Fox’s Gem Shop Kicks Off 100-Year Anniversary with Leap Year Tradition

Fox’s Leap Year Sale, February 28 through March 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEATTLE, Wash.—(February 16, 2012) —For more than a century, Fox’s Gem Shop has been assisting men in selecting the perfect engagement ring for that much-anticipated proposal of marriage, and on February 29, Fox’s invites the ladies to do the same. In honor of their 25^th Leap Year in business, Fox’s eagerly awaited, once-every-four-years sale will extend from February 28 through March 3.

The tradition of women proposing to men on Leap Year began in fifth-century Ireland, when St. Bridget declared that each woman should be able to romantically pursue the man of her choice. This tradition crossed over to the United States, and to this day remains an amusing Leap Year ritual.

“We have a sale on wedding rings, designer jewelry and watches only once every four years. So we make it a good one!” said third-generation Director of Operations Zoey Mann.

While Fox’s isn’t suggesting that all women should propose to their significant others this Leap Year, they do encourage everyone to create their own Leap Year traditions to celebrate this rare day because only once in a Leap Year comes a perfect moment.

WHO: Fox’s Gem Shop

WHAT: Leap Year Century Sale
           · 20-60% off all cased jewelry
           · 20-60% off designer jewelry including: Alex Sepkus,  
             Suwa, Mikimoto, Mason-Kay, Gurhan, Mark Patterson, Todd
             Reed, Norman Silverman
           · 20-60% off watches and timepieces including: Panerai,
             International Watch Company, Ulysse Nardin, Bedat & Co.,
             Mühle Glashütte, Bell & Ross, Hermes of Paris, Nomos
             Glashütte
          · Exclusions: Repairs, loose diamonds and ‘Hearts on Fire’

WHERE: Fox’s Gem Shop
             1341 5^th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
             Validated parking at Rainier Square Garage, 5^th & Union

WHEN: February 28 through March 3, 2012
            10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

About Fox’s Gem Shop
Fox’s Gem Shop is the only independent, family-owned business in Seattle that has been providing its customers with the industry-leading expertise and highest quality and value of gems, jewelry, watches, select designers’ creations and custom designs for over 100 years. Fox’s is known for custom designs, fine Swiss and German watches, and exceptionally rare gemstones and Ideal cut diamonds. Owners Chai, Joy and Zoey Mann are proud to be serving long-standing loyal customers and a new generation of clientele alike, providing the personalized service, quality and integrity that has always characterized this family business. Fox’s is located at the corner of 5^th and Union, 1341 5^th Avenue, in Seattle, Washington. For more information, call (206) 623-2528 or visit http://www.foxsgemshop.com.

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Fox’s Gem Shop’s Dazzling Window Displays of Antique Teddy Bears Delight Holiday Shoppers

SEATTLE, Wash. – (November 23, 2011) – Every year, just before Thanksgiving, Fox’s Gem Shop (located downtown on 5^th and Union) fills their storefront windows with a spectacular display of teddy bears. Ten of Fox’s windows boast imaginative dioramas showcasing more than 100 antique teddy bears and Americana collectibles. Each window is designed with its own distinct theme, making this local jewelry shop a magical destination during the holiday season.

Fox’s Gem Shop, celebrating its 100^-year anniversary in 2012, invites families to pay a visit to its charming teddy bear windows before making the short walk between The Fairmont Olympic Hotel’s Teddy Bear Suite and the Gingerbread Village at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel.

Fox’s tradition of antique teddy bears was introduced in the 1970s before owners Joy and Chai Mann started collecting, but today all the treasures on view are from their own teddy bear collection that they have been amassing since the early 1980s.

“We’re probably the only jewelry store in the country that doesn’t have jewelry displayed in our windows during the holidays,” laughs Chai Mann.

Each window chronicles cherished moments from the Manns’ history. Whether purchased from an antique store, brought back from Europe or donated by a thoughtful passerby, every bear has its own unique, colorful story.

This year’s teddy bear windows include:

Bathtub Window
The two bears in this window are relaxing in a tub that Chai himself bathed in as a child. These bears from the 1930s were found in a flea market in England.

Nurse Window
This window features furniture made by “hobos” or “tramps,” as they were called during the Great Depression, who traveled the railways in search of work. They created furniture out of whatever materials were available, such as orange crates and cigar boxes. This distinctive style became known as Tramp Art, and is highly sought after by collectors.

Typewriter Window
A tribute to Joy’s father, Sid Thal, this window includes a typewriter from the early 1900s and an old Seattle Times apron with pouches used to collect change for the newspaper in the 1950s. Also included in this window is Sid’s little green book, Loose Gems, which contains many of the ads he created for Fox’s while already in his 80s.

Other windows this year include a cooking window, sled window, sushi window, fireplace window, beach window, sewing window and wedding window.

The display of teddy bears has become a cherished ritual, not only for Fox’s Gem Shop, but for families growing up in Seattle as well. One long-time Seattle resident recalls her first visit to Fox’s teddy bear display:

“When I came to Seattle almost 25 years ago, I searched the city at Christmas for something to delight me and my five-year-old daughter. Thrilled by the teddies at Fox’s Gem Shop, I knew that I’d found ‘home,’ or a place for us, when I spotted the Hanukkah menorahs, cards and dreidels in the window,” says Louise Olsen.

Fox’s also offers greeting cards featuring teddy bear scenes much like the window displays for customers to share with family and friends. Packets of five cards are $20 and single cards are $5 each. All proceeds from cards purchased are donated to Northwest Harvest.

Fox’s Gem Shop’s teddy bear windows will be on display until the end of December. For those seeking comfort from the cold, Fox’s Gem Shop invites guests inside to peruse their collection of fine jewelry and watches. With a wide variety of timepieces and gems, Fox’s has the perfect holiday gift for every budget and style.

For more information about jewelry, watches, or custom design, call (206) 623-2528 or go to http://www.foxsgemshop.com.

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October Events

Front Row Fashion Presented by Vogue on October 1, 6 p.m. at Hyatt Regency Bellevue

Vogue brings the fall trends straight from the pages of the magazine to the runway offering insight on fall trends and how to wear fashions available at The Bellevue Collection. 100 percent of the ticket price benefits The Moyer Foundation. Must be 21 or over.

All Access Tickets - $175
Includes complimentary valet parking, early registration and invitation to our champagne toast, appetizers, reserved seating, exclusive swag bag, a $50 Bellevue Collection gift certificate, and exclusive admittance to Post-Runway Show Cocktail reception with Vogue and VIP Shopping Night.

General Admission Tickets - $100
Include a $25 Bellevue Collection gift certificate, swag bag, appetizers, reserved seating, and exclusive admittance to VIP Shopping Night following the show.

To purchase Front Row Fashion tickets, click here.

Altura Restaurant to Open October 5, 2011

A welcome addition to the burgeoning dining scene at the North End of Broadway, Altura—meaning ‘hill’ in Italian—offers a refined dining experience in a rustic-elegant setting on Capitol Hill. The restaurant has been carved out of a former retail space in a nearly century-old building featuring 18^th- and19th-century European antiques and antique furnishings, exposed fir structural beams and an exposed-brick chimney, and repurposed oak church pews for banquette seating.

Driven by seasonality and local availability, the weekly changing menu showcases artistically presented Italian fare and draws inspiration from the Northwest. Most produce, meat, seafood and foraged items will be sourced locally from Pike Place Market vendors, specialty Italian purveyors, and the sizable vegetable and herb garden the Lockwoods tend at their North Seattle home. Altura offers dinner service Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. and is located at 617 Broadway E. on Capitol Hill.

For more information visit Altura online.

Tutta Bella Joins Passionate Pizzerias in ‘Slice of Hope’ for Breast Cancer Research on Friday, October 7, 2011

Next Friday, October 7th, is Slice of Hope day and unites pizzerias across the nation in an effort to fight breast cancer. Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria locations in Columbia City, Stone Way, Westlake and Issaquah are among the Seattle area pizzerias that will donate 15 percent of sales on Friday, October 7^th, to the Karen Mullen Breast Cancer Foundation, a national charity based in Seattle. Funds raised across the country will support the nation’s leading breast cancer researchers, including those at UW Medicine and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Please cut and paste this message to send to your network thru Facebook and Twitter.

Post this on Facebook:
Have you heard about Slice of Hope yet? Join Tutta Bella on October 7th for the nation's passionate pizzeria's big day of giving to end breast cancer! Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria wants to do something to help end this disease. That's why from September 9th until the October 7th event we will match dollar for dollar up to $5,000 for any donations made at Tutta Bella in addition to donating 15 percent of sales on October 7th. http://ow.ly/6K7uq

Tweet this:
Want to end #BreastCancer? Find out how you can help #SliceOfHope on Oct. 7th to end this disease. http://ow.ly/6K7uq

Olive Crest Annual Wine Procurement Party Held on October 12

Olive Crest, an organization dedicated to preventing child abuse, treating and educating at-risk children and preserving the family…“One Life at a Time®”, will host its annual wine procurement party at Lot No. 3 (460 106th Ave. NE) in Bellevue on Wednesday, October 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. Olive Crest offers attendees the opportunity to help the local nonprofit collect bottles for the upcoming gala auction while enjoying complimentary hors d'oeuvres from Lot No. 3 and wine tastings from Mercer Estates, O Wines and William Church Winery. Each guest is asked to bring one bottle of fine wine (valued at $100, see Wine registry for ideas) to be auctioned at Olive Crest’s Gala Auction on March 3, or make a $100 donation. Tickets will be sold for $50 each for a chance to win a Chelan Crush Weekend Package.

For more information about the event or to reserve a glass, visit Olive Crest online.

Fox’s Gem Shop Hosts 18^th Annual Watch Event October 13 – 15

For novice collectors and established aficionados alike, there is nowhere else in Seattle to view such exceptional timepieces as those on display at Fox’s Gem Shop during this three-day event. Many additional pieces have been flown in expressly for this special occasion, other timepieces, straps and winders will also be available throughout the month of October with once a year special pricing. Featured brands at the 18^th Annual Watch Event include Chronoswiss, Bedat & Co, IWC, Bell & Ross, Mühle Glashütte, Panerai, Nomos, Ulysse Nardin, Maurice Lacroix and Hermès. The event is free and validated parking is available at Rainier Square garage.

For more information about jewelry, watches, or custom design, call (206) 623-2528 or visit Fox’s Gem Shop online.

Join Patterson Cellars at Warehouse Wineries Annual Crush Festival on October 22

Join Patterson Cellars and other wineries on Saturday, October 22 from noon to 5 p.m. as they go about crush 2011. Check out different grape varieties, fermentation techniques, chat with the winemakers as they tell you how it all happens.

Also in attendance will be some street food vendors to help curb your appetite!

For more information visit Patterson Cellars online.

Waterways Cruises Offers Early Booking Special 15% Off Holiday Parade of Lights Cruises Tickets

Board a Waterways yacht and join a Seattle holiday tradition – the annual Holiday Parade of Lights Cruises. Holiday décor, a champagne toast and a buffet of scrumptious holiday favorites are included in a festive evening on the water, surrounded by spectacular lights and the joyful singing of carolers. Cruises depart on select November and December dates from a number of convenient locations: Waterways Cruises HomePort, Southport Pier in Renton, and Shilshole Marina in Ballard.

Holiday Parade of Lights Premium Dining Cruises feature expansive, multi-course buffet selections and live music and are priced at $69/General, $63Senior or Military, $35/Children (5-12), and no charge for children 4 and under.

Holiday Parade of Lights Festive Dining Cruises offer delicious traditional buffet selections and are priced at $49/General, $45/Senior or Military, $25/Children (5-12), and no charge for children 4 and under.

*Use promo code HOLIDAY when booking your tickets. Promotion expires Oct. 15, 2011.

For more information visit Waterways Cruises online.

Down Under Answers’ Travel Deals and Qantas Airways’ Non-Stop Route from Dallas to Brisbane Making Holiday Travel to Australia More Accessible

For U.S. travelers looking for international alternatives to spending another bone-chilling winter in the States, the Southern States of Australia offer the best value for a warm-weather holiday vacation Down Under. The DUA “Southern Splendor” vacation packages include such getaways as a 12- night air and land inclusive vacation from $2,599 per person U.S.

For more about Southern Splendors Vacation Packages and ideas visit www.duatravel.com/south.

Fox’s Gem Shop Hosts 18th Annual Watch Event October 13 – 15

Featured Brands Include Chronoswiss, Bedat & Co, IWC, Bell & Ross, Mühle Glashütte, Panerai, Nomos, Ulysse Nardin, Maurice Lacroix and Hermès

Seattle, Wash.—(September 29, 2011)—To every thing there is a season, and the arrival of fall means it’s time for Seattle’s premier watch event at Fox’s Gem Shop on October 13, 14 and 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For novice collectors and established aficionados alike, there is nowhere else in Seattle to view such exceptional timepieces as those on display at Fox’s during this three-day event. Many additional pieces have been flown in expressly for this special occasion, other timepieces, straps and winders will also be available throughout the month of October with once a year special pricing.

Watch expert and Fox’s Gem shop owner, Chai Mann, offers tips on what to look for from this year’s event and watch trends for the ladies and the men.

“Heading into 2012, men’s watch case sizes have become thinner, while women’s are getting larger. Shoppers can expect to see clean, classic styles leading the industry, as well as a movement toward an oversized vintage look, such as pieces within the Bell & Ross Heritage Collection. While Bedat & Co is characterized by simple elegance; high-polish metals and diamonds pair sophistication with everyday wearability.” said Mann.

“Hermès leads the way in casual-dressy versatility, with watches that feature high-quality leather wrist-wraps in a multitude of colors, changeable with the season or the wearer’s mood. The new and classic designs of Chronoswiss will complement the unique collection of fine timepieces we already offer. “continues Mann.

The event’s special guests will include Mr. Thilo Mühle, the fifth-generation owner of Germany’s Mühle Glashütte, and estate watch dealer Jeff Knepper of Portland, Oregon, who will be showing a large collection of new and estate watches and offering expert advice on trade-ins. Brand representatives will be on hand to answer questions from the following companies:

Chronoswiss
Bedat & Co
IWC
Bell & Ross
Mühle Glashütte
Panerai
Nomos
Ulysse Nardin
Hermès
Maurice Lacroix

The event is free and validated parking is available at Rainier Square garage.

About Fox’s Gem Shop

Established in 1912, Fox’s Gem Shop was purchased in 1948 by Sid and Berta Thal, who built the business into Seattle’s premier jeweler. In 1979 the store expanded, moving into its present Rainier Square location in the heart of downtown’s business district. Fox’s is known for its custom designs, fine Swiss and German watches, exceptionally rare gemstones and Ideal cut diamonds. The Thals’ daughter, Joy Thal Mann, her husband Chai Mann and their daughter Zoey Mann are proud to be serving long-standing loyal customers and a new generation of clientele alike, providing the personalized service, quality and integrity that has always characterized this family business. Fox’s Gem Shop is located at the corner of 5^th and Union, 1341 5^th Avenue, in Seattle, Washington. For more information about jewelry, watches, or custom design, call (206) 623-2528 or go to http://www.foxsgemshop.com.

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