through the loop studying the 4 C’s so many times that I feel like I’m an honorary GIA grad! Did I find the diamond yet? NO!!! I always end up calling Philip and asking him if I should buy it. EGL certed K colors and I3 G colored 1.6 carat dirt stones… yeah I want a big diamond, but at what cost? No resale value, loss of brilliance, and a setting that completely ruins the integrity of the ring. I could go on in a multi-​part post about all the debacles and shady dealings of downtown stone searching, but I will save you the time, just like I’m saving you time searching on what to do for the love of your life.
I’m going to Philip Press, giving him cash, and saying, «make it shine, boss.» I know he will take care of me, and save my wedding by making an already amazingly beautiful ring even more brilliant. How much more will I have to pay? Uhm… ZERO!!! Better quality GIA certed diamonds that Philip wants to hook me up with for the same if not less cost because he likes our story. What more do I have to say?! Go there now!

I LOVE MY RING!!!
Philip is a designer with a GREAT eye for creating unique and eye-​catching jewelry. If you are having a tough time finding JUST THE RIGHT RING — head to Philip.
No sales people — you actually get to talk with the designer himself. He knows what he is talking about.
We got a GREAT deal, a BEAUTIFUL ring, AND he was able to RE-​SIZE the ring RIGHT THERE IN HIS SHOP WHILE I WAITED!!!
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT!!!

Note: I am writing this review with my fiancée’s account. I am writing this from a dude’s perspective. Scope of this review is for a custom engagement ring, although his other items look exquisite as well.
****ended up being longer than expected: review PART 1******
Summary: Philip Press is one of a kind designer, and arguably THE leader in platinum designs. Amazing.
Long Version:
Diamond purchasing and engagement ring shopping is stressful. Doing your homework and being honest about what you can afford can help this process.
For me, the process started out casually with going to brick and mortar stores of various prestige, anything from a ho-​hum mall jewelry store all the way to the chic-​est foofy snooty joints in beverly hills/​Rodeo. I quickly realized that most places, especially the «high end» ones have one specific deal breaker for me: They would not sell you a setting without the accompanied stone.
This part is based on personal preference, but long story short, I told the high end stores (and low end as well) to take a hike. Based on my research, I figured that a specific ring with specific specs was $X at a «market» price. However, at all the «top tier» joints, they were charging close to 3−4X market, sometimes more. Of course you are going to be raked over the coals and be paying for name brand, but at this level, it is criminal. Like I said, if you are cool with paying that much for the name, then be my guest. I was not.
So I set out to find an e-​ring with a bit more flexibility for the center stone. This lead me to the downtown LA diamond district. Even going with some of Unilocal’s top recommended joints I was not particularly impressed with what they had to offer. After learning more and more about diamonds, I realized that most of what they were pushing me (and they were extremely pushy) was crap.
Going pretty much back to square one, I found the perfect center stone through a very reputable online diamond merchant (you probably know the one.) and got it independently appraised (more on this in a review of Patrick Davis).
OK — all of that background story to bring it to where Philip comes in.
With a 5 star diamond in hand, and all of the previous experience shopping in store, online, etc etc. I was now at a dilemma. How do I get this sucker mounted. All of the mountings I had previously seen have been cookie cutter, and the general designs all looked the same. No uniqueness, no individuality. I found a chain boutique that did mount loose stones into their settings for a «mounting fee» of about $ 350, kind of like a corkage fee, but the same problem existed. Settings were lackluster and I figure I spent so much for the stone, putting it in a boring solitare or typical eternity wouldn’t do it justice.
But then… One day after I thought I would have to just bite the bullet and just choose something, a particular vendor caught my eye. Philip Press’s store/​review popped up in Unilocal.«Master Platinumsmith that does custom work, eh?», I said to myself, «we shall see about that». So I made an appointment.
His office is located in west hollywood along sunset, close to some neat eats and interesting shopping. I walked in and noticed his floor room, stocked with amazing pieces in the showcases and his published and promotional material on the walls. Waiting was not a problem as there was plenty to catch my eye, and it couldnt have been for very long anyways. One thing I didn’t fully realize until I got there was that Philip Press was actually THERE (it wasn’t just some name of a designer that didn’t work at the office). He greeted me and then took me up a flight of stairs to his upstairs show room. Just incase it wasn’t clear, this was the owner, president, head designer, etc. spending time with me, a prospective client, 1:1, in a private showroom area. I believe he does this with all his clients.
When I saw his dedicated displays for engagement rings, I knew this was the last stop. There were more designs here than the culmination of all the shopping I had done up to this point. Every design was unique, even some of the «classic» ones had his artistic touch to it that made it look and feel different, not something that is obtained between other vendors and their interpretation of classics. Needless to say, it was like I was a blind person seeing for the first time. Oogling and admiring each piece, I looked at each piece and held on to the ones that I liked elements of (halo from this one, engraving on that one, height of this one, etc.). There was absolutely no pressure from him during this initial trip and he noted which rings I had liked and started formulating a concept. Fantastic initial visit.
The next apt, my then GF had drawn up some design elements that she had liked and even went so far as to draw a multi perspective sketch. Taking this to Philip, we gave him a pretty clear direction of what we were thinking.
…to be continued in PART 2…

Philip Press is an artistic jeweler genuis with really good bang for the dollar. Not a very common combination at all and beleive me I love to shop/​look everywhere. I am not the least bit suprised that everyone who has reviewed him gave him five stars; he’s just that good. I found him through my girlfriend and her then fiancé. I had dinner with them after they got engaged and after they had picked up her custom designed ring which was one impressive in and of it’s self and two designed to fit her to a captial T in terms of personality and style. It wasn’t your bland unimaginative Tiffany/​I came in a fancy box ring; it was a unique yet stylish work of art. So then, with him/​the fiancé beeming on she tells me about the romantic picnic lunch he took her on to propose and how she «found the ring» in her glass of champagne. She of course says yes and as she is admiring her two carat princess cut prize (she did hint to him that that was her preferred cut) she begins to notice how plain the rest of the ring is and makes a diplomatic comment on it. To which he replies that the diamond is hers but the ring is just a loaner from Philip, she gets to design her own ring, (such a thoughful guy). She then describes the months long hunt for the perfect design and how helpful Philip was in helping her make her vision come true with multiple visits and lots of suggestions without being pushy; he made her feel it was all about her; something some of these other top of the line designers could learn a thing or two about.
So ok the ring is beautiful but I am thinking it’s really over the top big bucks so I try to get the fiancé off to the side at party, after he’s had a few cocktails and while my girlfriend is distraced. He won’t give me a price, (I guess a gentelman never tells), but he does enjoy bragging about all of the research he did and how he thinks he got a great deal. I love a deal so I press on as to how he figured out get got a «deal». It turns out he does live up to the sharp «finance guy» image that my girlfriend loves and he did his homework, first in the overprice Beverly Hills shops, then in the sleasy jewelry district downtown and then on line. The clincher was when he was able to compare the exact same rated diamond on
with the same GIA certificate for about 10% less without a lot of haggeling. He said the setting was pretty much a «market» price for a custom desingn but they felt they got so much more for the money in terms of end value.
So I’ve been meaning to treat myself to something nice for a while but I just never see anything that catches my eye. I wanted to have something classy and yet different. After touring his nice shop with Philip personally showing me many nice items I settled on what I wanted, some very custom made nice diamond and emerald ear rings. When I picked them up I was more than pleasantly suprised with the craftsmanship and I get lots of compements on them. It’s very nice to have a work of art that you had a hand in directing the creation of. And just to reinforce those good feeling I get lots of very nice complements on them everytime I where them. I sent another man friend to Philip and he just bought the ring but has not presented it. Another finance type guy and yes he confirmed that Philip has some of the best prices and service in town.

I have known Philip Press for a very long time, and much of the jewelry in my collection, including my engagement and wedding ring, comes from his studio. He is one of the most knowledgeable and ethical people you will ever meet in the fine jewelry business. His taste is impeccable, and I don’t think I’m overstating it when I say that every piece that leaves his showroom is truly elegant and beautiful. I have been wearing my engagement and wedding rings for more than 13 years now, and I still love them every time I look at them. If you’re looking for a stunning bauble, this is the right place.

I purchased my fiancé’s engagement ring from Philip and he is simply amazing.
For starters, Philip has a really cool store in West Hollywood that’s very understated and chic. It is clearly an extension of his personality and style. Nothing crazy or over the top, gaudy, or obscene. He doesn’t need to show off, although he has a wall of magazine covers that featured his work right next to the reception desk but for the most part, very low key and inviting. I don’t remember the woman’s name who works at the front desk but she is very nice and friendly and Philip’s dog Uzi also wanders around on occasion, equally nice and friendly.
Philip’s office is upstairs and that is where he displays the engagement rings. My fiancé and her mother visited him initially to look at rings and when we visit a few weeks later, he remembered her, the mother, and all the details from their conversations, both in regards to the rings and personal stuff.
So, my fiancé had a setting in mind when she initially visited with her mother. Then of course, she changed her mind when we visited. We decided to go with the new setting, rotated the bezel 90 degrees, and included some intricate engravings from the previous setting. Philip and I would discuss the center stone details at another time.
So, another time rolls around and we get into the nitty gritty of stone qualities and pricing. I’m a complete newbie and of course Philip knows it but he made me very comfortable with the process. He was calm, very reassuring and comprehensive in his discussion of the diamond properties and pricing.
After the quote, I ran the numbers on
and by a close family friend who owns a jewelry business in New York and Philip turned out to be very competitive on the stone pricing. The setting on the other hand was a bit different. My family friend gets their work done in China so the cost price is extremely low. Philip does of all his work on site (which I liked) and of course he is local and we had asked for a lot personalized and unique touches to the setting… it was essentially custom designed. I didn’t want to risk anything by going overseas so I decided to stick to Philip and pay the premium on the setting.
So, when the day came to pick up the ring, I was very nervous. I had been a couple of weeks and I had completely forgotton what the ring was going to look like. But when he unveiled it in his office, man oh man, I was blown away! It was absolutely stunning in every regard. Super sparkly. I did not go for the biggest stone as the other qualities were more important to my finace (thank God!!!) but the way the stone was placed and rotated on the setting, the perceived size of the stone is a lot bigger than it actually is. Also, the tines that hold the stone in place are indistinguishable unless closely examined so it basically looks like one gigantic sparkly encrusted ring. The engravings around the setting too were very nice, very finely crafted with smooth lines and etching. Really very exquisite. I had the biggest grin on my face of the remainder of the week. Just knowing that I had this ridiculous ring in my pocket. I was worried that I had maybe paid a bit more than I would have liked but after seeing the ring, man it was worth it. Really outstanding work!
My fiancé and I hadn’t shopped around for many rings or visited many stores. The only other store we spent anytime in was a Michael B. store in Studio City. In fact, Michael and Mrs. B. were there and we chit chatted with them at some length. Seemed very nice but their rings were waaaaaaay overpriced. Very simple designs were outrageously priced in my opinion. The fancier and froufrou designs were astronomical.
Anyway, my point was that we hadn’t been to many places but if you want a total custom made, designer branded piece of jewelry, you’re going to have to spend a little extra. I did and at first I was skeptical about the whole transaction. But after seeing the final product, I was sold. But what really made Philip stand out was his customer service. Good example — about 20 minutes after I proposed, my fiancé accidentally dropped her ring on the coffee table. Next day, she noticed one of the side stones was dull and a micro pave stone was missing on the setting (presumably fell out). When we got back to LA, she visited Philip and replaced both stones for free! No questions asked, no hassles (well maybe a light ribbing =) but overall, took it back, fixed it, and delivered it the next day.
Why did he do this? Because that’s what he does!

I will write more when an actual purchase is made from here, but they have beautiful jewelry and great staff. Phyllis spent about an hour with us looking at stuff, and we also met with Philip Press who was very cool.
They make everything on site. Will definitely go back.