As a professional metal smith and lapidary artist, I have been a customer of Rio Grande for over two decades. Up until the last year, the service was great. I have had several issues with the materials that I received in the past couple of orders. I purchased a group of silver chains to find that when they ran out of chain, they just wired on a couple inches of scrap chain to make up for the length (see photos), I did not notice this until I had put a patina on the chain and started to feed it through the bail of the pendant. The next issue was with the paste solder that I ordered, I started using this particular solder about 6 years ago and have had excellent results from it. I was able to cut processing and build time by two thirds using s the paste solder, not to mention that it is cleaner than any other options available. Because of this, I have been using it exclusively for six years. The last order of paste solder was noticeably different in color and texture than what I have been getting, even though it is under the same listing, order number and description. After several attempts at using this new bottle of paste solder, the results were extremely different. I contacted Rio with these issues and after some explanation of why the solder is different, they claim that they have had problems with the previously supplied paste solder so they discontinued from that supplier and went to a different supplier. I was told that replacement solder and chain would be in the mail the following day. So, two weeks later, 7 emails and still no replacement in the mail, I have had 7 pieces of jewelry fail at the solder joint causing me to have to completely rebuild each piece. I have wasted numerous hours going back and forth with Rio trying to figure out a solution to the solder issues, with no positive results. I have requested to be put in contact with the original supplier of the paste solder and was told “nope, we don’t share information about suppliers!”It has become painfully clear that Rio has little to no care about the quality of the product they supply, only the profits they make by cutting corners and screwing the little guy! This is a prime example of an “American” company that would rather support China garbage business than the herd working citizens of the US! It is truly a shame that the general economy is driven by quantity over quality! So when you are buying the garbage that says “made in China” remember that you are supporting a communist society that cares exclusively about money over anything else!
I have always had good customer service in dealing with this company. They send out my order and I receive it quickly, much faster than other companys. Everyone I have talked to (for about 8 years now, give or take) have been friendly (its mostly in how you approach others, people), if you give vinegar you will get vinegar, be nice... they are doing their job, some do the job better than others but Im sure dealing with some people is not easy. Anyway, like Ive said, Ive always had good luck with Rio, great customer service!!
Ive only been making silver accessories at my company new shizz for a little over a year and its already clear that Rio grande is the standout in an industry filled with unsafe, unethical, and dishonest players. They ship quickly, if you buy silver you get silver, they offer bulk discounts and free shipping, their website works really good, and they offer a ton of good learning materials. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say you wont get better gold or silver at a better price anywhere. Above all, they care about their customers and their community. Thank you to the whole Rio grande team!
The owners of this store decided that local business was not a priority to them and shut down in store or will call purchases. What a disappointment. I refuse to pay $10-15 shipping costs for items that are literally a few miles from me.
I seen a couple of the reviews that were posted talking about customer service and not accepting credit cards. 1st I am from Canada and I pay with my credit card. 2nd customer service ?!?!? this person is in a delusional dream world and probably has done very little business with Rio.Rio Grande has the greatest customer service of any company on this planet!!!!I have been dealing with this company for 11 years and any time that theres a problem they immediately look after it. They cover the shipping send you the item and when you get it they send you a return label to return the item.Most corporations these days have no care about their customers. Your calling call centres in El Salvador, the Philippines, Brazil India and the list goes on. They do not give a shit about their customers.Rio Grande thank you for your support over the years and top quality products...
WARNING:Ive been buying from Rio Grande for over 10 years. They are not the cheapest supplier around but they were convenient. I now think I will either go to Stullar or IJS.THE REASON BEING:I went to them a couple weeks ago looking for pink opal which is the color they do not supply. I got a hold of someone in the gem Department, his name is Chris Hoffman.He was fairly quick to reply on my request to see if they could Supply pink and or orange opal. He stated that they did not have a call for that color but he would see if he could find me pink which is for project I was working on. He did happen to find me some he told me it weighed approx 10 to 15 grams he wasnt sure, it was estimated per piece and he found 2 pieces but he just received the dimensions.. He charged me $65.00 for one piece. When I received the product it weighed 4.73G!!! So for $65 i received under 5 grams which is almost 3 times the rate for the simulated opal that they sell now. When it was 10 to 15 grams that $6.50 a gram at 10 grams and for special order I was willing to pay that, but instead I got under 5 grams and feel as I got the shaft. I also had to pay $8 shipping for a under 5 grams of product.BE WARNED, THEY WILL SERIOUSLY OVER CHARGE YOU.He was quick to respond to my request but not to my complaint. Now I can return the product but then by the time I find the pink opal I need for my product for breast cancer awareness this month it would be too late so they have me over a barrel.So once I made my complaint MiKayla got back with me, and she offered me either a partial in store credit and or shipping return if I was not pleased. When I told her I would take the credit she only offered me shipping price which was $7.99.Now they charged me $8 to mail me something that did not even weigh a full ounce. She only offered me the shipping charge back still keeping the $65 for 4.73 G of simulated opal, no more than that. I wanted at least $30 in credit.Seeing that we would not come to an agreement I asked for a full refund and decided to take my business elsewhere...I am now a customer with Stuller for everything instead of just a few things and I am awaiting my refund for the entire piece of opal.My project is no longer relevant since breast cancer awareness month is over Wednesday. I guess I will be prepared for next year.By the way I did find a Stateside opal dealer. He buys from Germany instead of Hong Kong and he only charges a $1.90 a gram You have to buy larger pieces but even the larger pieces are $65 to $80 and you get a lot more product!
I have placed 3 orders with Rio since the pandemic shut most everything down. Once again I am impressed with how Rio places the safety of their customers and employees first, while still making sure orders get out asap, and correctly (unlike other large mail order companies we may have to do business with). While I do really miss picking up my orders at will-call, shipping prices are fairly reasonable, and my last 2 orders arrived, impressively, within 24 hours. Best of all, there is always someone at Rio immediately available by phone to resolve issues and/or answer questions, and they are always helpful and pleasant. Proud of how they represent my home town.
Great selection except they wont process international orders via a credit card.Wasted a lot of time creating an order only to be told a couple days later that the Patriot Act somehow bars credit card transactions from new clients.Will find a supplier in Canada.
Do not order anything from this company very disorganized. They have no customer service at all the reps lie to you about everything. Been waiting 3 weeks for a refund and just get the run around when I call buyer beware you have been warned. The items they sell are misrepresented on there website and the wire they sell is very inferior.
I just waited on hold for 14 minutesJust to be hung up on by the associate because she said she couldnt hear me I could hear her fine I just let her know aboutHow long Ive been on hold and she hung up on me
I love dealing with Rio! Great products and services!
I am a keepsake memorial jewelry designer and I have been buying from Rio for over a year now. They are great and the customer service is always amazing if I need to call and ask a question.
Great selection, good prices, easy-to-use website. Highly recommend.
I have been a customer for years and usually am satisfied with Rio Grande Jewlery.However, I just received an email from Customer Service that they would not send a missing item from an order. The order had four items and they only sent three.Their reason was that the order was more than 30 days old. If that is the case I will stop ordering in advance in the event I can’t get to the project in time to satisfy their 30 day rule.I gave them a one star for this foul ball. John M
My experience has been excellent! Having the option to purchase materials in bulk to have on hand or a small amount for a single project is a definite plus! Excellent selection of tools, materials and resources to learn from.
Excellent service, every time i need to call theyre very polite and knowledgeable....even though stuller headquarters is 10min. from my house Id rather spend my money on great customer service than rudeness....thank you Rio
No longer open for counter service. Everything must be done online.
Spam, Spam, and more and more Spam. If you order from these vermin, theyll show you their appreciation by spamming you to no end, even if you try to opt out. Just imagine how they treat people they dont like. Order from someone who respects their customers; not Rio Grande.
Reliable and fast 👌
I love Rio Grande!! They are so quick with shipping, and their customer service is excellent!
Competitive pricing, well functioning, intuitive website, everything you need for jewelry creation at one company. Good charts/articles. Great tech support & customer support.
This place is probably the best place there is! You have a question about a product, they are there for you! They even assured me that I can get a refund if it was not what I was looking for. When I went ahead and bought it, they sent it to me THAT VERY DAY! This has never happened to me before! The shipping was lightning quick(about a day in a half). The product was above and beyond satisfactory! I am now a loyal customer to this place and HIGHLY recommend!!
Love that they have great resources to discuss product questions before and after purchase. However, it is often impossible to reach a tech to discuss a product without enduring a full information shakedown first; name, address, phone number, email and customer number.
I appreciate your YouTube tutorials, customer service, quick shipping, massive variety of supplies, metal recycling & competitive pricing. Thank you so much :)
Very beautiful quality of products and range of materials (I work w/ v. fine sterling silver) that I havent found elsewhere, often seem to be fabricated in US or Italy. Great prices for the quality. Their tech support team is amazing! They literally teach me while helping me solve pain points I come across.
Wow this is a great store, the people who work there are wonderful, know what their doing, about products their just amazing! The products, tools and anything youll need they got it! And if you dont know how to use it they tell you or get someone who does! Education! Yes they even have class you can take! Or if you just need a DVD, a book or both theyve got that to! .......... In store, Online and oh they have catalogs! Try it them youll like them! Have fun!
Very, very, helpful. I was extremely impressed with hands on demo that I received from the staff there was and awesome experience. First time there a d wont be my last, I have plans to bring my dad there and do the tour again, oh yeah I purchased a couple of items before I left also.
I buy the majority of my jewelry supplies from Rio Grande. The quality of silver findings and chain is superior to many other supply companies that Ive purchased from. Its one of the very few companies that sell Argentium Silver and findings. Not to mention that for me its local so I can drive there, but even before I lived here in NM I still ordered from Rio Grande. If I ever have a technical question I can talk to one of their knowledgeable employees and get answers. The customer service reps are great! They have videos and blogs about new tools and techniques. They deserve 6 stars.
Rio Grande is my go to supplier. I’ve purchased many thousands of $$ worth of tools, precious metals, and stones from them over the years and never had any problems except the most minor that was due to a manufacturer defect; and they corrected it properly.I saw another reviewer here foolishly complaining about sales tax; not only is Rio bound by law now to collect and remit tax to a number of other states, they clearly state this on their website during checkout including the process that is used during a PayPal transaction.When someone new to the business asks me where to buy supplies, the first word out of my mouth is “Rio”.
Rio Grande is the by far the best jewelry supply company that I have ever worked with. I have been buying materials from them for over 7 years and they are precise and expedient. Their customer service is nonpareil and they value their customers immensely and make it very clear that they appreciate your business. Thank you for your help today, Jennifer!
I especially appreciate the way they package and sell their metals, the coils are perfectly sized to use and store. Their precious metal recycling is by far the best Ive ever seen. Their prices are very good, I trust them implicitly.
They have absolutely everything when it comes to jewelry making supplies. They are generous with their advice and items are shipped very quickly. Prices are competitive and they always have what I need.
They seem to be out of business.
They are always so Helpful and I have a good attitude towards helping. I always enjoy my time there. Even though I am a little intimidated by everything I dont know.
I have been a very loyal customer for approximately 10 years. I have purchased hundreds of copper colored niobium earwires in the past year or two. However, recently, discovered through my customers and myself that the thickness/guage of the copper color niobium earwires is too large for most peoples lobes. Very disappointed in how Rio Grande failed to rectify the situation.peoples lobes.
[Edit] - Bumping original 2 star review, up to 4. Ive dealt with customer service on two occasions now, and Rio Grande is pretty excellent at this. Originally I was miffed about paying State Tax on my purchase, even though they are out of state, but was not familiar with laws that went in to place for online retailers a year or two ago. Rio still gets my business.
Great customer service and supplies for artists and metalsmiths.
Rio Grande is the best. I have bought all my metals: sterling, argentium, gold filled, copper and brass, wire, sheets and beads for wire wrapped and beaded jewelry for many years now. Customer service and tech support are wonderful and shipping is fast.
Worst ever. Never will buy here. Unscrupulous and unsupportive. Choose any supplier but this one. Customer reps dont know their business. Horrible products and quality control. Ships poorly packaged and wrong items. Metals are questionable quality.
I buy everything I need from Rio! If they dont have it I dont need it. They do a great job with all my orders! Thank you for your excellence!
Thank you so much : Nick and Thomas helped me so much, you were very patient & so respectfull : respite my accent, whitch is not always the case. From jde bijoux
Ill never order from this company again! Worst customer service Ive ever had. First of all, they sent me the wrong sheet metal. The label they had it packaged in even said clearly STERLING SILVER. Only to find it was argentium and not sterling silver, after I soldered my bezel wire to the backplate and having it crack due to quenching it, thinking it was sterling. I was out not only my studio fees and time, my bezel wire as well at the hands of their mistake. The woman who I talked to over the phone the first time assured me that they would not only replace the full sheet, but my bezel wire as well. She was an absolute liar! I had the pleasure of talking to her a second time after I received an email stating my money was being refunded after I sent back my exchange. She not only went on to tell me that I would need to re purchase my sheet again, but this time the price of silver had gone up an extra $6 & I would have to pay the difference. Oh and I would also not be receiving any replacement bezel wire. Had they gotten my order right the first time, I wouldnt have had a difference to pay! This company is nothing but absolute liars and thieves. This is also not the first instance Ive heard of Rio screwing up customers metal orders. Mistakes happen, but to not make up for them is just terrible business & they have absolutely lost all of mine!
Rio is a wonderful supplier for anyone that makes jewelry.
The day my package was supposed to arrive, I went outside to find it never came and I waited all day for it. Ups likely dropped it off at the wrong house in some other area because I never got it. I contacted rio for help on the mater and they got back to me right away and after discussing the issue they sent me out my new package. I will definitely order from them again.
Their business section, especially the office handling purchases from schools is useless. They could not issue an invoice for us so we can purchase the items in a single interaction. Consequently I was not able to put both items on a single order which resulted in paying for 2 separate shipping. It costs us an additional $300 or so. I have been purchasing items through Purdue University Business Office for 5 years. First time running to such a case where a business can not issue invoices and is not willing to support its customers even after receiving calls from them.
They are great to do business with very helpful have went above and beyond any time I have had a question and needed help great people I wish more companies were like them
I lack the words to say enough good things about this company, great products, super fast shipping, I am pleased to have found such an uncanny company to spend my money at! Kudos!
In loved everything there at the Rio Grande Zoo I enjoy going with friends and family in the summer time, my most enjoyable time I had at the zoo with my most recent visit was taking photos with family was Giraffes loved how silly a giraffe was acting.
I love Rio Grande!! I get all my jewelry making supplies and tools here. Very Friendly service too!!
Rio rarely messes up an order except this last order I ordered paste solderThere was suppose to be 3 mls. There was a tag covering the concerns,when the tag was remove d I had less than 1/2 ml. Bummed me out. Probably filled by a bot, a human shouldnt,t made that error. Be nice if I received a new bottle. Oh well.
This place is ok
I reordered the same ring blanks after a couple years, used the very same product number. I sorted stones for hours in anticipation of using them.Guess what? They look the same yet the size of stone they will hold has diminished considerably, apparently they can use less silver and consider it the same product.The ring blanks are very nice, but since I had counted on something else I wasted $80. I can still use them and I will order again because they are a real quality company, but I am quite unhappy about this.Another issue, when you try to send an e-mail there it puts you into a Windows program and when you complete your letter it will not Send, says theres an error. Ive experienced this very same thing with a couple of other companies, same automated program, same result. Makes you think they dont want to hear from you!?
Beautiful Community
I love the tortillas, but here lately, everytime I heat them up, they bubble up in the middle and the edges get hard and they crack. Thats why I quit buying the Albuquerque tortillas. So I guess Ill have to buy Mission. Just want to say that Rio grande tortillas are a lot better now. Its the only brand I buy now. Thank you Rio grande tortillas for the improvement.
They have absolutely great customer service and are a pleasure to deal with. Their product selection is, literally, the best in the world.
I love the customer service and I will never stray from buying my supplies from any other supplier!
As a hobby jeweler I have shopped with Rio Grande since 2001. I have never had a bad experience until last night when I found out I couldnt even get a price on a Diamond or Moissanite. According to their policy you need to be in business to buy these stones. This policy Sucks Bad. DW
Every thing went smoothly when buying. Someone from Rio Grande even emailed me with a problem when ordering BUT since sending my order no one will contact me regards to 2 items not included with order. I have send many emails to different sections and sent a letter hoping to hear from you. I am very very disappointed as it is hard to access PMC in Australia and I am Out of Pocket Su Treloar
Buy most of my supplies through Rio. Customer service is awesome. Shipping prices are high.
Great place to work. Friendly. honest and fun people.
Place sucks.. told the wait was 15 mins ended up 45 mins.. food order was wrong.. not all items on the menu were available.. dont know what happened to this place but its not what it used to be
Freaking top notch customer service!!!!
Good selection for most items, fair prices
All quality tools and accessories thus far.
This is a great company to work with!
Very good!
Quality! Jane Iris Designs