Best Shops For Custom Jewelry In Sacramento

Sacramento designer Kristi Taylor creates beautiful jewelry using silver and gold, gemstones, pearls and Swarovski crystal; her special collections include handcrafted wedding pieces for brides and bridesmaids. Taylor's work has garnered national praise -- her custom necklaces and earrings have been worn by lead characters on "The Vampire Diaries" and "Jane the Virgin," as well as included in Golden Globe swag bags. One of her favorite types of customizing is done for people who bring in cherished family heirlooms. For example, Taylor was asked to rework a mother's extremely large necklace for use by several family members. "I used materials from it," she says, "to make three different styles of necklaces for three sisters," as well as earrings and necklaces for others in the family. Taylor enjoys wearing jewelry like that herself, saying "I like things in my life that have a story.

Heather Scott lived on the Hawaiian island of Oahu for five years, and the aloha spirit forever changed her outlook on jewelry design. Many of her creations reflect the colors and rhythmic movements of the ocean. All of her wearable art pieces are handcrafted, and Scott's specialty is a technique she created based on Mitsuro, a complex, ancient Japanese art of wax casting. The effect is stunning, organic and wholly unique. Scott has designed exceptional custom jewelry, and enjoys the challenge of bringing a customer's vision to life. One customer asked Scott to create a special Mother's Day gift for his wife. "He wanted something that included a rabbit and the moon, which represented their two daughters," she notes, "beyond that, he just said to 'do what you do and make something awesome.'" The resulting pendant, which also included the girls' birthstones, was a big hit. The mom later contacted Scott about her toddler's reaction to the necklace; Scott's blog recounts the sweet story that brought both the mother and the artist herself to tears.

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For over 40 years the Arareity gallery, located in a historic brick building with the Fox & Goose Public House, has offered handmade, custom jewelry designs, as well as distinctive pieces from other designers. Essentially any kind of jewelry can be created, from bracelets and earrings to rings, brooches and pendants. In addition to learning about a person's desires and preferences for a custom piece, Arareity artists make sure the jewelry is scaled to the appropriate proportions and will be a flattering look for the wearer.

Sierra Moon is a full-service jeweler in Old Town Auburn with a goldsmith and state of the art equipment on site. Antique and estate jewelry can be either restored or reset, and the shop's custom work has included classic, vintage, art deco, contemporary and other designs that are thoroughly unique. One-of-a-kind diamond pieces can be created for men or women. For example, for one customer the designers created a black jade and gold men's ring, set with a diamond. Customers can choose from a multi-hued palette of gems and other elements, including gold nuggets, amethyst, turquoise, jadeite and multiple colors of sapphire and opal.

Members of the Skalet family began creating jewelry in the late 1800s, with some of the fourth generation members still actively working in the business today. Located in Old Sacramento, Skalet offers a wide variety of handcrafted styles, including men's and women's wedding rings, diamond and gemstone jewelry, gold pan charms with Placerville nuggets and distinctive pieces made with the Japanese metalworking style of Mokume Gane. The highly knowledgeable, friendly staff help customers choose the elements for their custom jewelry, which will ultimately be created using the shop's state-of-the-art equipment and the unerring Skalet eye for design.

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Valerie Heimerich is a freelance writer out of Sacramento. She typically covers business, employment, animal rescue, volunteerism and nonprofits. Her work can also be found at Examiner.com.