This store is a great example of how some small businesses on Church Street shine far above the high-end competition. I'm mostly a spendthrift shopper. So I won't typically lose much sleep over going to a big name chain store to get what I need at a more reasonable price. But Burlington and Vermont, in general, offers a lot of real gems (yeah I meant that one) when it comes to the small local stores. Jewelry is no exception and Global Pathways seems to be a true star in that category.
I've been in the store a few times to browse and it is a great browsing store. It has wall to wall gemstones, handmade pieces all neatly arranged by type, color, price range, etc. I highly recommend travelers stop in here while strolling Church Street and it is great eye candy and I'm betting you'll find something you like to buy here. What's unfortunate is it doesn't really stand out on the street. It's tucked in behind a behemoth of a restaurant with outdoor seating and basically shares a building entrance with another boutique store. So they only get one display window to the pedestrian street.
As for the work and service they do, I can speak from recent experience of looking for an engagement ring. I started my process with the online research, shopping. Then I moved on to the major retailers to get hands on with rings and diamonds. But in the back of my mind I knew Global Pathways also sold diamonds and great rings (I had bought a ring there a few months earlier) so I definitely wanted to check out what they had to offer before landing on a decision. Right away, I knew I did the right thing by waiting. The sales clerk was EXTREMELY patient with me and took the time to show me just about all of the handmade options they sold but then took me down the road I hadn't considered: a custom-designed engagement ring. Yeah, they totally do that. I came away from that initial visit with a rough idea of what I wanted, a price range and got a call back with a rough quote within a day along with a chance to come back in and compare diamonds and talk with the artist. It took maybe two visits to work through the details and they were very forthcoming with the process and were all very excited about the project. I can't remember having as great, personal and caring business arrangement ever. Not only that, but the craftsmanship is just exquisite! Price was also very reasonable and we were able to get it done in a timely manner.
I highly recommend this store especially for custom work. Truly caring artists here. read more