9/13/2007 Update:

If you’re into unique jewelry or rare comic books, you should check out the Traders of Babylon on 1st street in Hoboken. The store recently moved from 259 1st Street to 265 1st Street because the owners needed more square footage for their merchandise.

If you shop at this store, you can be sure that none of your girlfriends will be wearing what you are, because most likely it’s an original. Lovingly handcrafted rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings (not the low quality, expensive items that they carry at Zales or Macy*s) line the counters along a large portion of the store. Jeweler and owner Stephen Kilnisan says “99% or our items are designed by us.”

READ THE REST AFTER THE JUMP!

traders-of-bablyon-hoboken-september-13-2007.JPG

//
define(‘MAX_PATH’, ‘/mnt/stor4-wc2-dfw1/416861/www.hoboken411.com/web/content/openx’);
if (@include_once(MAX_PATH . ‘/www/delivery/alocal.php’)) {
if (!isset($phpAds_context)) {
$phpAds_context = array();
}
$phpAds_raw = view_local(”, 2, 0, 0, ‘_blank’, ”, ’0′, $phpAds_context, ”);
}
echo $phpAds_raw['html'];
?>

Kilnisan, who transforms gold and silver like a painter does a blank canvas, went to school at GIA, apprenticed with several jewelers, but says that he’s also self-trained. The items he designs sometimes even resemble graffiti, fantasy and Goth. “The jewelry is pretty much my crazy ideas or whatever I’m into at the time,” Kilnisan says. “It ranges (the pieces) from antiquity up to the influence of rap music.”

traders-of-bablyon-hoboken-2.JPG

Kilnisan, who spends anywhere between a couple of days to several months designing jewelry, falls in love with each project. When I ask him if he has a favorite, he informs me that it’s usually what he’s working on that week.

traders-of-bablyon-hoboken-8.JPG

So what was his project of the week as of yesterday? “They came out with comic poster stamps,” he explains. “And I designed a sterling silver frame that you can slip the stamp into, and you can actually wear the stamp.”

At this point, I should also mention that a part of the quirky allure of the Traders of Babylon is that one half of the store – the area not occupied by custom made jewelry – is devoted entirely to comics. In fact, the store stocks anywhere around 30,000 comics at a certain point in time. They carry more common comics such as The Marvel and DC, but Kilnisan stocks likes to stock up on the independent ones, “for their art and creativity.”

traders-of-bablyon-hoboken-1.JPG

Eva and Steven Kilnisan
Diamond and Gemstone Specialists
Description – Fine Jewelers & Comic book distributors
Services – Wedding Rings, Wedding Bands and Diamond Engagement Rings, Major Bridal lines
Website – www.wedbands.com
Email: Babylon@pipeline.com
Address – 259 1st St, Hoboken, New Jersey ( NJ ) 07030-3539
Telephone – (201) 659-0802

(previous location)
traders of babylon.JPG

Hoboken NJ

Technorati Tags: , , , ,