Find Jewelry in Rare Form on Sacramento's R Street
Venture out to 10th and R Street, past the warehouses and renovations and "lofts-to-be" and look for the bright blue awnings on "The Building." Just down the first-floor hall of this scrubbed brick two-story is the glittering jewelry and art glass gallery A-RARE-ITY. This jewel-box of a shop offers up incredible abstract precious gem designs, and items replicating nature, like a strawberry pendant done in rubies; gilded leaves; and earrings and pins modeled after echinacea blooms. This is where you'll find dramatic, contemporary pieces are that stunning, wearable works of art. Owner and artist in residence Carole Koblik also does individual custom designs, in case you have an idea you wish to have translated into precious metal.
Also on display are breathtaking pieces of fused glass art: bowls, trays, vases, and wallhung designs shimmer and glow everywhere you look. If you are searching for a stand-out gift, or an unforgettable Valentine, you won't want to miss this shop.
You may want to plan your visit around lunch at the FOX AND GOOSE PUB, just a few steps down the block at 1001 R Street. Inside you'll find traditional British favorites like Fish and Chips, and Cornish Pasty, and a simple Ploughmans Lunch of cheese, fruit, and bread.
With gift in hand, pop into TEA COZY, across the hall from the jeweler, where Nami specializes in selling fine teas and British food items. Choose a few teas you have never tried before, and pick up something unusual for a snack. Try Nairn's Organic Oat Cake Crackers, made without wheat or sugar, and wrapped in tidy little take-along packs. (Great with peanut butter!) Don't leave without a slim package of Coffee and Cream Fudge (tastes like caramel, not coffee) from Buchanan's of Scotland, to sweeten the day.
ARAREITY JEWELRY and TEA COZY are inside "The Building" at 1021 R Street
