Honorable Company of Metalsmiths

In my first visit to a local renasaince fair, I ran into this company. The company seemed fine until I went to ask about some opal rings. The old man selling them started making some somewhat inappropriate jokes which had me and my fiance laughing but he then said I was abusing my fiance cause he was hitting on me. Obviously, I had no idea how to respond to that as me and my fiance were there to buy rings for our marriage day and I was not trying to pursue the old man, and me and my fiance were both laughing at his jokes. Needless to say, I no longer wanted a ring from this company after that. Having a complete stranger make false accusations about their customers when they try to buy a ring doesn't make the customer want to come back. As a consumer, I will be buying a ring on Etsy and would recommend the same.

I was so excited to go back to get another talisman and hopefully talk to the wonderful lady who helped us last time. Unfortunately, she was no where to be seen. We were helped by a gentleman this time who was talkative and attentive, but had what appeared to be no bounds of what was appropriate, or have any intuition or sense when he was making women uncomfortable.
Though our talismans are still great and well made, this man repeatably made us uncomfortable, commenting on how «attractive» we were, making racist jokes and not seeming to have any sense as to when he ought to have stopped.
The person I was with and I made it clear we were not comfortable, by gently correcting his racial jokes and doing our best not to respond to his innuendos.
Sex jokes are fun, but I would have thought a large man who is a stranger to his audience would have enough sense to know when his sexual innuendos are making two young women uncomfortable.
Men: Can ya’ll NOT keep doing that?
We love the Honorable Company of Metalsmiths. But this encounter left a bad taste in our mouths.

Five stars for the final product: a locally crafted, beautiful engagement ring I can look at AND play with.
But it was more work to get it than I expected. My fiancé and I got engaged in November 2014, but wanted to find our own rings. After a lengthy online and jewelry store search I happened upon Norm Greene’s puzzle rings at the Dicken’s Fair. They were gorgeous, but the fancier/​non-​silver ones on display were over $ 1000– well beyond our budget. Still, I tried them on, really liked the design, and Shawn behind the counter encouraged me to reach out later for a custom order that would cost about 50% less for what I wanted.
I emailed the address on Shawn’s card; never heard back. Then I emailed Norm directly 2 weeks later, who responded within a few days. We exchanged several emails, concluding that an appointment for the following weekend would work, but no time mentioned. And then Norm disappeared. I worried that I’d asked too many questions and he got tired of me, so I had my fiancé contact him two weeks later with almost immediate response. Maybe Norm just prefers phone to email, or we misunderstood each other?
The studio isn’t open on the weekends (it’s a collective workshop space, not a storefront), so we arranged to leave work in SF early to get to Berkeley before the staff left at 5 on a weekday. Got there, spent 5 minutes trying on samples and hashing out the details, paid and left. 1 week later, custom order delivered!
I’m really happy with the end result and would order from him again, but I was also *really* determined to get a ring from this guy (saw product Dec 14; visited studio/​placed order Jan 31; delivered Feb 5).
A slightly-​less-​interested customer (or one with other local puzzle ring competitors to choose from) would probably have given up sooner– but beautiful things come to those who wait!

My fiancée and I had been talking marriage for a bit, but I wanted a non traditional engagement ring. We stumbled upon this jeweler while wandering the Carolina Renaissance festival in October 2014. When I saw the high-​end puzzle rings made by Norman Greene, I fell in love. My boyfriend was thrilled that we found a place that makes unique and beautiful rings. I custom ordered a white gold ring with 4 bands, and a garnet. The order was commissioned on a Sunday, and by Wednesday it had shipped to us. We had the ring eight days after ordering it. :) It is the most beautiful ring I have ever worn, and a fitting engagement piece. The manager, Jenny Davidson, was friendly and knowledgeable, and Mr. Greene’s work is incredible. If you are looking for more casual fare, he also makes less expensive silver puzzle rings as well. I cannot praise this business highly enough!

Last year, i visited the Ren Fest in Minnesota and purchased a lovely 4 band silver puzzle ring. I went back this year and searched all over fest until i found the «same ring place» i had purchased from before. the rings are wonderful and the people there are friendly and helpful.
Of course I got another ring. The woman behind the counter gave me about $ 10 off because i was a return customer. Every year they come out to the fair, i’ll make sure to stop by… and when i go home to visit (i lived in the bay area for most of my life), i’ll make sure to stop by the store!

This company not only sells rings. They also sell a mechanical instrument that can only be described as an ancient computer called an Astrolabe. It is amazing, one of a kind and just freaking cool!
It is complicated and a lot of written material comes with it to explain it. But I still had questions. The employees of Honorable Company spent nearly an hour with me answering my questions. I went home and was able to do everything it boasted. And when checked against measuring tape, calculators and GPS devices, it is indeed accurate.
Quality products, Quality service. 5 stars all the way.

I bought a silver puzzle ring from this company at the Dicken’s Fair last year. The ring has been a constant source of amusement for me and for anyone interested in solving its puzzle.
I also checked out their website (
) where they have their higher-​end rings– the most beautiful puzzle rings I have ever seen. Bravo! I know where I would like to get an engagement ring from now… :)

This is a business that makes rings, and other jewelry. I saw some of the finest gold rings today that I have ever seen. These are 18K gold and nothing fake about them. They will make rings to suit you. They are expensive but well worth it. Check out their web site.