Pure Silver Design have quite an extensive range of silver jewelerry and watches. Their goods are…read morequite tasteful and modern. I was a bit surprised when looking through their glass windows to actually find quite a few beautiful pieces. Prices seem reasonable ranging from $50 upwards, but everything seemed tasteful and well crafted. I imagine this to be a great place for a spontaneous jewelry shopping splurge. I was pleasantly surprised.

If you have a Fossicker in your circle, this specialty store is almost certain to deliver a…read morebazillion gift ideas. It's the sort of store that you creak around for fear that you might knock over an irreplaceable billion year old ammonite but thankfully the good stuff is behind glass. Fossils, minerals, crystals are offered as necklaces, earrings or many and varied 'other' gifts that feel really very special and (though I loathe the word) unique. I found my Fossicker a beautiful necklace made from Jasper. The owner even e-mailed me details of the stone, so that I could convey the qualities of this special stone to my lucky Fossicker. I like that - going a step-further with a very special product. It deserves to thrive.

On our way home from a nasty experience at Opal Cutters, we took a stroll through the Strand Arcade…read moreand happened upon Spectrum Gems. My wife had seen someone wearing a simple opal ring earlier in our trip and could not get it out of her mind. The nasty high-pressure sales person at Opal Cutters told us that we'd never find what we were looking for. Well, Spectrum Gems had exactly what my wife was looking for - in fact they had 5 or 6 rings for her to chose from! Earlier in our trip we had bought my wife a beautiful bolder opal necklace so we were looking for something in the lower price range but still nice. This is a very nice store with no pressure to buy and beautiful pieces in a wide variety of price ranges. Next time we go back to Sydney, we'll definitely be back to buy more here. (Plus the Arcade is very picturesque)

I've had engagement rings on the brain for a while, as my partner has been struggling to find one…read morehe thinks I'll like. With that in mind, my mom and I stopped in to Kalmar after high tea a few weeks ago, and I fell in love with a vintage opal and diamond ring from the 1880s. Marianne, one of their amazing staff, told me that an opal setting on a ring I would wear everyday wasn't the best choice because of how fragile the stone is, but suggested a diamond ring in the same price range from the 1920s instead (she even lowered the price some to make it work). After a teary hug with my mom, we double checked the sizing on the ring and they set it aside for my partner to pick up and surprise me with. He was very happy with the service he received on the day he collected the ring (appropriately sized and ready to go) and now I am thrilled to wear this beautiful, unique piece of jewellery for the rest of my life. They have an amazing range of items for all price ranges ($1k to $20k+) which are all beautiful and interesting. Cannot thank the team at Kalmar Antiques enough for helping us find such a special adornment, and for their wonderful service. When it's time for another special piece of jewelery, we will definitely be back!

Great one of a kind pieces served by very knowledgeable down to earth staff…read more We got my engagement ring from here and a watch for hubby and I get so many comments saying that it is the best and most unique they've seen ever. I always stop by here when I'm passing by.

This is a fancy-looking store right by the Museum of Contemporary Art (the street side, not the…read moreharbour side). They carry both opals and South Sea pearls, in addition to having a few sapphires, so mineralogically, you're covered for Australian gem souvenirs. The staff are friendly and eager to tell you about opals; jewelry ranges from stunning and incredibly expensive to actually quite affordable (ask for the opals set in sterling silver). The salesclerk who was watching me not only told me they were having a sale, but whipped out her calculator without me asking to convert the price into US dollars (the first question in any tourist-oriented store is always "where are you from?"). She volunteered that they could do the tax-free paperwork in the store and explained exactly how it worked. (I recommend this; no standing in line at the airport.)

Opals have been mined for thousands of years, but today most opals come from the Australian…read moreOutback. My dad has always had a fascination with opals as that is my mom's birthstone. The most precious opals in Australia come from Lightning Ridge, Queensland, and Coober Pedy. Coober Pedy comes from the Aboriginal language and means "white man in a hole." The miners and their families live underground to escape the brutal summer heat of the Australian Outback, hence the name of the city. It was so interesting to learn more about these precious gems from Lucy at Cosmopolitan Jewellers. The famous Black Opals from Lightning Ridge. The unique Queensland Boulder Opals filled with brilliant colors. The stunning milky white opals from Coober Pedy. Lucy gave us what turned out to be a two hour lesson in the history of opals. So amazing to see so many different types of opals. We were even able to hold a precious black opal that cost $330,000 AUD. Just stunning. Thank goodness my dad didn't drop it!! The store sells both set and loose opals as well as South Sea pearls, pink diamonds and other precious gems. They have beautiful items at many different price points. It is located along the historic Rocks area in the Central Business District. Thanks to Darryl at Real Sydney Tours and Lucy at Cosmopolitan Jewellers for a great experience learning more about opals. My mom loves her beautiful opal earrings that I gave her for her 60th wedding anniversary.

A friendly gentleman who addressed my issue straight away... worth a visit if you're around Newtown…read morearea!

If you like textiles, fabrics, design and gorgeous things then chances are you probably already…read morelove Chee Soon & Fitzgerald. This tiny interiors store on Crown Street stocks everything from furniture, wallpaper, lamps, bags and purses, cards, wrapping papers and all sorts of small design pieces. There's a good selection of designers wares including Marimekko and Georg Jensen as well as beautiful pieces by the stores own CSF brand. The owners are passionate and love to talk you through the pieces and the history of the store.

Textiles! Furniture!…read moreDecorative arts! These dapper chaps have been celebrating life and furnishings for 18 years, first at Surry Hills and then at the vanguard of the Redfern revival. As friendly as they are urbane, as urbane as they are storied, there's that much great fabric and lampshades and interesting schtuff in their little shop I feel like one of those kids with melted chocolate all over their hands that goes around touching everything. Massrs Chee Soon & Fitzgerald are also well down for a chat, pick their brains about the history of Surry Hills and the inner west, they're a font of artsy knowledge.

What treasures abound in this store! What a feast for the eyes. Everywhere you look is a…read moredelight. Like candy! Like fun! Like style you can't find anywhere else. They carry this designer from the Netherlands Zsiska and I am obsessed and in love. Also a plus, the salesguy was the first person to welcome me to Australia. He was great I really felt special. Maybe that's just how people are here but at any rate it was a good experience.

The Family Jewels came up with their name I imagine from the fact that they sell pieces collected…read morefrom across the globe - the family of humanity. Brazilian, African, Tibetan, North American, Mexican, Chinese and Indian - they have it all. There are semi-precious stones like Jade and Turquoise, Sterling Silver, Pearls, and men's jewellery including cuff links and silver bracelets. I don't recall seeing an gold pieces so if you're not into bright and bold pieces this probably isn't your kind of jewel haven. I like that you can try on any of the pieces without waiting for a shop assistant to open a glass cabinet. There are expensive pieces you might wish to buy as a gift as well as more costume type pieces to match with that new outfit. Other bits and bobs sold in the shop include bags, silk kimonos and a gorgeous lace umbrella that I nearly bought just for the sake of having it. If you want to add a bit of colour to your jewellery collection visit The Family Jewels.