Eureka! 
Bracken Jewelers is a Real Find

Mike Pesses
Mirror contributing writer

   As jewelry stores go, Bracken Jewelers is anything but flashy. The tiny store on the southern end of the 3rd Street Promenade blends right into the surrounding storefronts, but inside it's a whole other story. 
   It's been a jewelry store since the 1950s. Todd and Diana Bracken became its third owners in 1984, and it's Todd's extensive training in gemology and his love for California’s gold that make Bracken Jewelers stand out.
   Bracken's father owned a jewelry store in Illinois. Learning the business as a child, he began making jewelry at the age of nine. When he was seventeen years old, he entered the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.), which gave him a valuable knowledge of precious stones and metals. His degree from G.I.A. includes certificates in both diamond grading and evaluation, and colored stone grading, evaluation, and identification. 
   According to Bracken, "Not all jewelers are required to have G.I.A. training." His certificates are proudly displayed, but his training is proven by the high quality of Bracken Jeweler's products. 
   Eventually, he decided to settle in California. "I was always working with gold," he says. "It was the thought of working with it in its natural state that drew me out to California." While Bracken’s knowledge of gems and jewelry is extensive and diverse, it seems that the gold of California is his true love. He has designed an entire line entitled "California Gold," which consists primarily of wedding bands with an old fashioned look. "I specialize in antique finishes. I like making jewelry that looks like it’s from a buried treasure," says Bracken. 
   "Most gold you buy is 14 karats, which is an alloy of about 50% gold, or 18 karats, which is considered high quality," he explains. The natural gold he uses for these rings is 20 karat. "It has a slightly different color and is softer." It has a different color and feel, and a elegant look.
   Every purchase of gold jewelry from someone like Bracken is a tacit endorsement of "earth friendly" mining techniques. Bracken mines most of the gold he uses from his Northern California claim near the Yuba River, and gets the rest from friends in the same business. He uses a simple dredge to lift sediment from the bottom of the river and sifts out the gold using both modern technology and the old fashioned gold pan. According to Bracken, a lot of gold is mined with earth moving equipment and other environmentally harmful devices. 
   "Most gold is sent to a refinery and mixed with other gold. You never get the same gold you send in, and as a result you can get gold from other countries. Some countries use harmful techniques of gold extraction and buying their gold can perpetuate [these methods]." The California Gold line never leaves Bracken’s hands until the finished product is purchased. "These rings have never left the state," he says.
   Don’t worry if gold isn’t your metal of choice. Bracken Jewelers has something for everyone. Strings of pearls and platinum engagement rings line the glass cases, as do antique jewelry and watches. Bracken has spent most of his life studying and collecting antique adornments "I’m always looking to buy, and sell, antique jewelry," Bracken said. He also makes appraisals. 
   The Promenade isn’t the only place you’ll find Bracken’s work. His jewelry is sold in major boutiques around the country, and even on the World Wide Web. Bracken has his own site, www.brackensgoldrush.com, on which he sells his California Gold jewelry and educates the public on California’s colorful gold mining history. "It has content rather than just trying to sell you something," Bracken says. "There’s a lot of information on it, and we’re continuing to enhance it."
   Bracken Jewelers is located at 1454 1/2 3rd Street Promenade. Telephone: (310) 394-2846.