[Jewelry making - Article 00659] - Re: [Orchid] [Source] Seattle Jewellery Suppliers

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>     Seattle's 47th St equivalent is 4th & Pike Street corner building. 

    Yes. 4th and Pike, not 4th and Pine as someone else said. The main
    door is just south of the Walking company store, which shares the
    ground floor of the building with the Ben Bridge jewelery store.
    Also, across the street from the 4th and Pike building is the Joshua
    Green building, which also has many offices of various jewelers and
    related people. It used to be the home of the local Stuller branch,
    until they closed last year. And the 4th and Pike building used to
    be the home of SWEST's seattle branch, until Stuller bought them and
    closed it a number of years ago. (sigh. We used to have a lot better
    supply options here). 

>     Many Suppliers may have moved out because of rents & due to mail
>     order and internet competition. 

    No, I think they moved just to punish me for my addiction to fine
    tools. Me personally. (grin). I work, by the way, on the 3d floor of
    the 4th and Pike building. Now all I've got left to satisfy those
    instant tool cravings during the day is Seattle Findings, which
    merged with Habsons. They share the name and office space. never sure
    whether to call it Habsons or Seattle Findings. At this point,
    they're about the only tools/supplies dealer in downtown Seattle. 

>     The few you may try to visit are Alpha (bremerton), Habsons, TSI
>     to name a few tools and supplies dealers. 

    Alpha Supply can also be found on the web. Nice company, decent
    prices. But a ferry ride and cab trip (or take the car on the ferry)
    away, which is a fuss and a bother, though the ferry trip itself is
    fun, and pretty, when the weather is nice. Even when it's not, for
    that matter... 

    Habsons/Seattle Findings is on the second floor of the 4th and Pike
    building. Also useful, at least to me, in the building, is Fu
    Imports, a decent stone dealer, Gem Cut and True Colors also deal in
    gems as well as offering lapidary services. Outcast offers casting
    services. And a place next to Seattle Findings, who's name I forget,
    offers CAD/CAM modelling services. Akamatsu (spelling?) offers bead
    and pearl stringing services... Our appraiser is over across the
    street, and so it goes. Those few just scratch the surface. Lots of
    small inconspicuous offices, but almost anything you need is likely
    to be there in some form. Except, of course, a good sized fully
    stocked major tools supplier, though since Stuller left, Seattle
    Findings has been expanding their stock to include most of the
    basics, a few larger items, and of course they can order anything you
    might need. Not always the cheapest source, though... 

    TSI, by the way, is no longer in business. 

    If you're downtown anyway, such as visiting the 4th and Pike
    building, it's worth your time to go another block east to 5th and
    Pike, and enter the City Center Building. South of the U.S. bank
    office in the lobby is another corridor/lobby, running east west. In
    the middle of that, is an almost kiosk sized jewelry store called
    Facere Gallery. To my mind, this little gem is one of the areas best
    art jewelry galleries, and well worth visiting if you like seeing the
    work of a variety of artist jewelers. They carry the work of over 40
    some artists, as well as a very nice line of antique/estate pieces. 

    And just for fun, it's usually entertaining to Seattles visitors to
    stroll through Pike Place Market, Pike and 1st avenue. Lots of
    vendors, fish sellers, flower sellers, and a host of various
    craftspeople selling their work. and that's the key, vendors in the
    market have to be the actual producers. No simple dealers of chinese
    imports and stuff at the upstairs day tables. Down inside the
    building with more conventional shops, it's more typical retail,
    imports and all, but many fun exceptions to that rule. There are a
    number of jewelry craftspeople who sell their work at the upstairs
    day tables (stalls, or whatever you call them...) Some are pretty
    good at jewelry work. Others are pretty good at churning out
    inexpensive tourist priced stuff. But it's all fun. 

Peter Rowe
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