Qoio

Can’t think of any other shop that has managed to survive while supporting this ancient art — the art of beading. One of a kind couture beaded jewelry. This is a place for unique pieces for people who love to express themselves with jewelry. You’ll be shopping for an outfit to match the piece not the other way around!!!

Gilbertina is one of the rudest ladies I’ve ever run into. I approached her because I needed a professional jeweler’s opinion to help with a credit card stop-​payment claim for a gold and emerald ring I bought on the internet that was not what I thought I was buying. I explained the situation. First she heaped scorn on me for buying jewelry on the internet– ok, perhaps she had a point, but I’ve never been burned before; and then when I asked if she could help she said to show her the ring. She glanced at it, said it wasn’t worth $ 5.00. When I asked if she could give me her written opinion, as per the terms of the claim she said no, why should she, I’d never bought anything from her.
And now I never will.

Qoio is a magical place where treasures abound. Happily, Gilbertina, the owner and designer can quickly and perfectly bring out beautiful jewelry options for you to choose from. Whether I’m shopping for that one of a kind gift or something for myself I always leave very excited and pleased with my purchase. I always always get compliments on the pieces that I have from Qoio. Well worth a visit.

I came in to Qoio looking for a pair of earrings to wear on my wedding day. Walking in to the shop is like entering a world full of gorgeous works of wearable art. You do have to take your time browsing in here since the display cases are filled to the brim with beautiful jewelry Gilbertina has made. Each piece is so unique! Everything is organized by color, which is handy when you’re a bride and need white things to wear. There were plenty of options in the white display case, but one pair of earrings caught my eye. I tried them on and found myself lusting after something a little more dramatic but in the same style, so Gilbertina offered to add more of the same beading to create a fuller and more dramatic look. How’s that for customized? She said it would take her a day to do it, and the next day she texted me a picture of what they looked like before, and what they looked like after she added some oomph, just to make sure I was happy. I felt honored to have such a gorgeous piece of customized art for my wedding; the earrings are so perfect and stunning. Couldn’t be happier. Thank you Gilbertina! I’ll post a picture as soon as a I have them back from the photographer!

Gilbertina is a magician! All of the jewelry is unique, hand made and special. Plus she is a joy to know and deal with.

I walked into this store today for the first time and will never ever go in again. I gave this store two stars as some of the items were quite appealing and even beautiful, but the proprietor was a rude offensive woman. She was incredibly nasty and rude to us clearly not interested in making a sale or make the customers feel welcomed in any way shape or form. Too bad for her, as I love love jewelry and was willing and able to drop substantial amount of money on her creations.
Not only will I never shop there, I will make sure none of my friends do either. Her energy permeates the store and under no circumstances would I wear any of the items that she touched. Luckily, I was able to find some beautiful items in other stores on 24^th street, and had a wonderful retail therapy experience.
I would not recommend her store. There are too many other artists creating beautiful items infused with equally beautiful energy.

Qoio is very pricey, it’s true, but they have some beautiful baubles for you to feast your eyes upon. And if you’re like me, and have large-​size fingers, rest assured you’ll have little problem finding rings that fit you.
This is a great place to find an accent piece, something that is a conversation starter at your next party. The styles are not understated in the least! The colors in the store are as vibrant as the stones they use, and items are often grouped by color, making it easier to find what you’re looking for.
The jewelry store part of this business is WHEELCHAIR-​ACCESSIBLE, and has lots of room in which to maneuver around.
The prices are high. There’s no getting around that. And some of the sterling silver accent rings are priced in such a way that you can easily find something similar somewhere else for less money. But if money is no object, this is a great place to find that perfect piece that offers a lot of «wow» value.
And, Men? This is a great place to take your wife/​girlfriend/​mother/​daughter shopping for a special gift!

My friends used to live right down the street from here so I’d come here often and browse and covet all the beautiful jewelry. I recently stopped back in again and was reminded of their amazing backyard garden. They sell gorgeous pots from Vietnam at reasonable prices (and were 30% off last weekend) that will add some uniqueness to your own urban landscape.
Their sterling and gemstone pieces are gorgeous, but a bit out of my price range. This is the type of place where it’s a joy to come in and browse and get ideas for the type of jewelry you’d buy and the urban backyard garden you’d start, if only…
Super sweet staff and just a lovely place to stop in to.

Wow. What a discovery! My partner told me that she had discovered the most beautiful store. with some of the loveliest jewelry she had ever seen and run by (with the jewelry designed by) a wonderful woman, Gilbertina. I was less than excited only because we didn’t need more opportunities to spend more money!
However I went there the other day and she was right. Qoio is a treasure. A refuge in Noe Valley where one is surrounded by works of art and beauty, including the quiet patio in the back. Gilbertina can make just about anything and is so creative, kind, generous. Anytime I need to buy a gift for someone (or want someone to buy a gift for me!), Qoio will be the first and last stop.

This is the most gorgeous, calming retail store in San Francisco CA! My daughters, Joy & Kris have been shopping here as regular customers for years.

Gilbertina and Bruno are the best! Their store is so beautiful and filled with the nicest hand made jewelry and unique and interesting imported items. Don’t forget to check out the backyard which is filled with many more treasures from around the world. This is a must see shop located in Noe Valley!

I was looking for something unique for my mother in law and I remembered this store. When I walked in I was amazed at the wide selection of masks, jewelry, and art. There were so many lovely things, but I had only a little time to check things out. The woman in the shop (I think it was the owner and artist) helped me pick out a pair of pretty earrings and a gorgeous bracelet for my mother in law, and I’m sure she will be pleased with both of them. When I get back to California, I plan on checking out this shop again and buying myself a piece of art.

We found this gorgeous store through serendipity vial all these outstanding reviews and loved Gilbertina’s kind expertise, patience, the entire ambience of her store. ! Her artistic talent is nothing short of astounding from all we saw and we cannot recommend her highly enough!

My better half and the love of my life always use to stop by at the end of the night when we were leaving one of the local eateries. She would stop and fall in love with all the beautifully created jewelry. One day we stopped by and met the real jewel of the business. Gilbertina the owner. She was so patient and allowed us to fall in love with all her creations. We purchased a turquoise necklace with a matching ring. We love the idea of going in there once a month to make another purchase. Truthfully we may go in there just to be able to see and meet with Gilbertina. She is an amazing community member as well. We highly recommend her art to anyone and everyone. You will not be disappointed.

I love things that are made by artists.
These «things» can be anything from food, art to music, even a business can be a thing of beauty (Patagonia comes to mind as an example).
Gilbertina, the owner of Qoio, is an artist and I love her jewelry.
Unlike most jewelry stores you will go to, she has personally made about 90% of what you will see in the store. This is local and personalized service as it should be.
It is clear from talking to her that she is compelled to make jewelry out of her love for the craft, and this is continually underlined by the beauty, balance and elegance seen in each of her pieces.
Visiting Qoio is akin to stepping into a sacred space– less store, more of a temple for jewelry. Gilbertina will work with you to find the piece that fits your taste and your budget.
From what I understand the prices can sometimes be higher and are certainly not cheap, but like anything of quality– you get what you pay for, and Gilbertina does not disappoint.
I had Gilbertina make me a customized pink corral necklace and she did an amazing job with it and completed it quickly to boot. I was extremely satisfied with both the end result and my overall experience at Qoio, especially as she patiently answered my novice questions and concerns.
I support artists, or those who do what they love, whenever I can, because in the end it is they who bring beauty and wonder into the world. It is they who from their passion, dedication and attention to nuance create superior products and services and who ultimately make our lives better and brighter.
Gilbertina is one such artist worth supporting.
I will most certainly be back.

Don’t forget to look up when you go in Qoio! Cool old bike on the roof is pretty unexpected as are a lot of the items on the inside!

Spectacularly unusual, one-​of-​a-​kind, dramatic necklace designs. Don’t miss the mossy stone sculpture garden in back, or the ethnic pieces throughout this beautiful store.

A few years ago I bought a lovely silver ring from Qoio, and I get so many compliments on it, Qoio has now become my go to shop whenver I want to buy any special jewellery.
Most recently I purchased a beautiful necklace for my friends birthday. Its a stunning combination of stones including peridot, garnet, carnelian and pearls. The colours exactly match the flowers she had at her wedding and the craftmenship is immaculate. Whatever colours, stones or style of jewellery you like, Qoio has something for literally everyone.
I could spend hours just browsing around adding things to my ‘wish list’. Its my birthday in 3 weeks… maybe my boyfriend will earn some serious brownie points by buying me something here :)

This place is addictive.
Once you buy one of her pieces, you are going to want to start collecting them.
It’s really, really hard to visit her store without buying something. Expect to pay $ 200 or more for most necklaces but believe me… the price is worth it. These are quality, handcrafted pieces with beautifully picked stones and lovely color and design — not like the cute costume jewelry that you find at boutiques for a fraction of the cost but that falls apart on you after using it only once or twice.
This is a great place to buy your lady her next birthday or Valentine’s Day gift. For real!

This is my favorite jewelry store. Gilbertina’s designs range from practical to elegant to fanciful to outright über-​glamorous. Everything is skillfully handmade and one-​of-​a-​kind, making the prices reasonable and the pieces treasures that I cherish and protect. She uses quality, genuine materials and uses them in such stylish inventive ways, I sometimes come here to look at the pieces just as I’d visit a museum display. I love that she arranges her pieces in cabinets dedicated to a particular color because it makes it easy to find what you’re looking for and allows to you see the great variety and creativity of her work.
I’ve taken to buying presents for all my female relatives and friends here and they alway love them. I particularly love her chandelier and hoop earrings with dangling crystals. The downside to the pieces being one-​of-​a-​kind is that there’s no replacing a lost piece. A friend lost an earring I’d given her and since Gilbertina couldn’t make another one because she lacked the proper materials, she made a pendant of the fabulous earring for her. Gilbertina is also helpful when making selections, respects your budget and is always grateful for any sale. She also issues gift certificates and I once successfully haggled a bit when buying three pairs at once. A Noe Valley treasure trove!