Erie Basin

My fiancé bought my engagement ring from Erie Basin and informed me he had a great experience shopping there. The band of the ring broke about six months after I received the ring, and I brought it back to Erie Basin, and Russell fixed it with no problems and in a timely manner. I emailed him about getting help with appraisals for ring insurance, and he came through with that as well. Russell is extremely helpful and provides EXCELLENT service. My ring is also beautiful!

The last time I met someone like Erie Basin’s Russell Whitmore was when my cousin, a professional surfer, took me to visit a renowned surfboard shaper. He was part samurai, part storyteller, and an artisan through and through. His expertise was of an older world, instinctual and rooted firmly in muscle memory, but, if asked, he generously shared what he knew with others.
That’s Russell in the world of unique, vintage jewelry and antique pieces. Specifically, Erie Basin (EB) boasts a spectacularly curated collection of jewelry from the early 19^th century to custom designs from the EB team itself. As others have mentioned, his blog and website (recently redesigned) are great primers for what awaits in his Red Hook, but it’s best to make the trip to the store, if you can, as new jewelry surfaces there all the time.
Lastly, a few quick words about Russell’s way with customers. I was drawn to a Victorian-​style engagement ring early into my visit to EB. Customers came, bought, and left while I stared at the ring for hours, rotating it in the light. Russell offered thoughts, answered my questions, but let me take my time until I was ready to buy.
Once I did, the process was seamless, but his service didn’t end with my purchase.
When my fiancé and I circled back through New York for a few days after getting engaged, he found a way to resize the ring (my strong preference was to use EB only, as this was a 150 year-​old ring with an original inscription) for me on the same day so that she could fly out with it and be able to show it to her family upon arriving. Russell thought creatively and let me drop the ring off at his home in Brooklyn that morning to hit our timeline.
In short, Russell may not shape surfboards, but he helps shape engagements expertly. Though we live on the West Coast, I hope to find a way to work with Russell and the Erie Basin team to make custom wedding bands. Russell, you’re the best!

Me and my fiancé got my engagement ring here two years back but at the time I didn’t have a Unilocal account. I had to go back and review this place because I still get compliments on my ring all the time! It is so unique and lovely from the early 1900s and the diamond is of excellent quality European cut.
I remember the owner was helpful but not pushy. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of jewelry that you get. The store itself is very cool and I still check out their website just to look at all the beautiful new things that come in. I recommend this place to all my friends who are getting engaged.

I bought a 1930’s Art Deco ring from Russell online. I was pretty scared at first. Buying cookware from Amazon is one thing, but buying a 1 of a kind antique ring and then mailing it across the country is another. But Russell answered all of my questions, sent me more pictures and explained re-​sizing and return policy to me. (No return on re sized items — fair enough.) Still, I can only gauge so much from pictures, I had questions like — how will it look on MY hand? is there any visible flaw on the stone? can I really trust a vendor I’ve never met or been to the store. Well, after watching the website for awhile with those beautifully photographed items and the insightful descriptions, I had a good gut feeling about Russell and decided to just go for it! I got the ring a week later, and took a day off from work just to wait at home for delivery. Boy was I elated when the UPS driver pulls up and I opened the box. I am so happy I am beyond words! Well, maybe not so much as to not write this review. LOL.
I ended up not re-​sizing with Russell, thinking just in case I might not like it but still want to return it. I am definitely keeping the ring! By the way, $ 70 re sizing fee is very reasonable. Wish I live in NY and can visit Russell’s store every month. Short of that, I will continue to check his website very often. If nothing else, to learn from his knowledge on jewelry history and also to drool.
Don’t hesitate to work with Russell! He is wonderful to communicate and work with. One day I might actually meet the guy and visit his store.

I was on the hunt for a vintage engagement ring, and ended up finding the *perfect* one here. Russell was incredibly helpful, not stressful or pushy at all, and exactly the kind of help I needed during this adventure. Most importantly, my fiancée loves the ring (and said yes!!). Couldn’t recommend Erie Basin enough — thanks to Russell and his great little shop for everything.

Silly me, I bought a beautiful late 1800s engagement ring for my now-​fiancé months ago from here and totally spaced on a review.
They posted said ring on Tumblr, my girlfriend reblogged it, and said that she had to have it. I e-​mailed them and the owner, Russell, replied and we were able to work out a payment plan. He was responsive and professional throughout, leaving out no detail, and making me feel confident in my purchase. Payment was easy and convenient.
When I received the ring, it is as stunning in person as it was in the photos. I continue to be impressed by the pieces they carry, and my fiancé will now forever have a truly unique engagement ring.
If you want to impress someone special with a gift, this is the place to go. I would buy from here again for sure, and I certainly plan to.

I guess this is also a review of my fiancé, who has great taste and found my lovely vintage engagement ring at Erie Basin :)
I had never been to the store before… and quite frankly was not the kind of girl who was obsessing over engagement rings — but WOW! My fiancé was referred to this place by a friend-​of-​a-​friend who is a jeweler.
My ring has a delicate, gorgeous, understated but unique Art Deco setting with a nineteenth century diamond. I get lots of compliments on it. They seem to have a wide range of options depending on your budget. Lots of other cool stuff besides rings, too! If you are concerned about the ethics of buying a new diamond — or just want something classic but unique as opposed to blingy — definitely look at what Erie Basin has.

Great pieces, nicely priced. Owner is very sweet and knowledgeable and has impeccable taste. Even in NYC, Erie Basin is one of a kind.
Bought a diamond engagement ring here after looking for almost a year. Most rings had independent appraisals and papers for the solitaire. Had a great experience and couldn’t be happier. I’ve also purchased smaller gifts in the past, also excellent.
If you’re looking for something specific, blog is regularly updated with all kinds of stuff which is great.

My fiancé and I could not be happier with Erie Basin. Russell’s taste is superb and his customer service is even better! He patiently answered all of our questions and as a result I have an engagement ring beyond my wildest dreams. Highly recommended!

I discovered Erie Basin virtually through the Tumblr community, and quickly fell in love with the store. Russell does a fantastic job finding beautiful pieces, and usually has a pretty good understanding of the history/​specs/​details of each piece. I ordered a beautiful 19^th century ring from him, and he was both very communicative and very fast in shipping it to me. I’ll continue to browse his blog (where he often lists products that are not listed on his site) and online store, and when the time comes, I hope to get my engagement/​wedding rings from him!

Erie Basin has a beautiful selection of vintage estate jewelry, definitely worth the trip! We had a unique situation — my fiancé proposed to me with a family diamond, but we wanted it to be reset to be «my own». Being a big fan of vintage, we scoured the city for shops that would take an existing diamond and fit it into one of their vintage settings. This is apparently really rare to find, but Russell was so friendly and helpful, and he had a good selection of empty settings, ranging from different decades.
I ended up falling in love with a complete ring, and Russell agreed to switch out the existing diamond for mine. He arranged all of the sizing and altering, and it came out beautifully. Now I have a 1920’s diamond in an authentic and beautifully detailed platinum ~1915 setting. I couldn’t be more pleased and am so happy to tell everyone to check out Erie Basin!

What a great selection! You can tell that Russell has an amazing eye and passion for antiques. My fiancé got my dream engagement ring here — a 1930s vintage art deco ring. I am so glad to have such a unique piece of jewelry for the same price it would cost for a generic ring at some place like Blue Nile. Their tumblr is worth a bookmark on your browser.

I bought a gorgeous 1930’s platinum engagement ring here, and it even came in the original box!
Russell has a genuine love for jewelry, and quite the eye (and luck) for snagging some stunning pieces.
Please do yourself a favor and follow the blog. He updates it very often with items that are not in the online store portion of the website.
Rings usually go pretty quickly once they are posted on the blog. So, be on the ball and check back everyday or so as not to miss out.
The blog is here :
I appreciate all of the help, Russell. Thank you so very much.

I was 100% satisfied with my purchase. Excellent communication via phone and email. Shipping was priced fair and arrived when promised. My girlfriend is all-​smiles! I will definitely check out Erie Basin again.

Great for gifts. An excellent selection of jewelry, wedding rings, objects, and other tasteful items. The owner stocks the store with stuff that he finds at antique shows and estate sales, so there’s always something unique there. Priced reasonably, so I go back often.

Erie Basin is a diamond in the «no longer-​so-​rough» Red Hook neighborhood… Everything about this place is special. It is filled with amazing one of a kind antiques from around the world, and has exceptional customer service that you don’t necessarily encounter every day. My fiancée recently purchased a gorgeous ring (beautiful beyond words) from Russel Whitmore at Erie Basin. From the initial «just looking» right on through to the purchase, Russel was super patient, helpful and very accommodating of my partner and his purchase. We will certainly be back to purchase our wedding bands in the future. Check out the tumblr on
. It displays all of the awesome finds that Russel has collected in his travels. LOVE, love, love Erie Basin! Thank you Russel!

My coworker and I were drooling over Erie Basin’s jewelry on
back when we were just hoping our boyfriends would propose to us. Apparently our hint-​dropping worked because we both wound up with beautiful, unique, vintage engagement rings from Erie Basin. Neither of which were terribly expensive considering how gorgeous the pieces are.
My fiancé used to live in Red Hook and was already hip to this corner boutique. We visited a couple times and love the way the collection is carefully curated, not overwhelmingly packed with dusty old finds. The store has more than just jewelry too — bizarre old artwork, antique candlesticks, and new jewelry items as well.
From what I understand, Russell was super helpful when my fiancé went in to shop for the ring. He advised a place to get it refit for my size as well. Now with the wedding just around the corner, I’m hoping to head down there today to pick out wedding bands.

Truly gorgeous wares, but out of my price range for casual jewelry purchases. Word to future brides: if you’ve got indie style, get your engagement ring here. There are some lovelies. And word to interior designers: if you’ve got a client with a gloomy manse looking to decorate with a rusty seaside vibe, this place has got you covered.

Erie Basin is quickly becoming my favorite store in the universe, and not just because I love history *and* accessories!
Before I moved to Brooklyn, I was following owner Russell’s tumblr site [
and constantly drooling over the beautiful antique jewels and knickknacks he collects. And I made sure to hop on the B 61 as soon as I could to visit his storefront, which is simply a beautiful space for ogling beautiful things. While I was there, a couple was working with Russell on some wedding ring business, but I was ably helped by his shop assistant, who helped me try on a bunch of AMAZING necklaces at all different price points. That’s what’s so great — like others have mentioned, you can get a $ 2000 antique diamond or a $ 45 pendant, the selection is simply breathtaking. I still need some convincing on the Victorian hair jewelry, though… but now I know all about vulcanite: did you know it starts to smell when the weather is warm? You didn’t? Well, get thee to Erie Basin and check it out!

Sometimes everything about your visit to a place is just right, and the experience takes on an almost supernatural cast. That’s what it was like wandering into Erie Basin yesterday afternoon. The sun was falling, the light was perfectly golden, casting long shadows onto Van Brunt Street. The Sunday air was crisp and pregnant with the promise of colder weather on the way. The door to Erie Basin was standing a little bit ajar.
My friend and I were just another pair of daytrippers visiting Red Hook from North Brooklyn, where we live. The storefront we wandered into before Erie Basin turned out to be a gallery displaying sort of uncomfortable video art featuring a lot of people in ambiguous distress, and also some sort of slapdash collages. Following that we walked into a place selling straight up ship-​in-​a-​bottle chintz. Erie Basin’s elegant dark wood floor and matching display cases were really the last thing I was expecting.
The weird, watery hush of Van Brunt Street is the perfect site for a shop like this. If Erie Basin were located in a busier neighborhood it might not feel so special. But even without the perfect context, it’s hard to argue with the wares. The selection on offer is understated but totally remarkable. Erie Basin’s collection of antique jewelry is incredibly well-​curated. Although I wouldn’t ordinarily say I’m even a huge fan of this aesthetic, the obvious thought and care that’s gone into presenting the selection of goods on offer is impressive and seductive. The objects are arranged roughly by group, and displayed the way you might present a butterfly collection. There’s a kind of internal logic at work that’s very compelling.
The jewelry ranges widely in price. Most of it is quite old and quite expensive, but it’s obviously also very special, and so the prices seem fair.
There’s also something nice about the fact that Erie Basin is a kind of destination unto itself. Making the long-​ish trip to the store to buy something for my girlfriend seems like it would make the purchase that much more special.
I’ll be honest: I feel a little funny writing a review of what is basically a jewelry store when most of my reviews are reserved for either geeky specialty book/​record stores or dumb hipster restaurants that have already been positively reviewed a zillion times, but a great place is a great place, and Erie Basin deserves praise. It’s one of the most special stores I’ve been into in New York.