Crown Nine

We loved Kate Ellen’s work, the aesthetic and the store and her approach to sourcing responsible stones. I was super excited to commission her and her team to make our custom engagement ring. I thought long and hard before posting this review, as I really wanted to understand the disaster that happened next, beforehand. But I want to alert people, that this might not be the place for custom wedding /​engagement projects. Buy off the shelf instead or find a more professional studio.
Once we had a design, we scheduled some appointments to pick out stones. They were flexible with times, but once there, we kinda got a vibe that she’d rather be somewhere else, not super welcoming. The stones weren’t what we originally asked for, so we asked if we could see others. As she has to request them first, she charged us $ 50 to see others (!) This was after we’d already spent a fair amount buying wedding bands and the deposit. First alarm. We picked out the stones, which were great, and had the final design ready. Kate Ellen sent a quote to my fiancé (now husband) and he, being a numbers guy and used to commissioning design work, asked for a breakdown of the tax % on the design charges.
The next response we had was that Kate Ellen wouldn’t work with us any more and we should go somewhere else. This was after we’d invested almost 2 months in making appointments, the design, choosing stones (they wouldn’t sell us them) and spent money on wedding bands, deposit etc. I really, really wanted to understand what had gone wrong. We were not only deeply disappointed, but this such a special occasion for us (like any couple) and we now had this really bad vibe about everything. Not cool. I asked to meet her to find out. Still a mystery — all I got was that our ‘business style wasn’t a good fit.’ She did kindly offer to refund the wedding bands if we wanted, but by that point we’d already married (with a borrowed engagement ring) and had our friends bless the rings so we moved on.
But the whole experience left us disappointed, confused and a little frustrated. I feel like there is a vibe among the Bay maker community that «I’m an artist, this is my craft and I don’t talk money as it devalues my work etc.» We get that, but at the end of the day you are running a business, providing a professional service to paying clients and should be able to give more consideration for customer service. Don’t lose it if people ask for breakdown of charges. Instead, politely refuse. It’s okay. And, above all if you’re a wedding jeweler, understand the emotional consequences for the client when you drop a ring project 2 months in at the last minute. Finally, if you don’t like to do custom work, don’t offer it.
The good news and happy end to this tale is we found Rebecca Overmann in SF, who was professional, warm, expert and has created a beautiful piece. All’s well, that ends well. Check out Rebecca’s work if you want a special custom ring.

Unique, high quality jewelry. Everyone there is amazing to work with, and Kate’s designs and craftsmanship are outstanding.

This rating has been a long time coming. We bought my husband’s wedding band here and we absolutely love it! It’s unique and feels great to have supported a local shop. Just about every Christmas since our wedding my husband will get me something from there and I have never been disappointed! Kate is very warm and friendly and doesn’t pressure you to buy at all.
Also one time a necklace that I bought there fell off the chain. I tried doing a patch job on it but it kept falling off. I took it in and in a flash it was good as new. Great customer service!

Beautiful local jewelry store that sells necklaces, rings, cuffs, earrings, etc. The prices range from 70 – 400, sometimes more, but the quality is worth it. It’s also great to know that you’re supporting the artists work in the studio upstairs.

I love Crown Nine!!! Kate has curated an amazing assortment of jewelry and art. Mostly jewelry and I am totally hooked. I have three pairs of earrings from Crown Nine. One pair of Boet earrings from here (which are my uniform) result in constant compliments. The store itself is lovely and so it Kate! If you need a gift from Mother’s Day, birthday, Christmas or an engagement ring (including custom) — COME HERE!

Beautiful and unique stuff! My boyfriend got me a ring here for Valentine’s day. The store was very helpful in resizing it. I will be returning in the future to buy more :)

I love Crown Nine and all the jewelry in this shop. They are really one of a kind pieces, but by far my favorite jewelry is made by the owner Kate Ellen. She is warm, friendly and so knowledgeable about the artists she carries in her store. She can help anyone find the «right» piece, whether it is a gift or for yourself. She also has a good selection in different price ranges. There is no «hard sell» at this shop, which is nice. She also has a return policy that is unheard of in small boutiques. She accepts exchanges AND returns. It is also a wonderful place for bridal, both men and women’s rings… absolutely gorgeous stuff! All that and a commitment to downtown Oakland!

I gotta save up and buy a fabulously unique piece from this place. I pretty much liked everything in this store and I can tell the owner/​jewelry maker has a passion for what she does and she’s got great taste.

Great jewelry, cute store. Good for gifts & a treat for yourself.
My only wish is that things were priced. If I’m browsing, it’s a pain to have to ask for every single thing I’m looking at. There are ranges that are so large it’s hard to tell if what you like is in your budget. I’d much prefer price tags rather than discussing price. Maybe I’m old-​fashioned but I’d rather talk about other things then how much everything costs. It’s to me part of the pleasure of shopping to have access to this information easily.

I totally love love love love this place… but I especially love Kate’s creations. There are array of pieces from other designers but the owner of the shop makes my favorite pieces of them all. Kate’s designs are just up my alley and I feel like they are unique and timeless… amazing quality as well. I bought one piece and I got so many compliments on there that now my friends want to visit this place as well.
I have a few things on my «wish list» as the pieces are not cheap. but it’s well worth saving up for good quality items you really can utilize versus buying impulse pieces. It really is nice that you get to meet the person that made your piece as well. For lack of better words. it’s really a «gem» in Old Oakland and I am happy I stumbled upon this location (I think soon to be moving to a bigger one not too far away).
Her custom engagement rings are to die for.
New Fan. VISIT THIS PLACE!

Crown Nine is the coolest of all the pop-​up hood shops. I appreciate all of the shops in this area, and what they are doing, but, Crown Nine has taken it to the highest standard. The whole place is exquisitely curated and the jewelry and art itself is brilliant.
This place makes me proud to be an Oakland resident.

A lovely array of styles and price points (all at the «gift for mom/​serious girlfriend» level, though), made mostly by locals. The owner of the shop is really, really friendly and the displays are a work of art in themselves. I felt very fancy shopping here.
Best thing: 30 day return policy. So if Mom doesn’t love these earrings, I can take ‘em back and get myself something!

Crown Nine is more than just a fabulous new jewelry store in downtown Oakland that sells really unique, fashionable & highly desirable jewelry — they also offer jewelry making workshops. Specializing in metals not beads.
My friend & I signed up for the Mitsuro Wax class together and it was some seriously good bonding time. The class size was nice & small, [about 7 total] so we all got one on one time with the teacher, Kate Ellen. The price of the workshop was pretty reasonable & included material costs. Most workshops here cost less than $ 100!
We were guaranteed to complete a ring by the end of the class so we’d have something to show for our hard work. We actually made a bunch of ring mock-​ups in wax & at the end of the class, we each selected one piece that would be sent out for casting in silver. How cool is that? Any day now I am going to have a one of a kind silver ring designed by me :)
The mission here is to offer jewelry making classes that are affordable & not too complicated. Anyone who is interested in jewelry making can try it out, enjoy the creative process & go home with an original design.
I really like this place a lot and plan to take more classes in the future. People really need to support these gals because it’s one of the best new additions to the Oakland art scene.

This place bolsters Old Oakland. If I wore women’s jewelry I would buy and wear this jewelry. I buy gifts and notecards here from time to time. Places like this make me think that I should get more friends so I can buy them do-​dads. Plus it’s on the way to The Trappist…

Beautiful things. The jewelry is amazing.

Pretty curated shops can be kind of intimidating when you’ve gotten used to leisurely online shopping, but not this one. Kate, the jewelery design who opened the shop, and showcases work from other local designers, is sweet and friendly. She told my boyfriend and me the stories behind much of the wares. When we came in again, she remembered us by name. It’s this attention to detail that makes this store really special. Plus, it’s the perfect place to find a pressy for a friend when you don’t have anything specific in mind. Please stop by and spread the word so that this lovely little shop will become more than just a pop-​up store!

In an alley way, a little sign on ninth showing the way. I guess it’s a jewelry shop but its much more than that. There’s a small spattering of clothes and accessories, paper goods and art. I ended up finding a cute hand printed tea towel for my friend’s christmas present, so cute, it had a print of strawberries and rolled up in a little green strawberry basket.
There’s a broad price range in this place. It may take a bit of perusing but you can eventually find a few options within a lower price budget.
Thumbs up this place is cool. And Im happy that this area is filling up with great little stores like this.

I’ve never been more proud to be an Old Oaklander than I was this weekend discovering the new popuphood on 9^th and Broadway. And of all six of the (amazingly awesome) shops/​galleries I visited, Crown Nine really shined for me. One of the owners/​jewelers, Kate, was so warm and down-​to-​earth, it was clear that she is dedicated to pumping some retail blood and a new sense of community in this neighborhood. She gushed about having discovered hand wrought nails from the 19^th century in the ceiling boards as she was hanging her track lighting, and she said a local historian is investigating into the story behind this building — how cool!
On top of that, the selection and curation of the goods offered at Crown Nine are splurge-​worthy. From handmade cards to local t-​shirts, fabulous hand clutches to deliciously scented candles (by one of my favorites, TypeLites!), and OF COURSE, gorgeous jewelry by Kate and others! The ambiance is clean, laid-​back and spacious, so you feel welcomed and free to wander. They’ve also put QR codes on all the artists’ wall tags, so if you want to know more about them, a quick scan with a smart phone will take you to a web page with their details.
The shop is tucked away from the front side of 9^th street, so it may be easy to pass by, but it is well worth further inspection!