The Don Muller Gallery in the college town of Northampton, Massachusetts carries handmade fine jewelry, glass, wood, fiber and ceramics. The Gallery was just honored with a 1st Place award in InStore magazine's 2010 "Coolest Stores" competition.  Congratulations, Don!

We spoke to Don Muller about how he has made his gallery into a nationally recognized destination for designer jewelry. 

Q. When did you start selling designer jewelry?

DM: I started my business 32 years ago with a $6,000 dollar bank loan and began by selling brass and sterling silver jewelry. That was a lot of money to me at the time. Gradually, I began to carry higher end jewelry. Everything I have ever sold has been created by a craftsperson or designer.  When I choose a jewelry line, I focus on the design and the quality of the work and its execution. I thrive on finding wonderful designers in jewelry and mixing emerging artists with familiar names. I do what I love. This is my passion.

Q. Tell us about the people who work at the Don Muller Gallery.

DM: I have a very eclectic sales staff. My son is a glass blower. One of my associates is a cloisonné artist and jewelry designer and another is a fabric artist. They all have an art background and they have been with me for many years. In the gallery they have to know all aspects about the things we carry. I also have a goldsmith who works off site who can size rings and do custom work for us. 

Q. How do you decide which designers to carry?

DM: I look at everything and I select what appeals to me. I am not looking to carry anything standard. It is a lot more fun to carry jewelry that not everyone else is wearing. And it is part of what makes our store stand apart from the rest.

Q. Tell us about your bridal lines.

DM: We carry tons of alternative bridal. We have Todd Reed’s raw diamond rings. We carry Mokume Gane and meterorite rings. Just this past weekend I had a couple take the bus from Boston to here in Northampton to look at these alternative choices, they had researched the rings and materials online before they came in. The younger generation does the research, they know what they want, and they teach us in many ways. We have customers come from Vermont, Connecticut and New York because they have found us while they have been searching the web.

The Don Muller Gallery carries CJDG designers Donald MacLachlan, John Petet, Megan Thorne, Suzy Landa, and Todd Reed. 

The Don Muller Gallery was the winner of the Niche Magazine "Top Retailer of American Craft" for the past 4 years. The gallery is a member of the American Style Preferred Gallery Program and in 2006 was honored with the JCK Top 50 Designer Retailer award.

Don Muller Gallery
40 Main Street
Northampton, MA 01060
Tel: (413) 586-1119
Email: sales@donmullergallery.com