I found and purchased some of Caracol Clay's raku pottery creations - rock rattles - during a…read morerecent stay in Victoria, BC. Their beauty first caught my eye, but when I asked where they were crafted, and found out it was by artists in East Coulee, Alberta, there was no way I could pass on a purchase - the latter was a stones throw away from my lady's birthplace and childhood in Drumheller (and let's just say, a good many moons ago!!). There was little hesitation on my part, one definitely had to go home with her (and as I love rock rattles, one had to go home with me as well). As I had not actually visited their studio, there was some hesitation on my part to post this here as a review .. but wanted them to get more recognition of their lovely work than just a passing comment made on a purchase made elseshwere.

I am extremely pleased with the art, quality and transaction with Alex. A little back story…read more.. while living in San Diego, I learned about Peter Lik after visiting one of his studios in La Jolla. The style and work was incredible, but the prices were outrageous... More than that however I did not personally connect with any of his pieces. I knew that I wanted this style artwork and I also wanted a piece that represented San Diego to me. While searching google for hours, I stumbled upon Alex's ebay page. I found an incredible piece taken on the shores of San Diego that really spoke to me. While the price was reasonable compared to PL's, it was still expensive relatively speaking and since the gallery is in Canada and I'm in the US, it made me very nervous to make this transaction. I looked to yelp and saw very few reviews, so I reached out to Alex directly. He was VERY responsive and sent me mock ups of how the piece would look on the wall. I also gave him measurements of the space and he customized the dimensions of the piece. I felt much more comfortable at that point and decided to order. Much to my surprise, the piece made it to Illinois 4 days after ordering! It came in a custom crate and was packed impeccably. I could not be more pleased! This piece is the centerpiece of our home.

I couldn't be happier with the beauty and quality of the piece I got from Alex. He packs his…read morepieces amazingly! It just so happened that Fed Ex dropped something heavy onto my print so it came damaged. I declined delivery and was thoroughly bummed. I called Alex immediately and told him of situation. Within a few days he sent me a new print. Unbelievable! He is so professional, understanding and really good at what he does! It was a true pleasure doing business with him. His photos are amazing and really fairly priced. Peter Lik ain't got nothing on Alex! Thanks Alex!

It's a common misconception, I think, that most men believe that custom made engagement rings would…read morecost more than if they would just go to a brand jewelry store. I discovered Marlow Diamonds & Design when I went to jewelry stores and found that they could only give me a close match of what I wanted, and not 100%. As a customer, you have the right to get exactly what you paid for. Marlow sat down with me in front of a computer and showed me concept designs of engagement rings until I saw something that made me go, 'This is exactly how I envisioned it'. He never tried to upsell beyond my given budget. He is not a pushy salesman. He would just let me decide and point out the features that I want until I was satisfied. From start to finish, the end product was exactly as shown on the rendered image. No surprises. No wondering why it looks different from the render. We even had to resize the ring at the last minute to a smaller piece, and they were able to accommodate our request. Excellent customer service! My fiancee loved every detail. Marlow will make sure that every dollar you spend here is well spent!

We chose this jeweler based on their overall good reviews (looking back I regret to not looking at…read morethe bad ones). One month after receiving my custom engagement ring, three of the six prongs snapped and my diamond fell out. The ring had to be completely remade due to a manufacturing defect, and what followed was poor communication, quality-control issues, and multiple trips back to the store. Kat, the person that many people praised in the reviews, no longer works there. Initially, everything seemed promising. Kat was great to work with and gave my Fiancé confidence in moving forward with a custom design. Just one month after our engagement, three prongs broke and my diamond fell out. Thankfully, we didn't lose the diamond. After inspecting the ring, Marlow admitted the prongs had likely been cut too deeply or lacked sufficient gold support and that the ring would need to be completely remade rather than repaired. We then went three weeks without any update and only learned the replacement was ready after I contacted the store myself. When we picked up what was supposed to be a brand-new ring, it already had visible scratches and was made to the wrong specifications. We had ordered a 2.5 mm band, but the replacement measured 2.92 mm. After few days, we returned again only to find fresh scratches that needed correcting while we waited. To their credit, they refunded the ring setting cost. However, that does not undo the experience. An engagement ring is one of the most meaningful purchases a person can make, and instead of enjoying our engagement, we spent weeks dealing with a failed ring, a complete remake, communication problems, and repeated quality-control mistakes. I genuinely would not wish this experience on any couple during what should be one of the happiest and most exciting times of their lives. I would strongly encourage anyone considering a custom engagement ring here to take your business elsewhere. You don't want to risk it and we learned it the hard way.

This place has lots of cool items in it. They have a lot of art done by local artists, and my…read morefamily and I were all very impressed by the quality and talent of the artwork :) They have a little mini-gallery attached to the shop with more artwork showcased. They sell a lot of high-quality gifts, like jewelry, figurines, travel mugs, ponchos, that kind of thing. The staff were also very friendly and relaxed. If you're in Drumheller, check this place out :)

I love this place it has unique gifts , snacks, foods and just overall fun items and products. I…read morerecently bought some jewelry for a friend. Now I'm getting some jewelry made. I am able to contact vendors and live that things are forever now and exciting. The owner who runs this business is super friendly and helpful. Every corner is a different discovery. Be prepared to spend more than half an hour in this shop. It May look small but it's not. It's fantastic!

From the owner: Main Street Market: Your Go-To Gift Shop for Unique Finds in Strathmore…read more Step into Main Street Market, Strathmore's favourite gift shop, where creativity meets community! With over 150 local Alberta makers and small businesses, we offer a delightful boutique shopping experience. Whether you’re looking for the perfect birthday gift, a thoughtful wedding present, or a special holiday treat, we have you covered! We specialize in creating memorable gifting experiences with custom gift baskets for any occasion. Enjoy our gift wrapping for stunning presentations, and don’t forget our gift cards for a personal touch. Explore stylish clothing, distinctive home decor, all-natural soaps, and delicious handcrafted foods. Join us at Main Street Market

They are always so polite and informative. I have sold many gold jewelery pieces there.read more

Initial impression made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome, was already uneasy to be there,…read morecompared to Executive Diamonds, whom I had visited minutes prior, were welcoming, helpful, compassionate and took my appraisal right away and Fleetwood Made me wait a month for an appraisal appt and then phoned me hours before my appt to cancel and rebook....in another month. If there is any sentiment involved in your visit, stay away from Fleetwood.