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Alexandria Rossoff has made her mark in Seattle by selling "the stuff Napoleon would buy for Josephine," she says. Perhaps a Bohemian garnet necklace would have kept the lady a little more tolerant of the Small Cranky One, but she really should have held out for the pair of five carat Russian diamond earrings set in gold and silver ($31,500). Rossoff travels the world to stock her tiny, richly appointed shop with jewels and rare finds — no junk here. She looks to find jewelry that contain its original integrity, and will cheerfully share the story of the piece and the period if you just ask. And even Napoleon would dance a jig if he knew that selections begin under $1,000.

TIP: Position yourself to be waited on by Peter Bruckner, a Hungarian gentleman who has been in the business since 1948. You can't help but learn something.

By Vanessa McGrady
Special to NWsource