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Alchemist co-founders Rebecca Shepherd and Imaan Selim hit it off while selling their jewelry from nearby stands at the Brooklyn Indie Market. During long Saturdays spent beneath the tents, the pair conceived the concept for this brick-and-mortar collective store where they and other indie (and Etsy.com) artists and designers could sell their wares. They unveiled the spacious, black-and-white tiled shop in 2008, displaying eclectic jewelry, inventive lighting, home décor, and vintage furniture. Cases filled with accessories offer the widest selection, with a mix of modern, Art Deco, and organic jewelry crafted from sterling silver, enamel, resin, and semiprecious stones. Accent pieces like Eswera Jewelry’s asymmetrical, layered chain-link necklaces or Via Nativa’s polished wooden rings are mixed in with dainty chandelier earrings and gemstone-studded trinkets. Carved wooden bowls from Via Nativa, graffiti-inspired lamps by Re-Surface, and hand-stitched leather bags are artfully displayed among antique knickknacks and mod furniture. Each designer works on-site one day a week, turning the boutique’s open floor space into a makeshift studio. — Lauren Murrow