This is a bit more of an unusual idea, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Most of my beaded jewelry was made by local artists - my aunt makes jewelry, and she also has many friends and former colleagues who do so, so I've picked up a lot either as gifts or purchases from trunk shows over the years.
Farmer's markets and arts and craft fairs can be GREAT places to scope out jewelry artists and pick up some one-of-a-kind pieces.
Since you are in Seattle, I'd recommend visiting some local bead shops and asking their staff for recommendations, too. Many times, the really great bead shops employ jewelry artists who are working retail to support their hobby; and they also often have classes taught by local artists where you can learn to make your own elaborate jewelry, and you might be able to see samples of their work or even get on the mailing list for trunk shows where jewelry is displayed and available for purchase.
Tracy Stanley is an amazing teacher and jewelry artist - she used to teach at Beads & Beyond in Bellevue for years before it closed. She's now teaching at Fusion Beads in Fremont.
Tara Brisbane is a neat artist who used to be in Seattle but is now located in Portland - she has incredibly intricate wire-wrapped pieces. (You can see some samples here.)
