Local treasure. They really help you and have a great selection . Been going here for many years.read more

I stopped by to ask about the price of some wire because I noticed the exact same item was…read moresignificantly cheaper on Amazon. I wasn't trying to lowball anyone or pressure the business into matching the online price--I was simply asking if they offered price matching. Unfortunately, the interaction took an unexpected turn. The owner became upset and told me, "Screw me," because he's a local business. I understand the challenges that small businesses face and I genuinely try to support them whenever I can. That's exactly why I asked the question instead of immediately buying it elsewhere. To his credit, he did apologize before we left, and I appreciate that. However, the initial response left a bad impression. Customer service matters just as much as pricing, and respectfully answering a simple question goes a long way. I truly wish the owner and the business the best, and I hope he finds healing and peace. I believe everyone has difficult days, but customers should still be treated with kindness and respect.

I have been meaning to write this review for a while now. We purchased our wedding bands from him…read moresome years ago, but have kept in touch. He is an artist whose medium is jewelery. The pieces in his shop are definately out of the ordinary and would fit best for someone who has out of the ordinary taste. The best way to work with him is to come in with an idea and to have him go from there. He is quite creative and will work with you to make a piece that suits you. He is a bit of an odd duck, but I find it charming and stop in on occasion when I'm in the nieghborhood just to say hello and chat. He definately has the personality of an artist and if you're buying a piece of nice jewelery don't you want an artist to make it??

David is a true craftsman. I remember a prior version of his shop on Solano Avenue back in the…read more1980s (across from "the Pub", in the same block he is on now). When I needed a gold bracelet repaired in 2017, I did not hesitate to bring it to him. I had not been to the shop in some time and was impressed with the museum-like art and treasures that adorn the showroom. This is a textbook "mom and pop" operation with the owner / artist / jeweler on-site when the business is in operation. So many professionals these days are actually on-site a couple of days of the week - that makes business difficult and inconvenient. I have always appreciated Mr. Hansen's repair work and masterful designs. David is there "regular business hours" (his work ethic is impressive). Hansen's Manufacturing Jewelers is worth a visit.

Ruby offers personalized service and great value for her unique brand of art jewelry. Come see her…read morework for yourself.

Vampire Blood Moons! Sylvan Moons! Moons For All!…read more SITREP I am decidedly NOT a jewelry person, as in I have RARELY bought any jewelry - for MYSELF to wear - if at all, in the last 30 years of my adult-buying life. [However, buying jewelry for special female friends & relations is another matter entirely and I love splurging there.] But what grabs my attention from the get-go is if the jewelry piece is: * Unique * Cutting-Edge * Makes a powerful statement by it's mere appearance * Is something I'd ACTUALLY WEAR; and, * NOT TOO DAM EXPENSIVE Otherwise, why bother buying a piece of jewelry that's just going to gather dust on top of my dresser? THE SETUP My personal history with jewelry is pretty erratic, and I have recently been forced to audit my experiences and search out why that is so.... I THINK in large part that is originally due to having grown up in a conservative Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Christian home where even when my former spouse Shelly and I were married years ago in this denomination, we were frowned upon by that church community that we would even wear wedding bands. Well, yada yada yada, and flash forward a few decades, and all I have to say is "F*ck the Hypocrisy of Christianity" and ANY OTHER organized religion - they can all rot in their delusional hells they conjure up in their own fanatical belief-systems, and I'm happy I've moved on to.... (PERSONAL) EVOLUTION So I have in fact been that guy, dressed all in black, having fun on the dance floor or conversing at the bar - but wearing no jewelry: no cuff links, no pendants, no rings, no tie bars, and no hats or canes for that matter. However, that is changing.... I do notice my tastes are developing an appreciation for some very interesting pieces. [Even though no longer bound by "fanatical" prohibitions against jewelry, I STILL have to be "interested" in what is being offered if I'm going to be spending my own MONEY.] JEWELRY SELECTIONS & BUSINESS STABILITY There is the occasional cool ring I have picked up when perusing the stalls of a Renaissance Faire or I am scanning the tables at a Comic Con. The problem here is that as much as I like/love certain pieces, I tend to lose them, most likely having resulted them being STOLEN from me. Then I'm screwed because I have no way of tracking down that random vendor! EYESCREAM What I love about Ruby and her business EYESCREAM is that she has been around for a while AND I know where to find her at her "brick & mortar" business in Oakland. Even though all the pieces I have purchased from her have been when she is vending at Bay Area dance clubs or festivals, I have also visited her at her store and enjoyed some conversations - and even a party - when there. VAMPIRE BLOOD MOON In fact, this brings me to one of my first purchases from her while out at the dance & music showcase event "ShadowDance". It was there that I fell in love with a Vampire Blood Moon pendant ($39.99) - and a caveat, it would be unfair to attribute such "cutesy" jewelry names as given by Ruby herself - she is above that - it's just what I call it so I can describe the item to myself in my head or to share with friends: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eyescream-oakland?select=yZ0WNLdTTHJ3_rx47AK1Ww Well, that piece (amongst many other items) was eventually stolen from me (and I suppose I am the only one who has felt the pain of having many personal & sentimental items stolen as the result of a relationship breakup, right?), but flash forward, and Ruby set me up with another similar piece! And this time opting for a more powerful statement with the black cord rather than a silver chain. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eyescream-oakland?select=8V2x-z1FoyIRIY74iDX91g SYLVAN MOON I never know when I will see Ruby next time (even though I know where Eyescream is - since it can be a BIT of a 2 HR traffic trek from Sacramento to Oakland) and she had other very beautiful pieces out this past weekend (while vending at another subsequent "ShadowDance" no less). https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eyescream-oakland?select=GBt2HfJMtKqQHZ0Du5QZIQ I even saw skulls and kitties! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eyescream-oakland?select=kdn_huMLaGpsQ0ReHSmrtQ But I had to ALSO pull the trigger when I saw the Sylvan Moon pendant (also $39.99): stunning in it's elegance, but remarkable in it's simplicity - a wonderful trade-off for wearing with the Vampire Blood Moon pendant. And, "yes", I say "Sylvan Moon" - it doesn't actually have a name - but it is what I imagine the Sylvan Elves of Middle Earth might have worn under the light of the waxing moon and the Star of Eärendil. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eyescream-oakland?select=FR_F8y-PCFZTUKtTkKZyIw So as far as pendants go for myself, I hit the jackpot this past weekend. THE LOWDOWN Exquisite jewelry selection for those with darker, more ethereal tastes.

*Great people who are skilled, kind, and excellent teachers…read more*Offer hands-on classes for kids and adults *Awesome space *Even a non "maker" will experience success Hello Stitch is a fabulous new sewing studio run by three dynamic women. They offer classes and camps for kids, and classes for adults, and studio time for those with sewing projects. My child attended Spring Break camp at Hello Stitch and had a great experience - small camp size, tons of attention, great equipment, and of course, hands on sewing. She made pajama pants, a draw string bag, a small quilt for our dogs, and other items. And she learned sewing safety, along with new skills. Not to mention one of her favorite activities, cutting quilt squares on a special piece of equipment made for just that. I have already recommended Hello Stitch to friends and am even thinking that I, with no sewing skills, might be able to learn to make something there. Did I mention the great, large, day-lit space? It's roomy and inviting. Fabulous all around.

Took two great sewing classes so far and can't wait to take more. This is a great business.read more

I have taken a few classes at the sewing room and absolutely love it there! I like how it offers a…read morelarge variety of classes, different time slots to choose from, and provides almost everything you will need for the classes. My instructors Julie Ann and Christine are very experienced in both fashion design and teaching. They are patient, sweet, creative, and knowledgeable. I'm currently working on a two piece fitted wool dress and blazer set, which I'm super excited about! I can't wait to go to my classes each week.

I moved to Alameda 6 months ago and wandered into The Sewing Room while exploring Park St. I am a…read moreself-taught hobby sewer and was so excited to have a sewing store walking distance from me. They have a beautiful small selection of fabrics, notions, and patterns but they really excel in classes. I decided to take a garment class (the lined jacket), not for help, but for community, and I'm so happy that I did! Christine was a great teacher and I do pick up some tricks! My goal this year was to grow my skills, so I decided to enroll in the Sketch to Garment class. It has been so fun working with Julie Ann and my fellow students. I was worried I'd struggle because I don't have sketching or design experience, but I love how easy and creative they made it! I'm looking forward to more. Come to The Sewing Room for community, creativity, and knowledge!

Purchased an Opal ring made by Lauren Wolf. It was lovely when I first picked it up. Needed it…read moreresized and didn't mind the $250 resizing cost. The resizing process was very strange, multiple resizing tools were used, leading to confusion. The ring was resized incorrectly, so they offered to resize again. Generally at this point, the fee for resizing should be refunded. During the process the ring was resized incorrectly several times. There was no communication through out the process. After the ring was resized correctly, the Opal came back damaged and there was a flaw in the band. There was no communication about anything, the customer service is severe lacking, especially for a luxury goods dealer. The entire experience has soured my view of Esqueleto, I will never refer anyone, if I know anyone who is thinking of purchasing through them o would strongly suggest against it.

I've been meaning to write a review here since my husband and I had probably the worst…read morejewelry-buying experience ever about a year ago. He bought me a ring that, within one week, looked terrible. Banged up, bent, and like I got it out of a gumball machine. A friend commented, "thats new? I thought you had it for years." When I contacted them and explained my issues the sales person was insanely condescending and rude. I was actually shocked that a place in business in this area had this level of customer service. They repeatedly accused me of lifting weights in the jewelry. I assure you I put it on and typed on a computer. I don't wear it because it looks horrible and makes me mad. Sounds like multiple other people had a similar experience. My advice? Go somewhere that actually cares about their product and the people they sell to. I would literally never recommend this place to another person in my life. Overpriced, bad quality, rude.

My partner took me here for my birthday and it was such a thoughtful pick since I love making…read morethings. Really fun experience overall. Kiara led our session and there was another participant with us. Kiara was great. Super friendly, explained everything clearly and kept the energy fun throughout. For the 2 hour session you can choose to make a bracelet, necklace or ring. Since there were 3 of us we each picked something different. I went with the necklace. In terms of difficulty I'd rank the ring as the easiest, then the bracelet, then the necklace, so keep that in mind when choosing! The reason I'm giving this a 4 rather than a 5 comes down to the instructor to student ratio. With just one instructor for a group of 3 all making different things, there were definitely moments where we found ourselves waiting to get help since she was stretched pretty thin. I can only imagine what that would feel like with a larger group. I also finished my necklace just slightly over the 2 hours since it was the most complex piece, and the next group was already coming in as I was wrapping up. Those things aside it was a really enjoyable class and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a creative and unique experience. And if you ever open a location in San Francisco, I'd be the first to book!

I had such a cool experience making something amazing from my broken jewelry. I had no idea where…read moreto start, just a rough idea that was made into reality with patient guidance. Will go back often!

John and his son always do an amazing job for my jewelry needs. He recently fashioned a pair of…read morecufflinks and a tie-tack from my great uncle's USAAAF WWII collar pins. I get compliments on them all the time. 14 Karats is an Elmwood institution. Not many store like this left these days.

Such nice people who have helped me time and time again to clean, repair, appraise my small but…read moresentimental jewelry collection. Places like this are so rare these days which is why I am writing this review. And they have such pretty jewelry for sale, too.