We packed and loaded up my Prius for a five hour road trip North to Maysville, Kentucky — a small town of about 9,000 people where life slows down a bit and you’re able to notice the hidden treasures around every corner. We arrived during the night, so our drive consisted of a dark, two-way highway with winding hills and steep curves. I wasn’t quite sure where our GPS took us, but the next morning the sunlight was shining down on a quaint downtown area with old buildings, historical markers and the Ohio River in the background. This picturesque scene was worth the drive!
Located on W 2nd Street in an old diner, EAT Gallery (an acronym for Exquisite Art Treasures) has been providing this small town with treasures and fine jewelry from all across the globe since 2006. The iconic neon sign from the old diner was something new owners Simon and Laurie wanted to keep, so rather than ripping it down and starting fresh, they tactfully used it to name their new endeavor–so their store became EAT Gallery. If you’re wandering the streets of Maysville and see the EAT sign, upon walking inside you’ll realize this store feeds your soul rather than your stomach. A wall full of butterflies greets you and a bronze cat holding a bowl of gems and minerals for kids to keep is waiting patiently for your arrival. There’s artwork, large mineral specimens, trinkets, decor, objects d’art, and everything fascinating you could imagine. Obviously lots of jewelry, from artisan pieces that are meticulously handcrafted, to jewels that feature some of the most colorful gemstones, and a collection of pearls that would rival anyone’s.
Manager of the store, Katie, has been growing passionate about jewelry everyday since working at EAT Gallery. She has a major crush on pearls and loves each and every jewelry line that is carried in the store. Speaking of jewelry lines, here are some of my favorites they carry:
Erica Courtney: if you’re looking for some of the prettiest, boldest, most unique colors of gemstones, look no further! Erica’s designs are usually dazzling in diamonds and have bright, colorful gemstones as the main focus. EAT Gallery carries her newest enameled pieces which are striking and really fun!
Alishan: this line of jewelry is all handcrafted and you’ll recognize his signature finish on most of his pieces. Alishan is Armenian and also self-taught, which brings a new perspective and unique combination to his work. EAT Gallery sells a range of price points, from sterling pieces to mixed gold jewels with bold gemstones.
Jane Bohan: this designer is based out of NYC and EAT Gallery carries a wide range of her work. My favorite pieces are the ones that feature her Barcelona signature “caged” gold designs.
Ellie Thompson: geometric, edgy and cool, Ellie Thompson is a Chicago-based jewelry designer who sells at EAT. I love her use of gemstones with cool colors and rich hues, combined with her architectural designs.
Christina Brandewie: fantasy cut aquamarines and different shades of tourmaline are what caught my eye from this designer. If you like a heavier ring which you can “feel” when you wear it, this designer knows how to embody the ideal heft in one piece.
Some highlights of this trip were seeing the intarsia gemstone boxes made by Nicolai Medvedev in person (I’ve been obsessing over them for a few months now), the 18k gold rings handmade in Nepal by a women’s collective using Sri Lankan sapphires (love the colors and gold bead work), the internally carved gemstones which I can’t stop thinking about (I’ll post videos of them on my Instagram page), and the butterfly wall. EAT Gallery has a large offering of beaded bracelets and necklaces, like tourmaline, ruby, peridot, aquamarine, beryl, lapis, amethyst, baltic amber, opals, etc…lots of different gems to choose from! They are really proud of the variety of items, along with the extensive range of price points, so no matter what your budget is, you’ll leave with something!
If you ever find yourself in northern Kentucky or southern Ohio area, make sure you make a trip to visit EAT Gallery! If not, you can always shop 24/7 online, their website is constantly updated with the latest pieces they get in and everything you see in this blog feature is available as well!
Thanks to Simon, Laurie and Katie for having me–what a wonderful store and town Maysville, Kentucky is!
This sponsored blog post was brought to you in collaboration with EAT Gallery.
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