Hunt for jewels

Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend? I believe the saying might contain some truth, if you know how to choose them. After all, the right jewelry will be with you at all times, helping you look and feel great. The glamorous actress Elisabeth Taylor even wrote a book, “My love affair with jewelry,” devoted to the topic and released a perfume called “White Diamonds.”

There are plenty of options when it comes to jewelry shopping in Kyiv. Many stores sell world-famous and prestigious jewelry brands, however, I chose to dedicate this “best of” review to Ukrainian stores selling the products of local factories. Their merchandise is usually mid-range in terms of price, and they offer high quality and great service. Most shop assistants are really helpful and exceptionally nice. Personally, I believe that it’s the result of spending so much time among beautiful, elegant things.

Despite a great number of new jewelry shops that have opened up in recent years, the first place that comes to mind when I think of gold and silver is the central Yuvelirniy shop. I was really impressed with their assortment. Pendants made of colored enamel (Hr 100 to Hr 200) caught my eye. The store also has some nice pieces adorned with amber and turquoise. In addition, Yuvelirniy has a great selection of weddings rings – from traditional, yellow gold models to models of white gold with gems. But a jewelry shop should be attractive not only from the inside, but also from the outside, which is not exactly the case with Yuvelirniy. A time-worn shop-window and signboard do little to attract customers to the shop. 

Everything is fine with design, signboard and lighting at Zolotoy Ostap in Metrograd shopping center. The store is named after Ostap Bender, the main character of the classic novel “Twelve Chairs.” Among Ostap’s selection are ornaments encrusted with diamonds, garnet, topaz (but just a few of those) and some other gems. I especially admired their necklaces, which are presented in different styles, from classic models to original, unique ones. However, the assortment is not very big, and do not sell jewelry for men. 

TSUM department store is a very popular place for jewelry shopping, especially on weekends – probably because TSUM offers a 5 percent discount on all goods on Sundays. Still it’s the place to go to see almost all kinds of precious stones in various settings. One of my favorite stones is garnet, and TSUM sells many different models of garnet jewelry. I even found a real garnet bracelet with diamonds (Hr 5,200).

Perlyna (Pearl) store boasts very original rings for men (Hr 550 to Hr 1,200), and during my visits I have seen well-dressed gentlemen trying them on and buying them. Ladies who are more interested in the gems than the precious metals in which they are encrusted, might like jewelry sets of silver encrusted with garnet, blue topaz and amethyst at quite modest prices (Hr 300 to Hr 550). I just couldn’t take my eyes off the showcase displaying a collection of pieces with multi-colored topazes, citrines and amethysts. Long earrings, rings and flower-shaped pendants (Hr 1,300 to Hr 7,000) also deserved attention. With its nice selection, Perlyna never lacks in visitors, so it’s hard to admire and choose jewelry in peace and quiet, which I find very important. 

There is more than enough shopping space in the salon-shop Yuvelir Palats, where you can look over their wonderful selection and make a choice without feeling rushed – you can spend as much time mulling over your purchase and trying it on as you wish. But most importantly, Yuvelir Palats has it all. In its three halls you’ll find a truly impressive selection of jewelry, enough to satisfy the most demanding jewelry collectors. I was especially impressed with the selection of topazes – at Yuvelir Palats, they not only have blue, but also very beautiful smoke-colored topazes, which cannot be found everywhere. In short, at Yuvelir Palats you can find everything you need in one nice place – both in terms of selection and service, and that’s what makes it the best jewelry store. After all, you should be able to enjoy not only the result of your shopping, but also the process itself.