New Secret Spot!

Obviously this is not me, but all other searches produce only photos of young celebrities walking out in sweatpants.

So I went to a store the other day called xiv karat. Located in a non-descript building in Beverly hills, the person who took me, also a native angeleno, told me she couldn't believe I'd never heard of it. As I was riding up the elevator, I didn't really know what to expect. She had asked me if I wanted to go to a "jewelry store", so I guess I was expecting your typical L.A. jewelry store, super small, with 50 pieces of inventory.
The elevator doors opened and suddenly I was standing in a huge, bustling jewelry showroom, with thousands of pieces of bling. She was on a jewelry bender, having decided recently that she was now an adult, and needed to form a jewelry collection. I for some reason had decided that day to wear a nice sized art deco diamond and Sapphire  cocktail ring and an opal and diamond necklace, two of my nicest pieces, so I looked like way more or an authority than I actually am. We whizzed around the store as she tried on diamond necklaces, earrings and rings. I absolutely love shopping vicariously through others, and I will almost always advise in throwing down long and green, short and silver.
The entire place is family owned, everyone working there is related in some way, and they are incredibly helpful. They've been around for decades, and have families that have been shopping there for generations.I thought their prices were pretty decent, until she was trying something on and the sales guy said, "since you've been here before, you know everything is half off".
Um what?
He looked at me like I had two heads, and asked me where I was from. I guess I truly am the only person in L.A. who doesn't know about this place.
But back to the prices.
Because they are wholesalers, you're getting the wholesale price. And then some. They will negotiate with you a teeny bit, and more if you're really balling, I'm sure.
But $100 for diamond earrings? Come on! Now obviously those were small, but dozens in that price point in various classic and fun designs. I reeeeealllly had to resist the urge, although my friend had no such restrictions. They don't just do diamonds (although I'm still thinking about a yellow diamond ring I saw that would render it impossible to move you hand), but also every other stone under the sun.
The place just sucks you in with shiny possibilities leaving you nowhere to rest your eyes.
I will absolutely be returning here ASAP. Also a great place to get a gift with a lot of bang for not a lot of buck. Which is convenient, seeing as its my birthday next month. I'm a big fan of buying yourself a present.
Im a big big fan of finding "classic" L.A. things Ive never heard of, and this one has really taken the cake.