Hey there everyone,
I’m heading to Seattle in less than four weeks and just wanted to
know where to go to buy gemstone and supplies etc, looking for
Seattle’s 47th street. I would really appreciate your help as I’m
travelling from Ireland and just would’nt know where to begin.
Thanks a million
Tina
Dublin, Ireland
Seattle’s 47th St equivalent is 4th & Pike Street corner building.
Many Suppliers may have moved out because of rents & due to mail
order and internet competition.
The few you may try to visit are Alpha (bremerton), Habsons, TSI to
name a few tools and supplies dealers.
Kenneth Singh
46 Jewelry Supply.
I miss Simon and Golub they use to be good.
Check out Jewelry Resource Supply Really great people and really
great prices.
3601 Greenwood
Avenue N
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 632-7005
(Closed on Mondays.)
http://www.jewelryresourcesupply.com/directions.php
Have a great trip!
Victoria
The main concentration of jewelry supplies in Seattle is located in
a building on the corner of 4th Ave and Pine St. I’m not sure if the
building has a name, but it is right next to Ben Bridge, and it’s
upstairs. Here you will find Seattle Findings, they have an okay
selection of tools (not great though) and the building has many
gemstone suppliers. I personally haven’t bought gemstones from
anyone in this building, as I just acquired my wholesale license. But
I think they are all pretty reputable.
f.y.i you will need to bring your wholesale license with you for
many of these places.
If anyone else knows of a better place for tools, I’d love to know
where. I usually end up buying my tools online because the supplier
here is limited.
jessi
Hi Tina,
You can take the Bremerton Ferry from Seattle, and go to Alpha Supply
I hope you enjoy your visit to the Emerald City, and bring an
umbrella.
Jim
Jessie,
Thanks so much for all the info. Because I live in Ireland and have
a registered company here, I do not have a US wholesale licence…
“different country different rules”. I can bring proof that I am a
legitimate business owner here in Ireland, I hope that will help. I
do not have a federal ID either… so it should be interesting. I will
make contact with the companies I am interested in visiting before I
leave to see what they need from me.
Take care and thanks again
Tina
Tina
State sales tax laws require the Vendor to collect the tax unless
product is being used for Resale. Sellers may want to see your
resellers Certificate usually issued by your state. In your case you
should have some business credentials (visiting Card Letter Head)
along with your Passport. Plus if you have the products shipped to
you to another state in the US or to Ireland they would not require
to collect taxes.
Some Wholesale Vendors like to see Business Certificates just to
keep out the Retail customers due to amount of sale and lengthy paper
work requirement.
If you have your papers prepared and make copies so that they can
keep or attach to their sales slip they will entertain you.
Most of the Trade Show and major Wholesale Vendors will Sell you.
Hope you have a safe and fruitful trip
Kenneth Singh
46 Jewelry Supply
New York.
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
Kenneth,
Thank you so very much for the valuable you shared with
me. I am not sure what a visiting card is… but I will bring along
my official business cert and passport, thanks for the tip. The
products will be shipped to me in Ireland so I guess I wont have to
worry about the tax which will be lovely !! You are wonderful !! I
will have photocopies made that’s a great idea! Kenneth, I wish you
well in all that you do and thank you so much for your help! I am so
very impressed with your kindness.
Best wishes and Greetings to you from the gentle Dublin coast.
Tina