The best jewelry stores in Miami

To say Giancarlo Designs Inc.’s clients are loyal is understating their devotion to the brand and its eponymous designers (his son, Giancarlo Jr., is also involved). The family-run business has amassed a large local following, including a number of second- and third-generation fans who’ve inherited a taste for its diamond- and gemstone- covered creations. Pieces are generally designed around collections, so it’s often the case that husbands and significant others come back over time to pick out matching earrings and bracelets to complete someone’s set. Because if you’re going for a Giancarlo piece, you’re in it for the sparkle and need the full arsenal.

Downtown Miami’s Seybold Building is brimming with jewelry stores large and small, but this little gem on the first floor is where experienced buyers know to shop for quality diamonds, Swiss timepieces and bespoke jewelry. It is the building’s oldest tenant, after all. If your significant other is bent on an engagement ring you can’t find elsewhere, Buchwald will make it to your exact specifications and make suggestions when needed. They also offer trade-in services and have great deals on vintage Rolex watches, because even guys need to accessorize every once in a while. 

If buying fine jewelry feels intimidating, it’s likely you haven’t been to Freddy’s in the Seybold Building. Freddy’s is frank when it comes to pricing and savings so don’t be afraid to talk budgets here. They’ll work with you and pull trays upon trays of different options—be it wedding bands or engagement rings—until you find something you like. They’ve even been known to swap diamonds for cubic zirconia and gemstones in real gold settings for customers who want to sparkle for less. (No judgment either!) Their generous buy-back policy means you’ll get cash for jewelry even if the piece didn’t come from Freddy’s and you’re not buying with them. Freddy’s really is a cut above the rest. 

Most of us don’t just hand over a diamond ring to just anyone to repair, yet customers do regularly drop off their fine jewelry at H & H Jewels for servicing. From fixing a botched design to altering the current look of a piece, H & H handles it all and does it well, judging by the volume of clients who frequent the Coconut Grove shop. But it’s not just resizing rings that gets customers through the door. The success of H & H is the result of owner H. Bredemeier’s incredible talent as a designer, handcrafting all of the beautiful, vintage-inspired pieces and exquisite jewelry on display in the window.

After more than 70 years in business, Coral Gables’ oldest fine-jewelry store continues to be one of the most trusted places to shop for diamond rings, wedding bands and gemstone pieces. While the men who regularly turn up to buy new trinkets for their wives or girlfriends are always pleasantly surprised to find a wide selection of Rolexes and other Swiss-made watches. Customers are welcomed to create a wish list for their loved ones, a sort of personal registry that lets your loved ones know your favorite pieces in the store. Though there’s no substitute for browsing at Jae’s—trying on jewelry, learning about the designs and spending time with the Hornik family, who continue to helm the business after so many years.

Spain’s command of the affordable luxury market—Zara and Desigual, to name a few—extends to the accessories segment by way of this wildly popular jewelry brand, whose only U.S. outpost is at the Aventura Mall. Aristrocrazy’s solid pedigree (it’s a product of the Suárez Jewelry family, one of Spain’s leading luxury jewelers) shows through its wide range of styles, which are sold in four categories: trendy (what’s cool on the street), essentials (what you’ll want to keep forever), fun (what you can customize and add gemstones to) and diamonds (what’s worth the splurge). All of the jewelry is handcrafted, which means the old-school jeweler’s desk in the shop is the real deal. 

The quintessential neighborhood jewelry store, Maurice’s Jewelers has been the go-to place for locals in Pinecrest, Kendall and Killian for more than 75 years. Though it’s not to say clients don’t come from other areas in Miami. In 2011, they moved to a bigger location to accommodate their growing following—including the boys who watched their fathers shop for their mothers here and now make their own purchases. More square footage means a wider selection, from a large Pandora shop and custom fashion jewelry section to a sophisticated bridal salon.

It’s not every day that one is in the market for a diamond-encrusted syringe pendant or a gold razorblade, though if you do happen to be, Jason of Beverly Hills has you covered. Wearing one of Jason’s controversial, albeit beautiful pieces, is a form of stylish social commentary—which is partly why a number of celebrities call themselves fans of the brand. High-end clients looking for something subtler to sport will still find plenty to browse in his crimson-decorated Design District showroom, complete with a plush seating area.