Red Dawn Jewellery

Red Dawn's antique-style glass cabinets showcase beautiful baubles by homespun talent Dawn Zhu. The ultra-girly costume jewelry has an old Shanghai feel, making use of jade, pearl, coral and carved red-stained woods. The simple shapes of her latest range draw focus to her trendy play on the natural color of the various gemstones. Like the pendant earrings of 'watermelon jade', a naturally occurring variety so named because of its soft green and pink wash.

Suite 105, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Lu (6473 5066)

My Way

Cozy, incense-infused My Way is cluttered with textiles, books and memorabilia, but the showpiece is definitely the central jewelry display case. Here, a small but elegant collection of quality silver pieces is arranged on a bed of small colored stones. Designs inspired by nature feature shells and semiprecious stones in simple, refined settings - most pieces are in the RMB 100-300 range, perfect for gift-giving. Any day of the week you¡¯ll find the friendly owner accompanied by cages of songbirds, colorful fish bowls and a large, lordly white cat. There is a second location at 22 Sinan Lu.

392 Xiangyang Nan Lu, by Jianguo Lu (6466 8532)

Skylight

Step down into Skylight, a tiny boutique located in a heritage home on Fuxing Lu, and discover a treasure chest of Tibetan accessories, including a wide array of quality jewelry. Freelance photographer Wang Jiang opened the shop in 2001 and makes regular sourcing trips to the region. Along with the traditional range of handcrafted silver bracelets and amulets, there¡¯s a wonderful selection of wispy necklaces and earrings adorned with turquoise, coral or garnet, and some show-stopping chunky chokers.

28 Fuxing Xi Lu (6473 5610)

Marion Carsten

Shanghai-based German Marion Carsten creates striking contemporary jewelry using bold combinations of sterling silver, leather and pearls. An undercurrent of Asian symbolism runs through many of her designs, and is especially evident in her signature SHOU line which plays with the imperial Chinese symbol for longevity. "We are constantly looking for materials, shapes and designs which differ considerably from the conventional jewelry on offer here in Shanghai," says Carsten, who also creates bespoke designs.

Suite 106, Lane 200 Taikang Lu (6415 3098, www.marioncarsten.com)