Waterton Lost Art Jewelry - Daniel Sommerfeld

Lost Art Jewelry in Waterton, Alberta, really stands out for its exceptional service. The atmosphere is relaxed, with no pressure to make a purchase, which makes for a pleasant shopping experience. The quality of their handmade jewelry is impressive, and it’s clear that a lot of care goes into each piece. My wife was thrilled with her selection of a beautiful ruby and diamond ring. Overall, it's a fantastic place for anyone looking for unique, high-quality jewelry. Highly recommend!

We stopped for an impromptu visit at Lost Art Jewelry and had the pleasure of meeting the artist himself. Daniel was incredibly informative and patient with us while we asked questions about his craft and discussed potential modifications to my husband’s wedding band. The jewelry in his shop is bespoke and one of a kind, a true testament to Daniel’s magnificent craftsmanship. We couldn’t be more pleased with the results of my husband’s wedding band after Daniel had worked on it. Truly though, the best part was at the end when my husband surprised me with a little diamond ring that I had been admiring in the shop earlier. Thank you Daniel for playing a role in the surprise and for an unforgettable experience overall ! If you are looking for a highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced jeweller who will create durable, handcrafted, one of a kind pieces of the highest quality, Daniel at Lost Art Jewelry must be your first choice. With gratitude, Adriana & Ryan

A word of caution for comissions... I will preface this by saying, Daniel’s work is beautiful, he has real talent, and if you see items in his gallery or online shop that you like, and are happy with the price point, by all means spend your money here. He deserves to be paid fairly for his work, as does any skilled artisan. However, his lack of communication and assumptions became a pattern, and as someone who has been gaslit before, a few interactions felt very reminiscent of that. I would like to share my experience in the hopes that someone else avoids my situation (after speaking with friends I’m unfortunately already not alone). I recently received a ring I commissioned from Daniel. As a small shop owner who does custom work, and who has worked with a jeweler before to customize my own wedding ring set, I went in with a certain set of expectations for this interaction. This experience was so wildly different from what I expected, I can’t see myself returning. From beginning to end – because of the spotty communication among other things– the whole process took about 9 months. We ended up with a ring in the end that is beautiful, and that I will wear, but ultimately isn’t quite what I had hoped for, and I wasn’t as involved with the design process as I’d hoped to be. This ring was the second –unexpectedly completely finished– piece that we were presented with after weeks/months of silence and questions still left unanswered. Only after this second “prototype” was finished did he finally answer some of those questions, at which point we discovered his hourly rate was more than 5x any average I could find for a Master Jeweler in the area. I’m all for charging what you feel you’re worth, but this amount was not expected nor disclosed at any point prior, otherwise we wouldn’t have gone through with the down payment. We knew he charged at least a bit more than we’d seen for the kind of piece what we were looking for. We had hoped that by spending a bit more money on a commission from a more experienced artisan, we would have more close contact and communication with regard to design and customization. He did say he was more than willing to continue to work with us until we were satisfied, but in the end we were both frustrated, I felt lied to, and we ended the transaction. I ended up receiving the ring wrapped in a scrap of cotton and tossed into an old used ziploc bag (seemingly out of spite, I assume this isn’t standard practice for him). So, make of that what you will, and I advise anyone looking for a commission from this shop to ensure design details are clear (provide example pictures/drawings), rates are disclosed, and agreements are made on paper before any deposit is made. *Edit to reply* Sure thing, I’ve added a picture of the ring as I received it

It was through Daniel, the owner, that I learned that January's birthstone is not just the red one, but in fact can be green, pink, yellow and 3 other colors. I don't like the typical color for January. Daniel had some designs already, so I had him use the beautiful green stone in a beautiful seating. We live in Lacombe, so much of our communication was through electronic means. We drove down to Waterton just before the May long weekend and picked up my ring. Daniel was incredibly accommodating with our time constraints (6 hours one way), and kept me in the loop of progress. I definitely recommend him when you want some beautiful jewelry.

I recently had Daniel do some custom jewelry for myself and my daughters. His work is amazing and I love the quality. He is so talented. I would highly recommend him for your unique and artistic jewelry. He also very pleasant to work with.

Daniel is a true craftsman. We had him custom make a bracelet for us. His workmanship and quality were exquisite. He knows what he is doing. He treated us well and honestly. He is certainly kind and caring. He does quality work! We highly recommend him for your jewelry needs and wants!

Purchased a bracelet souvenir for my wife here. Dealt directly with the owner of the shop for the sale. Very friendly, calm, non pushy atmosphere. Would recommend!

Daniel is an extremely gifted artist. He was wonderful to consult with while he hand fabricated a custom ring for me. I love the ring very much and rarely remove it. I highly recommend Daniel for any special custom work as well as for his original designs which he also offers. He is from Alberta and so am I so I am especially pleased to own his OOAK, fabulous rings.