For nine years, the Trumpeter Gallery in downtown La Conner has showcased handmade jewelry from artists around the world. Primarily focusing on silver and some gold with select estate jewelry, owner Ramon Hayes knows each jeweler personally and works with up to 10 at one time, including his jewelry designer wife, Heidi.
Humble Beginnings
Hayes’ entry into the world of adornments began in childhood when he and his mother sold jewelry at flea markets and fairs in Florida. As he entered his college years, his jewelry knowledge and savvy provided the means to pay for his education. After earning a degree in music, Hayes found himself drawn back to the world of jewelry, ultimately opening shops in various locations.
As a long-time resident of La Conner and the town’s mayor for 13 years, opening a jewelry gallery downtown was a way to connect to the history of the charming town and its business community. The name Trumpeter is another local connection, honoring the majestic trumpeter swans that arrive in Skagit Valley every winter.
A Welcoming Experience
Open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the gallery is inviting and approachable. Guests have access to almost every display cabinet.
“Like my open front door, many of the jewelry cases are open, and customers can bring out a piece, see it up close, and try it on,” Hayes says. “It’s very important to me that everyone is happy with their purchase and enjoys wearing it.”
At the gallery, you’ll find necklaces, rings, earrings, pendants, and bracelets. Many pieces are limited and might be one of 10 or 100, so there is no guarantee that a treasure that catches your fancy will be there on a return trip. Prices for silver range from $20 to $500 and gold between $500 to $2,000, with discount incentives given. ]
Many designs have eye-catching precious and semiprecious gemstones, such as opal, amber, tourmaline, citrine, and ruby, as well as rarer gemstones like blue Larimar from the Dominican Republic, Sleeping Beauty turquoise from Arizona, and Washington’s helenite made from volcanic ash from Mount Saint Helens.
610 1st St., La Conner, 360.466.2804, facebook.com/trumpetergallery
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