10 Interesting Local Jewelers to Get You Out of Your Rut

Dallas is known as a town that loves to shop, and the one thing we know about true shopaholics is that they hate having the same thing as everyone else. Fashion is about the thrill of the hunt; finding that one piece that completes a unique personal statement. So why is it then, that Kendra Scott seems to dominate the conversation about Texas-based jewelers?

There's a lot to admire about the entrepreneur who started out with a mall hat shop and now has one of the most lucrative jewelry businesses in the country. But her jewelry is also pretty boring. (And let's face it, she doesn't need our help, she's doing just fine.) Here are 10 Dallas jewelers, many running their businesses out of simple etsy shops, whose accessories are more likely to start a conversation.

Fantastultra (pictured at top)
Stylist Fatimah Valentin is the designer behind Fantastultra, a line of handmade jewelry with cosmic vibes. These Moon Hoops ($118) are forged from sterling silver and brass with carnelian stones. Valentin also works with glass beads, tourmaline, turquoise, garnets and goldstones. Prices range from $28 to $178. Visit the website here, and shop on etsy.

Citygirlbeachbum
When she's not working at AllGood Cafe, local musician Laura Harrell performs in the band Party Static. And when she's not performing with Party Static, she's designing jewelry for her line, citygirlbeachbum, which she sells on etsy. The concept for the jewelry is that she often works with found materials (that's the city-girl part). We like this Copper Moon Phase Choker ($30) that's affixed to your neck with a scrap of bleached T-shirt. Check out Harrell's complete collection here. Items range from $5 to $50.


Bella and Chloe
This Mystic Eye Ring ($118) from Bella and Chloe's Summer '16 collection is made from sterling silver and turquoise. It's hippie but it's also not too "out there," if you're worried about such things, and as you can see, it looks great paired with other rings. You can visit Bella and Chloe at 3010 N Henderson Ave. or you can shop their extensive collection of bohemian jewelry online at bellaandchloe.com. Their originals go for $72 to $345 and they also sell vintage pieces.


f. is for frank 
This line is the work of designers Shoshannah Frank and Casey Melton. On their website, Frank and Melton credit their jewelry's emphasis on texture, scale and shape to their backgrounds in sculpture in architecture. They find inspiration in everything from their friends' spirit animals to the leaves of an aloe vera plant, and every piece is designed and cast in their Dallas studio. We dig this bobcat ladder necklace ($175), with pewter rungs modeled after bobcat foot bones, placed on a gold-fill chain. Shop the rest of f. is for franks' rad offerings at fisforfrank.com.

GypsyVie 
Lindsay Charnay runs the etsy accessories shop GypsyVie, where she sells everything from earrings to bolo ties to cuffs to belts ranging in price from $15 to $85. These tassel earrings, on the low end at $15, are perfect to complete a '70s-inspired outfit. Shop GypsyVie here. 

ReWork Creative 
Metalsmith ReWork Creative makes jewelry from materials including wood, denim, crystals, stones, brass, copper, sterling silver and leather, for a look that's bold and not too fussed-with. One of their most popular techniques is to wrap large crystals or stones in metal, as seen here on these quartz pendants ($20), which would go with just about anything. Click here to check out the rest of their earthy necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings, which range in price from $10 to $150. 


Esther Eve Metalsmith
It's hard to tell from the photo, but the Piranha Agate that anchors this "hammerhead" ring ($105) is actually a mix of black, brown, orange, yellow and pink. After being oxidized and scarred to create unique colors and marks, the ring was treated with polished wax to preserve the color. The patina is intended to change over time. Esther is inspired by medieval aesthetics and does all of her silversmithing from her home studio in a downtown loft. Most of her jewelry is $42 to $160. Check out the rest of her work, mainly rings, at esthereve.com. 

estiemade
Esther Kao began casually making jewelry for friends in 2009, and since then the materials she uses for her bracelets, rings, necklaces and earrings have grown increasingly complex. This Silver Trapezoid Land and Sky Cuff Bracelet ($185) is handmade from sterling silver. The face is meant to suggest earth's topographic surface, with 14k gold balls placed to form a constellation of sorts. Check out the rest of Kao's inventive and modern jewelry, $36 to $230, here.

Flatland Formations
Minimalist and organic shapes are the foundation of Natalia Fredericks' designs, primarily executed with silver, bronze and brass. This White Sun Ring ($67), inspired by Southwestern sunsets, features a carnelian stone set into a half circle. The pieces Fredericks sells in her etsy shop, Flatland Formations, are $23 to $128. Shop Flatland Formations here.

Sarah Briggs
Briggs has a large collection of affordable jewelry for sale at sarahbriggs.com. We like this Chain Thorn Post ($30) because it gives the effect of a double piercing for those who only have one. This piece belongs to a collection inspired by thorns, which Briggs says on her site are intended to "represent the beauty and danger found in nature, as well as in women."