On my recent trip to Manhattan, I got the chance to visit two of my favorite fine jewelry shops in person: Mejuri and Maria Tash. I didn’t go with anything in mind, but I did leave with a better understanding of which shop offered better customer service and better bang for your buck. It’s Mejuri vs Maria Tash! Sounds interesting? Let’s get into it!
Mejuri vs Maria Tash: What are they?
Mejuri is an everyday fine jewelry company based in Canada. For those of you that learned about Mejuri like me, Youtuber, Claire Marshall was the reason I got into Mejuri. I would describe it more as a minimal, to a simple type of style when it comes to finer jewelry. Not everything they sell is solid gold, they also have vermeil pieces.
What is vermeil?
Vermeil is usually done on sterling silver. It involves a process that results in a solid gold plating over a fine metal; in this case, it’s sterling silver.
Mejuri has a variety of rings, bracelets, earrings, and much more. My first Mejuri pieces were their dainty diamond rings!
My favorite section to explore on Mejuri’s site is the rings and occasionally the earrings. I love stacking jewelry, so I went for the diamond stackable rings. There’s a lot to choose from, but my favorite was the “Diamonds Open Ring,” along with the “Solo Diamond Ring.” Both of these rings come in different sizes (they’ll be made to order) and go well stacked on one another.
I will say this, the “Diamonds Open Ring,” can be a bit annoying if it gets stuck in your clothes because it’ll warp out of shape. Not fun.
Maria Tash
I have to say, I hadn’t heard of Maria Tash before I came across her designs on social media. The way I learned about her unique designs and the idea of a “curated ear” was by watching a YouTube video about piercings!
I have a total of 9 ear piercings and my latest one (spoiler alert) is from Maria Tash.
Maria Tash is all about very high-end, designer, high-quality fine jewelry. The difference between Maria Tash and Mejuri is the carat weight of the gold used and the quality of the diamonds. Maria Tash has pieces with other gemstones, but if it isn’t plain, solid gold, then you can be it’s got diamonds!
This brand is where it’s at when it comes to piercing jewelry. Where Mejuri has necklaces and bracelets, Maria Tash focuses more on piercing jewelry (earrings, nose rings, etc…).
Mejuri vs Maria Tash: Location Location Location!
Because I live in New York, I’m lucky to have both shops within about an hour’s commute from where I live. Both shops are located near Little Italy in Manhattan. This past weekend was the first time I’ve seen both shops in person (as opposed to stalking the sites from home).
First off, both shops were much smaller than I had imagined. Consider them both to be more like boutiques.
This lead me to believe that if I wanted something they didn’t have in person, they’d have to order it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally ok with that.
Maria Tash has a safe or an inventory safe in a different area than the actual store. This totally intrigued me. It’s a great security measure and if they happen to be out of stock, they too will order your item for you.
Mejuri vs Maria Tash: What are you looking for?
Since both of these brands offer designer fine jewelry, think about what you’re looking for. Maria Tash focuses more on earrings and other piercings while Mejuri offers earrings, rings, and necklaces!
I will say this: Mejuri is more of a day-to-day, dainty style sort of vibe. If you want to gift something simple to someone, Mejuri is a great way to go! With their reasonable price points, there’s something for every market.
If you’re looking for higher-end fine jewelry, then that’s where Maria Tash comes in. Again, I’m not saying anything negative about Mejuri, but it really comes down to what you’re looking for.
What do I mean by higher-end?
Maria Tash offers pieces done in 18k gold. Therefore, you’ll notice that most of her jewelry is pricier. Makes sense why?
If you visited both websites, I’m sure you’re wondering why Mejuri offers diamond jewelry at a lower price.
Before I can explain the reasons, know that Maria Tash deals in high-quality diamonds and gemstones.
Diamonds are graded just like exams are. The higher the grade, the more expensive the diamond. Maria Tash offers pieces with VS quality diamonds.
What does that mean? Do diamonds have grades?
When it comes to clarity, diamonds have different grades ranging from I3 to FL. I3 is the lowest grade, and the “I” stands for Included. These diamonds are the cloudiest. You can see the inclusions with the naked eye. “FL” on the other hand, stands for Flawless and they are the most expensive!
Maria Tash uses VS quality diamonds which are basically, “Very Slightly Included.” They range higher on the grade scale and higher in price but boy, the sparkle! Maria Tash’s pieces are literally fire!
Mejuri on the other hand uses SI-quality diamonds which are the most common. SI stands for “Slightly Included.” These catch the light and reflect it well but not as well as VS-grade diamonds. They are way more affordable and that’s why they’re great for daily wear.
In my opinion, if I want to invest in a piece I rather spend a bit more money and get better quality. Remember that’s my opinion! I rarely change out my jewelry and I rarely take it off. So I want solid gold and something that will last me a lifetime.
Mejuri vs Maria Tash: Price Point and Quality
I would be treating both brands very unfairly if I were to generally compare the two. There are many fine jewelry brands out there but these two are my favorite. So no hard feelings.
Mejuri takes the cake when it comes to the price point of their jewelry. You can find some beautiful pieces, especially their earrings at a great deal! But remember, they’re dainty, so don’t expect them to be hefty. Solid gold doesn’t mean that it’s unbreakable. Mejuri offers dainty and delicate pieces and where I’m concerned, I need something stronger because I won’t take it off. One of my Mejuri rings bent and broke (while it made me cry, I found a way to get it repaired). The bands are fairly thin (the stackables) and with constant use, this was bound to happen.
Because it had been over a year, I took it to a local jeweler to repair it and it didn’t cost me more than a tank of gas (relatively speaking, because I know gas is mad expensive right now).
Both Maria Tash and Mejuri have good quality, but Maria Tash has a finer selection due to the stones they use. So in that case I’d give Maria Tash the upper hand. The diamonds are all high-grade and well-set. She offers a variety of stones, colors, and finishes as well! So for example, if you want to order a hoop for your cartilage but aren’t sure if it’s a one size fits all situation, you can choose the diameter you need. Mejuri doesn’t offer that option.
If you’re into piercings and fine-piercing jewelry, go with Maria Tash.
Mejuri vs Maria Tash: Customer Service and Hygiene
This is where things were very different from what I was expecting from a highly-regarded brand.
The shops were both intimate and small and that’s not an issue, because both had enough employees to make sure that the shops aren’t over capacity.
Mejuri: Customer Service Needs Work
Mejuri was the one I had more expectations from because I’ve shopped with them before and have never had any issues. At the store in Manhattan, there was someone counting the people inside the shop to make sure that it wasn’t over capacity. She was also there to let us know about piercing appointments and where we could find help.
The store is filled with tables of various displays with most of the inventory you can find on their website. You can physically touch and hold all the pieces but don’t worry, there is enough security to make sure that things don’t “disappear.”
I had a question about piercing flat back studs and it took almost 45 minutes to get someone to actually listen to me. There are multiple employees with whom you can purchase your pieces without having to actually stand in line. But what this does is affect checking out in an orderly way. People were standing around waiting for help.
Hygiene Needs Work
Mejuri has no hygiene and that’s sad to say. Everyone is touching all the pieces, trying them on, walking around with them, etc. In some cases, people were looking to purchase the display item if there weren’t any more in stock.
The first thing, I feel it’s ok to try on a bracelet but earrings? NO.
COVID is not new and just because it’s a different type of sickness, doesn’t mean there aren’t other illnesses we should overlook. Piercings are intimate. What someone puts inside their ear shouldn’t be shared with other people. If there’s no way around this, then clean the earrings. I didn’t notice anyone do that.
Maria Task: Great Customer Service
At Maria Task, there was someone constantly helping people waiting to be attended to, while the people being attended to were assigned one person. You felt no pressure to hurry up, you can ask as many questions as you want and there is someone to help.
When I entered, someone greeted me at the door and showed me exactly where to wait and sit for what I wanted.
I felt the attention was more personal and I loved it. When you’re thinking of getting a new piercing, you want to feel that you have the tech’s full attention! Everything was explained beautifully and the service was outstanding.
Hygiene is something Maria Tash takes seriously. You are not allowed to try any pieces (they only deal with piercing jewelry). They have a stick where they place the item and you can hold the stick to where you would have wanted to try the jewelry. For example, instead of putting the earring in your ear, you can have it on the stick and place it near your ear to make sure it fits.
The employees are able to tell you the gauge of each piece and tell you if they would fit in your current piercings. Because Maria Tash uses their jewelry to pierce your ears, they use the needle to pierce and then immediately put in your new earrings.
The marker that was used to mark where to pierce my ear was given to me as a souvenir but more importantly, it’s a matter of hygiene.
What am I saying?
At the end of the day, it all depends on what you’re looking for. I expected certain things from both stores and while Maria Tash ticked all those boxes for me, Mejuri is still a place I’d be interested in. It’s about what you want. They both have fine jewelry pieces meant for every type of style but if you’re looking to get a new piercing and high-quality (VS diamonds) fine jewelry, stick with Maria Tash. If you want something for daily wear, check both out!
