I have always enjoyed the artisan shops in Gatlinburg. The beautiful pottery, jewelry, handmade soap; I could go on and on. But I must confess, from the time I was a teenager, I have found several of the other shops… well, lacking. One of the areas I had found lacking in particular was the jewelry shops.
Most of my experiences before were full of cheesy, cheap jewelry, being sold at an INCREDIBLY high price. That has not at all been my experience this time. I guess the economy has customers being more particular about the items they purchase, if they purchase at all; therefore, retailers are ordering less junk to fill shelves and are actually catering to the customer.
Here are a few of the jewelry shops that stuck out to me during my jewelry store raid:
Heartland Jewelry: This store had handbags and costume jewelry. There were so many great handbags! As a general rule, I don’t get all that caught up in purses, but these were unique and in every style or size you could imagine. But let’s get to what brought me into the store, the jewelry. The jewelry in here was big and interesting. It looked as if they had just robbed people as they walked the red carpet at the Grammys! And to my surprise, the prices were completely reasonable!
Monkey Disco: This store also had handbags and “fashion jewelry”, but they also had sunglasses and some real jewels. There was more fashion jewelry here than at the first store: bracelets, rings, beautiful necklaces, and earrings. There was a particular pair of earrings that looked much like a pair of Oprah’s earrings that I fell in love with this past season! The prices on this jewelry were incredible! I heard the sales lady quote a price to someone and was so surprised that I had her show me the item and the price tag! Monkey Disco also had an assortment of real jewels at a VERY reasonable price, if you are in the market for engagement rings or wedding bands, be sure to stop by.
Myrick’s Jewelry: Nothing fake in here! Myrick’s has pieces of genuine sunken treasure, along with the certificate of authentication. They also have antique pieces that are stunning. And of course, they have jewelry. Here you will find estate jewelry dating back to the 1800’s as well as modern pieces. I loved their selection, and the fact that they didn’t swarm me the minute I walked in and hang over my back as I browsed. They also had very reasonable prices on their products, but it got better. They were having a 50% off sale! I spoke to the manager, and she said unless there is a change in the economy, they would be offering huge sales throughout the summer!
So this summer when you are planning your trip, do not forget to visit these great stores. And if you have been longing to extend your jewelry collection, but haven’t been able to with the poor economy and high gold prices, pack some extra money and make a purchase you will not regret while you are here!