This place rocks. Not only do they have cool stuff that I like to ogle, but their staff is super sweet. (Cue Cartman voice: SUP-AH SHWEET.) I took in a necklace that needed fixing, and they did the job in two seconds flat. No charge. Totally sweet, down-to-earth service. I will return without a doubt. read more

Superb customer service and very pretty jewelry, barrettes, and crafts. I always get compliments when I wear my barrette. I wish more places had the kind of customer service this store offers. It is extremely sincere, friendly, warm, respectful, helpful, top notch. Thank you to all the staff! read more

The Gem Gallery sells wonderful jewelry, probably the most diverse mix of stuff you will ever find. They will do their best to make you what you want as well. You can probably find anything you want here, and if they don't have it they will get it. I recently wanted to find an aquamarine ring to replace one that I had bought years ago in Brazil, but lost They found a ring with a similar setting and different stones, and had it remade with aquamarines. They are definitely not cheap, but when I got a deep scratch on the band, they fixed it and shined it up for free. And they were happy to size it for free when I needed them to. read more

Absolutely the BEST place in Berkeley (maybe even Bay Area) to get your jewelry fixed/resized. Three years ago, I broke my gold necklace and they were able to fix it no problem - for $10. When I got a new watch, it was too big so they removed 2-3 links for $10. My Tiffany's necklace rusted a bit and needed to be cleaned. They cleaned it FOR FREE. They are extremely knowledgable and extremely great at what they do. Great service, great quality, best price. read more

I stopped by today to have a cheap thrift store necklace repaired. The necklace was never scoffed at, and was quickly repaired for free. Free! I suppose it was an issue of pliers and skill, neither of which I have. The gal helping me then assisted my search for a chain for an old charm, and offered to affix the charm to the chain for me, again pro bono. I spent under ten minutes in the store, and left with two like new necklaces and a smile on my face for $17, including tip. Inexpensive, quick, thorough, pleasant, lovely. read more

I like the Gem Gallery. It has neat, old jewelry. The employees are not the most proactively helpful, but if you ask, they oblige.

My family and I have been visiting Bill's Trading Post for as long as I can remember, but I never had any experience with the Gem Gallery before I got engaged and needed my ring re-sized. I have since gone back to get the prongs reinforced (the ring is from the 1920s and the diamonds were wiggling around!). Each experience with the Gem Gallery has been absolutely stellar. Their work is impeccable. I have consulted with Fiona each time I've gone in, and she is amazing. She really knows her stuff and her personal designs are breathtaking. The Gem Gallery has an awe-inspiring collection of unique and antique pieces. I couldn't be happier with my ring and with my new relationship with this shop and Fiona. I highly, highly recommend the Gem Gallery. read more

My husband and I love Bill's Trading Post! I have been going there since the 70's. Every time we visit it's like a step back in time. It's an amazing place that all must see. They will always go the extra mile to provide the best customer service. They have an outstanding Native American art collection and jewelry pieces for great prices. The gem gallery on the other side of the store has an eclectic collection of beautiful rings, watches, and necklaces. The Kachina dolls and the pottery is outstanding as well. Bill's Trading Post is simply the best. read more

Gem Gallery: I've always had good experiences at the Gem Gallery and purchased a beautiful stone there last year. The selection of loose stones is top-notch. Today, I was looking at a gorgeous emerald-cut tsavorite garnet. The associate said me that it was rare to see a green tsavorite. I'm not a gemologist but I do have GIA training and I know that tsavorites come in a color range of green to.... green. read more

The other review is right, this is not the Shane company. it is soooo much better. The Gem Gallery is everything great about small local family run stores in a jewelry shop. I got my fiance's engagement ring here as well as a gift she has not received yet (shhhhh). They have great stuff, will make custom for you, work with very good craftsmen, are super to work with, make recommendations appropriate to you, and price fairly. The other review is also correct that schedule is not necessarily their top priority, great jewelry is, and they do not mind making you wait for perfection rather than selling you something you will be less thrilled with. A little frustrating if you are used to buying generic factory stuff, but easily worth it for something special. Very friendly people and I would refer them to anyone without reservation. read more

We came here to get my grandmother's diamond engagement ring sized and had a very pleasant experience. Maureen and another woman both helped us and were very friendly and helpful. Maureen was super knowledgeable and passionate and taught us a lot about the ring. They charged us $40 and said they'd try their best to get it done by the next day. 14 karat across the street wanted to charge us $65 and the ring would be ready in 3-5 days. read more

The employees at Bill's have always been incredibly nice, friendly, and helpful, even when I don't buy anything! Other stores can be pretentious and assume you aren't going to buy anything and don't bother to help. I went into Bill's a few times to get an idea of what I would like for a wedding ring and they let me try stuff on, no questions asked, with no pressure or sleazy salesmanship. When I had to get my engagement ring re-sized and textured they got it done in ONE day! I was so happy! The quality of work and customer service is excellent and I highly recommend them. read more

Went here to get my watch replaced (can you believe that this is the closest place to Cal to get a watch repaired according to Google?). Friendly blonde chick in a cute polka dot skirt and manicured nails (I guess nice nails gives a good impression in this kind of business) had in done as she quoted in 5 minutes for under $10.. read more

Interesting collection of jewelry and good repair work though both on the expensive side. They sold me a lovely charm bracelet that started to fall apart within 2 hours (rings holding heavy charms were of soft silver and not sealed) though they did give me a full refund. Two of three sales people I dealt with were not very knowledgable (incorrect identification of stone, wrong about decade in which old jewelry was made, and way off on estimated value). The customer service was mixed. Avoid the tall white/blond man who appears to be in his early 20s. I guess he is owner's family because I can't imagine anybody with his lack of skills remaining employed. For example, In response to my asking why something promised in 2 weeks was not ready after 8, he told me the previous repair job was timely. read more

I was in the neighborhood when I noticed they did jewelry repair. I had a broken necklace in my wallet for months, so in I went. The customer service was excellent and the price was really fair. They also have a nice selection of vintage pieces as well. I have a new place for repairs and if I'm in the market for treasures I will go here first. read more

Maureen was so nice and helpful! I walked in knowing I wanted a Ruby ring and ultimately walked out with a beautiful Ruby stone (rings were out of my budget). I sat and chat with her awhile and she was friendly as could be. Very pleasant experience. read more

The shop has the best personnel- always ready to help you fix your jewelry and answer your questions. I have stopped in many times for a minor jewelry repair and they took care of it for free. They also have a master watch repairer who was able to renew a fifty year old heirloom. I love the way everyone seems to cooperate to make customers happy Kate May read more

I took a cheap old watch here to re-attach the watch band to the watch case (just needed a new pin), and they did it for free! I only waited for ~three minutes too. Thanks so much guys, you made my day! read more

I came here to have my grandmother's engagement diamond re-set into a ring for my fiancee (now wife). Julie was super helpful and patient with me as we went through the process. In the end, I got a custom ring that was beautiful, reasonably priced, was made very quickly, and which my wife loves. We came back for the wedding bands. This place is a great choice if you don't know what you're doing because they have a big selection, and are honest and professional. read more

I went here today to get my antique engagement ring re-sized. Fiona was super nice and great at customer service. She inspected my ring for loose stones, told me about her ring, gave me an estimate for the price ($50) and time needed, and asked the jeweler if there was a way to do same day or next day (I didn't want to be without my new precious). She also warned me that after sizing down, the ring might not be totally round. Expecting to pick up the ring the next day, we got a call after an hour or so saying the ring was ready. Talk about under-promising and over-delivering! When we picked the ring up, it looked new (she said they would brighten it, but I guess I did not expect it to look new). It is perfectly round and I can not see where it was re-sized. I am thrilled! read more

Actually for the Gem Gallery: It's great to be able to buy a wedding ring from a locally owned business. They're prices are great, customer service (so far) seems great, good selection and did I mention the great prices? Will definitely go back for future needs, including repair. read more

While walking in Berkeley with my sister and boyfriend, we stumbled into Bill's Trading Post. I was very happily surprised with the huge selection of Native American jewelry! I found numerous rings that I loved...the turquoise was beautiful, the silver work fabulous, and the staff wonderfully helpful. Though I didn't purchase anything during this first visit, I am looking forward to returning to pick something out! :-) (I didn't get a chance to visit the other side of the store yet, but I will next time.) read more

This place is really special because everything is one of a kind. I have had things customized here and they are pretty good at doing what you ask for and the prices are reasonable as well. I like that they have a wide range of styles as well as prices. I have bought beautiful silver cuffs on the native American side for around $40 and they also have high end diamond engagement rings, pearls, amber, precious stones, onyx pendants etc. I'm a big Tiffany's fan but this place is nice because you know that no one else will have the same exact item as you. I also like the diversity of the two connected stores. One is more antique, vintage classic and the other is the native American side. read more

I love the Gem Gallery part of this place! Customer service is top notch and if I had more funding I'd definitely be purchasing a few one-of-a kind pieces. They provide cleaning & repair for purchases and I sincerely love the added value! read more

Really neat collection of estate jewelry and very knowledgeable, helpful staff. I'm very excited to create my custom engagement ring with them, which the owner designed herself! read more

This is the best jewelry shop in Berkeley. I've gone here for over 20 years for myself and special gifts. They have a fantastic selection of modern, antique, classic rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, in all gem stones as well as less expensive stones. The personnel are top notch, knowledgeable and incredibly friendly. They even have treats for your pup. They also have a lined ship of gorgeous (and I mean gorgeous) Native American jewelry. Have made several purchases the too. Have never been disappointed with my purchases either place. Five stars. read more

We had some confusion about the identity of a stone (the seller months ago said one thing but a jeweler recently said another; we wanted a tiebreaker!). Fortunately, Bill's has a gemologist on staff who was able to determine what the stone was using her magical wand (okay, she didn't use a magical wand, just a light refraction machine). The seller and the jeweler were actually both wrong but we weren't disappointed, regardless! Both of the ladies we talked to were extremely nice and the gemologist showed us exactly how she came to her conclusion. We had also come to Bill's to resize a ring a while ago. They were really helpful and did a high-quality job very quickly. Highly recommended. read more

They were very helpful and replaced my suunto observer watch strap, which is a notoriously hard strap to replace. They were fast, curteous and very professional. read more

I came in to resize a watch I received as a Christmas present. The lady helping me took out as many links as the watch allowed, but it still didnt fit. She took it back and took out another 2 links and it fit! She had to adjust it about 3 times but she was very accommodating, and I walked out satisfied in the end. read more

Went here to buy a dream catcher and California white sage. They aren't too knowledgeable about their products which was a disappointing but I did buy a nice catcher. They ran out of sage. I had to goto telegraph to pick it up. read more

My sister is as much in love with her custom made diamond and platinum ring today as the day I gave it to her last mothers day. The ring made from old family jewelry, which makes it extra special, is a priceless piece that will be in our family for years to come. A special thanks to the designer Julie and Jeweler Grant! read more

I have just returned home and am so thrilled over the way I was handled here that I wanted to be sure to post this review without any delay. TRULY EXCELLENT WORK, NICE PEOPLE, AND HONEST! That sums it up. I had been trying to get my class ring resized because I wanted to be able to wear it for my upcoming 30th reunion at Annapolis. I had been told by another jeweler that the ring was too "springy" so they could not enlarge it. I went to the Trading Post, and after they tried enlarging the ring, they told me the same thing: ring is too springy. I then spoke with Russ the jeweler to impress upon him how important getting this done was to me. He explained that they could try heating the ring so they could expand it to put the insert in, but to do that they would need to disassemble the ring to remove the stone so it wouldn't crack when the gold was heated. He was also concerned because the ring has a lot of very intricate design that could get marred in the process. After considering all of this, he said that he thought they could make it work. He suggested that since they were disassembling the ring, it would also make sense to recut and polish the stone, as it was pretty worn down and the cost would be incidental to the ring disassembly. He estimated that the job would cost $700-$750. I readily agreed because I had worked too hard for the privilege of having a Naval Academy ring, and I wanted to be able to wear it again. After several weeks, I got a call to come pick up the ring. It looks FANTASTIC. The stone was replaced in a manner that is much better than how it was originally set. (The jeweler from 30 years ago did something weird with the bezel that left the stone too low and a bit uneven.). The shine and cut of the stone look great. The ring fits just fine and looks better than it did when I first received it over 30 years ago. I was thrilled. Then I was told that the total cost for this great job was $300 LESS than what I was told it could be. I don't often rave (or even spend time writing reviews), but this experience demanded it. Thank you, Russ! When you go here, please tell Russ that Lou really appreciates his skill, care, great work and honesty. read more

Bill's trading post has a lot of great Native American art. There are sculptures, pottery, ceramics, ceramic sculpture, Kachina dolls, woven art, books, jewelry, etc. My mother collected Kachina Dolls on road trips from Berkeley to Albuquerque, New Mexico from the many museums we visited across the southwest. They were displaced prominently in our home and the most precious were placed in the china cabinet. They were terribly lost in a storage fire. But I came to know each Kachina Doll intimately during my time with them and am familiar with many kinds of the kachina. There was the Sun God Kachina, the most powerful of the deity. There was the Koyote Kachina, the trickster always up to no good. The witch doctor Kachina with the black and white polka dots who reigned over life and death. The Sun Kachina, god of all kachinas. I know and love Kachinas and hope to have a few when I get older though I know I will never attain the level of Kachina ownership my mother had. So with knowledge of Native art that I love deeply and recognize intrinsically, I loved browing the Trading Post. But with my love came shock the day I saw the black-face watermelon eating Kachina. I was stunned. I stood and stared and stared at this kachina high on the shelf. It was a caricature kachina. The anger started in my toes, heated up my ankles and legs, burned through my solar plexus, and punched through my chest before it reached my reddening face and bristled my hair folicles on top of my head. I was livid. I felt like taking a baseball bat and smashing all the glass cases and bash the caricature kachina to pieces. What kind of shrivelled, decrepit, non-Native spirit created a watermelon seed spitting black-face katchina!? There are so many bad experiences in life and this was one of mine. The fact that the Trading Post would put a kachina like this on their shelf tells me all I need to know. I have a collection of ceramic Pueblo Storytellers from the Trading Post but I am never coming back for any more. I just can't bear to cross the threshold again. I am done with the Trading Post and absolutely do not recommend it. read more

I had my engagement ring and it was 2 sizes to large, a pain when having to type all day!! I went to Bill's and everyone was so nice, I had been really worried about finding a place where I could trust leaving my ring and knowing I'd get back the same diamond. These guys put me at ease!! They pulled out the microscope and showed me how I would be able to identify specific markings on the ring, so that I would know when I went back to pick it up, it was the same one. I felt great so I left the ring with them. AND IT JUST GETS BETTER!! They told me it could take up to a week to get it resized (fairly normal turnaround) then called me back in 5 hours telling me it was done and I could come pick it up. I will be returning in my search for wedding bands and day of jewelry. Definitely, definitely recommend Bill's!! read more

Trades? Perhaps NOT!!! I went to trade and I was totally RIPPED OFF!!!. I had a gorgious vintage Fred Harvey era turquoise bracelet with the most beautiful large stone I have ever seen, a signed Navajo Pearl necklace, four pairs of Ray Tracey Earrings easily worth well over $1200.00 for the lot. She put the items in two seperate piles and loudly and agressively said "DONE AND DONE". I was given two bracelets worth around $400.00. Only afterwards did I realize just how badly and unfairly I had been treated. If you are going to trade with the Native American "expert", first research what you could get for your items on eBay or get an idea from someone else before you let her rip you off too! read more

Russ from the Gem Gallery resized my engagement ring and wedding band. He was extremely professional and explained just what he would do to my rings. They are palladium with small stones set along the band so most of the other jewelers I called either said they couldn't resize them or quoted a huge price tag. Russ is a palladium master (hard to find it seems) and only charged $120 for both rings. Plus he had it done in only 1 day! I also like that this store is open on both Saturday and Sunday. Very convenient if you work, unlike most other jewelers! Definitely recommend. Will be back. read more

Best turquoise selection. May be a little pricier than other places. But is great quality and they actually pay the people who make the jewelry what it is worth, so I'm willing to pay more. read more

Very nice custom work done quickly. My bride and i got custom rings here. Hers was made to conform to the engagement ring. Mine was a mokume-game (the fused metal process) of silver and gold. They both fit well, were done as promised, and were ready ahead of schedule! We were able to discuss our wishes with the two staff jewelers who did the actual crafting. Price-wise they were not cheap, but at least for my mokume-game ring the price was comparable to similar rings with the added benefit of meeting and interacting with the craftsman responsible. read more

On two separate occasions last month I brought watches in to have the band clasps tightened. Neither time was I charged for the work, and my offer to pay was turned down. The staff is friendly and competent. I have never bought jewelry there, but I was treated with as much courtesy as a frequent customer. read more

The Gem Gallery is my all-time favorite jewelry store! I have to go in EVERY time I'm on College, if for no other reason than to just press my nose against their display cases, sighing with delight. Several years ago, my parents had garnet stud earrings custom-designed for me, and the staff were extremely patient during their decision-making promise. Because of that, we have returned to replace a lost wedding ring, have rings sized, and buy exquisite gifts for special occassions. They have gorgeous pieces designed by some of the most talented jewelry artists I've seen, and I love wearing my star sapphire, tiny diamond & white gold ring I received as a gift --- I forget who specifically designed it , but it's gorgeous! My whole family loves sparkles and we definitely appreciate high-quality jewelry. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for something truly unique for a special someone, or yourself!. Prepare to spend money --- quality doesn't come cheap --- but you will treasure whatever you buy. read more