Xela Imports

I visited Xela Imports looking for turquoise and coral jewelry. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had a wide variety. The owners Paula and Alessandro are from Italy and frequently visit Italy to obtain inventory for their store. Specifically they obtain coral jewelry from Capri, which is the center for such items. Paula also purchases turquoise and coral while in Italy and creates her own jewelry, which is both lovely and affordable. I found exactly what I was looking for, which was one of Paula’s coral necklaces. Paula and Alessandro are friendly and helpful. I will return to Xela Imports when I am in the market for jewelry again.
Update: my girlfriend loved the necklace and it is now her favorite piece of jewelry. I went back to Xela Importa looking for a matching bracelet. Paula had the a beautiful piece of her hand mad coral bracelet. It was too long for my girlfriend’s wrist, so Paula offered to cut it shorter and to use the excess piece to make earings. She called me an hour later to let me know that she had made the modifications. I returned to the shop to pick up the jewelry and the earings were beautiful. The charge for the earnings was only 10 dollars for the materials and the whole package was very affordable. I will be giving the jewelry to my girlfriend next week and will provide an update.

I’ve first shopped at this store, what, 20 years ago? It’s always been a nice ‘go to’ spot for unique Christmas gifts and on occasion, for personal ones as it was today. The owner took the time to assist with purchasing silver bracelets that suited the two of us. While one could find something similar at jewelry stores, I like that the jewelry is, clearly hand made, lending that touch of craftsmanship vs. typical machine made. Paola sources some really nice items, the store is clean and organized and I’m happy they’re still open after all these years!

Buyer Beware. Have had a string of bad luck here; things fall apart — and the prices are on the high side for what you get.
I bought what was sold to me as a solid silver coin pendant/​charm — knew it could not be original because of the price — but did not expect the silver to wear thru in a couple months showing copper underneath. On my next trip to the store, I mentioned it and was made fun of for thinking that it could be solid silver at that price — although it had been sold to me as solid silver AND old.
Bought a hair ornament/​chopstick of a dragonfly with horn wings — the wings came out when I got it home. I glued them back in, then the horn wing broke in two, irreparable. I never even got to wear it! $ 20+ so didn’t make an issue or try to return it.
Most recently — bought a pair of $ 85 Italian turquoise earrings that I wore for about a week when the carved turquoise rose fell off the earpiece and the turquoise drop fell off its inner wire mount. No joy. Took them back to show Paola — and it’s my fault for letting them get wet (???) — they must not have been glued properly, so not her problem. Lemon law should apply here. She would be willing to sell me another pair at a discount — but why would I — I can only imagine this happening over and over.
And, per the owner, I am the only customer who has ever had any problems — it’s not her responsibility, not the fault of her merchandise. Or, if it is the fault of her merchandise, the earring was certainly not glued properly, it’s certainly not her business responsibility.
A waste of time — but will be looking at small claims court. Just tired of this.

LOVE LOVE LOVE. My only must stop in Noe Valley.
Service is always splendid. The vibe in this place is instant comfort for me. I’ve bought a few things here and there. Great selection of décor and jewelry for those of you that like to be a little funky. :-)

Favorite place to drop in for incense, jewelry finds and textiles. I’ve gotten many gifts for my mother from here, and the owner and her employees are very familiar with their inventory so I’ve never felt pressured into making a purchase. Definitely a neighborhood staple, and favorite small business.

Disappointed that I could not exchange an untouched gift w receipt bc too much time had passed. Don’t think that policy was communicated to my husband when he purchased it.

I’ve been shopping here for over 10 years. It’s my style secret — it’s where I buy the most beautiful, fashionable silver and other jewelry. All for very low prices. People always comment on my gorgeous earrings and cuffs. Only place I shop for earrings and bracelets. Don’t ever close!!!

Really cool. Candles, clothing, home décor — they have it all.

Pleasant storekeeper.
Good amber selection (earrings, pendants, etc.).

Have been going to Xela’s since I was in the 6^th grade.
The store has a great selection of jewelry for very affordable prices. Also really good customer service — always willing to answer any questions without being overbearing while I browse through the store.

This is my favorite store in the whole of SF. I almost didn’t review it because I want to keep all its treasures to myself! =) (greeeeedy!).
It’s a small family owned and run import shop with jewelery, hand crafted items, and trinkets from all over the world. It is one of those stores where every time I go in I discover something new I hadn’t seen the week before. I can spend hours here!
Love love love it!

I really love this place. The owner, a lovely Italian woman whos name I still do not know, is really sweet. She always recognizes me and takes the time to talk to me and ask me how my son is, ect. Almost all of my earings and rings and necklaces come from here. I bought some nice yoga pants for only $ 10 from here and I always buy my incense here because it is CHEAP! 100 sticks for $ 6! Some of the statues and wall hanging items are a bit too expensive for me, but then again I may just be cheap. I’d love to see them have a bit more clothes for yoga and more home décor type stuff, but other than that I love this place. The staff is sweet and it’s good quality stuff. I like that there is a lot of Christian stuff in there too along with Tibetan and Buddhist… well rounded :-)

This place has a little something for everyone. Let’s just say I could walk in here with my catholic, Muslim, and Buddhist friends (sounds like the making of a joke!) and we would each find some religious or spiritual jewelry piece, wall hanging, or statue that suits our fancy. This place is small but jammed packed with items from around the world. I’m Italian so I was excited to find a place that has the Italian horn charms. I also found a really cute OM wall hanging and some incense. I could have spent a lot more if it was closer to pay day. My Mom found some really pretty earrings. It’s a great place to shop for a gift as you will find something for everyone here.

This store is wild!!! Popped in here the other day and it reminded me of some of the stores on Haight, but smaller and with more content. Freaky things and cool things… jewelry, figurines, boxes, even scary masks. Prices seemed pretty reasonable… I’ve seen those crazy masks go for a lot more in other stores. Considered getting one for the wall at home, but it just didn’t go with my décor. One thing for sure, you’ll never get bored when you walk in here… highly entertaining!
Oh and a funny thing happened while I was in there. I saw a salt shaker on top of their glass counter and figured it was there to dispel evil spirits or something. One tends to think that way when you see all the stuff in there. Well, after a customer finished paying and left with her purchase, the cashier realized she forgot something and said, «Oh no, the lady forgot her salt shaker!!!» I was like, «Oh-kay…I thought the store put it there to dispel evil spirits!» Apparently not… we all had a real good laugh… who’d have guessed it? Hoping the lady came back to get her salt shaker.

Used to really like this shop and would go in to buy things every now and then. Yesterday I bought a ring and it broke in a couple of hours.
I took it back and asked her to exchange it and she did but she complained at me for a very long time about her own broken merchandise and loss of money. It was very disappointing. TERRIBLE customer service!
I will no longer be shopping there!

Eclectic.
All sorts of things from jewelry to religious iconography from all over the world. Everyone there is friendly and helpful. Worth peeking in every now and then to see what’s new.

This store is too cluttered for me. I’ve been in here a few times and it’s just soooo overwhelming. It’s like being in the home of a hoarder. I also feel that the price points are marked up insanely high, but it’s Noe so whatever.
I have to agree with Scarlett C. on hiring a friendly person. The new girl actually smiled, said hello, and offered help! I never got that kindness from the owner, never even got acknowledged.

Great little boutique with gorgeous imported jewelry, bags, clothes, scarves and more.
Helpful staff member looked hard for shirts in another color for me.
Affordable, and things often go on sale.

This place is incredible! The assortment of exotic and gorgeous jewelry, masks, clothing, sculptures, hangings and goodness knows what else blows my mind every time I go. What’s even more astonishing is the low price range. For a stunning mask from… I believe it was Indonesia, I spent only $ 35. This mask is hand carved, about 12 inches high, and the wood is smooth as silk. It was so expressive, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.
I found a pair of glimmering shell earrings today, with silver overlay. The craftsman ship was outstanding. Ordinarily they would have charged $ 50 for it. And ordinary I would have paid it! They’re so lovely! But the whole cabinet they were in was marked 50% off. So $ 25 it was!
It seems like they always have some kind of sale or other going on. It’s so refreshing.
To give you better idea of what they have, here are some of the things that spring to mind: Beautifully cast metal Ganeshas, candle holders in the shape of hands in hindi meditation positions, mirrors with colorfully painted wooden carved frames, yoga pants, indian tunics, handmade silver jewelry with inlaid gemstones and shells, wind chimes, balinese masks, carved wooden elephants and buddahs…
The list goes on and on. The quality is exceptional, and the prices are wonderful. Always a smiling face behind the counter. This is one of my favorite stores in the city.

What I love most about Xela is that you can buy earrings individually rather than in pairs which means I can buy a pair and a spare or if I bought a pair and lost one, I know I can get a replacement rather than have to go and buy another set.
Emunah’s review mentions that the store is run by a sometimes-​friendly Italian woman and her brother. I distinctly remember some years ago when that woman was just a few days in the country, very sweet, easy-​going, open. I moved to the East Bay shortly after that and a couple of years later found myself wandering through Noe Valley. Stopped in at Xela and there she was, behind the counter, but this time it seemed, cynical with lots of side-​eye action. I felt a little sad, but figured she’d probably had a few run-​ins with the not so nice slice of life in America…