Still stumped on what to give Mom on Sunday? A perfect gift for Mother's Day can be found at the costume-jewelry treasure trove Rhinestone Rosie [0] on Queen Anne. What Seattle mom -- or mom with a kid who lives in Seattle -- can resist a sparkly rhinestone brooch immortalizing the Space Needle?
How do I know the Space Needle brooch is the perfect gift? My mom loves the one I got for her a few years ago. She says it's always a conversation starter, and a great way to talk proudly about her favorite city to visit on the West Coast. This year (shhhhh), she's getting the sweet little matching earrings.
"Brooches make fabulous gifts because you don't have to worry about someone's face shape, or the correct size," says Rhinestone Rosie owner Rosie Sayyah. "Plus, they're perfect for dressing up jackets."
Sayyah based the vintage-inspired pin on an original that was produced when the Space Needle was the new girl in town. She holds the royalty rights for the brooches, which are sold at her shop and at the Space Needle gift shop [1].
The posh silver and rhinestone pieces are priced nicely, too. The larger brooch is $45, and a medium-sized pin is $25. Darling Space Needle earrings are $25, and there's even a Space Needle tie tack ($12) for Father's Day.
You can't help but feel nostalgic in Rhinestone Rosie's dazzling kitsch wonderland. Sifting through the midcentury treasures reminds you that there was a time when women wore tiaras without irony -- and optimistic developers thought it perfectly reasonable to build a rotating restaurant on stilts that pointed the way toward space.
Along with her Space Needle jewelry, Sayyah stocks an impressive assortment of costume jewelry, from plastic to precious, along with a great stash of glamorous evening bags and showpiece cocktail rings.
If you're an eco-shopper, remember that vintage equals recycled. And if you're a guy who needs help selecting a gift, keep in mind that Sayyah is a jewelry whiz with failsafe taste. "We love to help," she says. "Don't be afraid to come in. We're very male-friendly."
If you have a shop, sale, event or great product tip you'd like to share, e-mail seattleshopping@nwsource.com.
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