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Yas & Roberta

Our workshop is led by Yas and Roberta, a husband-and-wife goldsmithing team with a combined 60+ years of experience in the jewelry industry.

Yas learned the trade from his father, a gifted goldsmith known for his articulated animal pendants and brooches, before apprenticing under the world-renowned master goldsmith Alan Revere. The goldsmithing tradition in Yas’ family is six generations long, originating in Japan where Yas’s ancestors fabricated Samurai armor.

Roberta is known for her master stone-setting abilities and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art in Jewelry and Metalsmithing in addition to being a Jewelers of America Certified Master Bench Jeweler.

Each has been with Pavé for over 20 years, and each teaches their craft at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts.

Joel

Joel moved to the Bay Area from the Philippines in 1983, the same year that he began working in jewelry. Joel is a Revere Academy alum and was also employed by the Academy as a bench jeweler. Joel has been with Pavé since 2011.

"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want to live in"

Our metals & gemstones come from responsible & sustainable sources.

We only work with vendors who can guarantee conflict-free and ethical resources. We know each of our vendors personally and ensure that they also select their suppliers according to our ethical standards.

We're also going one step further: We also use recycled gemstones & metals whenever possible, which are evaluated and purchased by our experts.

Our vintage gemstones are just as durable, precious and stable in value as newly mined ones. Although we do not know their exact origins, there is no need for new mining, which in many places still involves illegal mining, finances wars and permanently damages the environment. In this way, we can create new values from existing things with our gemstones. For us they are the most sustainable choice.

"BUY LESS, CHOOSE WELL AND MAKE IT LAST"

According to this belief, sustainability does not stop with the piece of jewelry, but continues throughout life. We not only pay attention to fairly sourced raw materials and long-lasting materials. We want you to enjoy your piece of jewelry for a lifetime. That’s why we offer a range of refurbishment and repair services to balance both function and budget when it comes to jewelry maintenance.

Pavé offers:

• 100% recycled metals in our in-house castings and fabricated pieces
• The ability to repurpose your own jewelry and gems into new pieces
• Conflict-Free Diamonds
• Vintage Diamonds and finished pieces
• Canadian Diamonds
• Lab-grown Diamonds and Colored Gems
• Synthetic Diamonds and Colored Gems
• Certified Fair Trade Colored Gems
• Best practices in our own workshop to ensure the safety of our jewelers and care of the environment

Environmental Benefit

As a part of our environmental commitment to only craft jewelry with recycled precious metals, we buy gold, platinum, and silver jewelry, as well as gold and silver coins. When you trade in your unwanted or broken jewelry, or use any recycled metal in a new piece, the carbon footprint decreases by about 99%.

What to expect

When you come in, a member of our team will weigh, examine, and assess your pieces. After we have thoroughly examined your pieces, we will extend to you an offer, with the option to heighten that value if you opt for store credit towards any piece of our jewelry. Our monetary offer to you is based on the most current metal values. We always strive to do right by our clients, which means we will offer full transparency on our offer.

Repurpose

Many clients choose to repurpose their unwanted, old, or broken jewelry into a new piece – we gladly extend this option. The cost of the custom design project will be decreased by the metal value, with no sacrifice to our impeccable craftsmanship and quality.

At Pavé, custom is our specialty. When it comes to the possibilities, there is no idea too elaborate, no dream too big. Whether your vision is to recreate a lost heirloom, recycle unworn jewelry into a new piece, or to make a meaningful design centered around something personal to you, our renowned team of designers and goldsmiths want to make that vision a reality. We always emphasize environmentally and ethically conscious practices, using responsibly sourced materials.

Our talented staff is ready to collaborate with you and turn your ideas into a special piece of handcrafted art.

Here at Pavé, we’re known for our love of color and have a wide selection of colored gemstones as well as rare colored diamonds. We also carry a large selection of fine white colorless diamonds in a variety of cuts, including antique and rose cut diamonds.

If we do not have the perfect diamond or gemstone in stock for you, we are happy to locate one from one of our trusted vendors. Then, our experienced design staff will lead you through the process of creating a design that reflects your unique style.

What to Expect from the Custom Design Process:

You will meet with a designer to develop a drawing (or “rendering”) of your design. The designer may explore with you the purpose for your design, any personal symbolism or your most-loved design styles. Then, you will go over metal type, gemstones, and components (chains, earring wires or mechanism, decorative clasps…the possibilities are endless!).

Then, if a wax model is part of your personal design process, we’ll carve one either by hand or by state-of-the-art CAD (computer aided design) depending upon the design requirements. Once the model is complete, we’ll show it to you to ensure correct fit and for your approval.

Finally, the wax is cast in the selected metal and hand-finished, followed by the setting of any gemstones.

We are pleased to offer appraisals and similar services.

Insurance Appraisals

An insurance appraisal is a legally-binding document, and some insurance companies require them. Check with your insurance company to find out exactly what kind of documentation they need in order to insure your piece(s) and how often they need to be renewed.

Appraisals start at $150 for a 1 carat solitaire ring with the price increasing depending on the size of the gems and the complexity of the piece. We offer this service via an independent appraisal every two weeks or so (call us to see when our next appraisal clinic is scheduled). Appointments are required as there is limited space. After the piece has been assessed, the appraisal will be sent to you 3-4 weeks after the clinic. Please contact us to arrange an appointment. 

Point-of-Sale Report

In addition to a receipt, we can provide a Point-of-Sale Report at the time of purchase. This report will contain a photograph and detailed description of your piece on our letterhead. Many insurance companies will accept this report for insurance purposes.

Verbal Assessment

Our sales staff can give you a basic, verbal assessment of a piece purchased or acquired elsewhere, and we can provide you a trade or buy offer for the recycle value of the piece. Our sales staff cannot provide a monetary replacement value — in that case, a formal appraisal is required.

Gem identification and Metal Testing

Some of our designers are trained gemologists, and can use a series of scientific tests to identify your gemstone. We can also test your pieces in our workshop to determine whether or not they are made of precious metal, and if so, which metal. Fees can occasionally apply for this service - please contact us for more information.

A couple of weeks ago, we had the privilege of being invited to Saunders & James' nail art photoshoot for this season's looks. Our jewelry paired so well with their artistic designs – both the nails and the rings popped!

Take a look! 

Once you’re started thinking about getting engaged and you’re planning a surprise, there are lots of ways to hone in on the right ring.

Consider a few questions:

1. How much time do you have? 
   With us, the wax custom process takes 8 to 10 weeks, with ample opportunities for your modifications and approval. If you don’t have that much time, there are simpler custom options, or it might be a good idea to find the perfect ring right in our store! 
2. What’s her style?  
   Feminine, outdoorsy, classic, vintage or vintage-inspired? Take a close look at the jewelry she already has to inspire your design ideas, or describe her to one of our team members. Metal is another important design aspect to consider (platinum, rose gold, yellow gold, white gold, something else?), and her existing jewelry will definitely help you make that decision.  
3. What budget are you trying to stay within?
   Contrary to popular belief, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to an engagement ring budget. Determine what you’re comfortable with, and go from there! If you’re hoping to expand your budget, inquire about our Wells Fargo Jewelry Advantage financing option, interest-free for 12 months.
4. What type of central gem do you want? 
   There are lots of options! Diamonds are a great choice because they’re the hardest known substance on the planet…which means they’ll hold up after years of wear. Trust us, no matter how careful we are, anything we wear on our hands takes a beating over time. Even though a traditional round brilliant white diamond is plenty beautiful, diamonds can be all sorts of colors and shapes. If you want something  even more colorful, the best alternative to a diamond is another durable gemstone, like a sapphire.   
5. What style of setting appeals to you, and makes the most sense for her? 
   Again, the possibilities are endless, but there are a few practical questions to consider: is she active? Does she use her hands a lot at work? If the answer to either of these is yes, a lower-profile setting may be ideal. Try to keep in mind that you can love a design but need to modify it for your actual lifestyle. Vintage rings are delicate and detailed because, historically, they weren’t created to be everyday pieces. Wearing bridal jewelry every day is a modern development, and the construction of a ring should be determined by the lifestyle of its wearer.
6. Do you know her ring size? 
   This part doesn’t have to be a headache! Most engagement rings aren’t the correct size to begin with – that’s where a talented workshop comes in! The most accurate way to find a finger size is to have a jewelry professional determine your partner’s finger size using finger sizers. We size all rings made or purchased with us complimentary, before or after presentation. Most techniques you can find online to determine a ring size aren’t 100% accurate, but they can help you get really close! If these techniques won’t work for you, rest assured that we can create the ring in an average size and size it after presentation.   

We are so happy to announce that we are expanding our hours to be open every day, from 11AM - 5PM. 

Appointments are encouraged but not required. There may be a small wait if spacing is limited. 

We've made a guide for you to clean your jewelry at home if you're not able to come in for an appointment to see us.  

Cleaning your jewelry effectively is a great health precaution against this virus and others.

For diamond (or other hard stone) rings with gold or platinum shanks:

We suggest cleaning your rings with warm-to-almost-hot (never boiling!) water (1 cup) and mild dish soap (1 teaspoon). Make a solution with these two ingredients. If your pieces are heavily impacted by hand lotion, makeup, or caked up soap, soak them for no more than 40 minutes. With a soft-bristled toothbrush, carefully brush your rings, making sure to get behind the stones, mountings, and within any engravings. Rinse over a bowl. Never rinse any piece above an open drain. Repeat if necessary. Do not use a “moisturizing” soap.

Do not soak silver pieces, nor any stones that are below an 8 on the MOHS hardness scale.
This would include pearls, opals, and turquoise. You can, however, use a soft cloth to clean stones below an 8 on the hardness scale, just make sure you are not soaking or immersing them. 

When drying your pieces, avoid paper towels, since they can scratch the metal. If you have a soft cloth, feel free to use that. If not, let it air dry.

Please avoid using household cleaners such as bleach, chlorine, and acetone, as well as abrasive products such as toothpaste, baking soda, or any other powdered cleaners. These will break down or scratch your metals.

Feel free to check out more of suggestions on taking care of your jewelry here.

Email us with any questions at customercare@pavefinejewelry.com 

Sources:
https://www.brides.com/story/how-to-clean-engagement-ring
https://www.gemsociety.org/article/clean-pearls-opals/
https://www.vogue.com/article/jewelry-cleaning-hand-washing-coronavirus-guide