Customized treasures
There’s something timeless about jewelry — after all, they are gifts that can last a lifetime. Gem by Carati in Scotia Centre is ready to help you find that perfect piece — or even help you create a unique one-of-a-kind custom piece of jewelry from scratch.
“We’ve always been a family-run business — this store opened in December 2011, but we’ve been around since 1979,” says manager Justin Ng. Ng’s father has owned and operated Henry’s Jewellers in The Core (formerly TD Square) since Day 1 and his sister Elaine, operates Carati in Bankers Hall.
“Our strength is customer service and we are seeing longtime customers now sending their kids to us. My dad is still here every day.”
Ng is a graduate gemologist trained at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, Calif. This gives him the knowledge and experience to identify superior stones and diamonds, and help his clients make the best buying decisions, whether they are looking for a ring, necklace, pendant, or something truly out of the box, such as TF cufflinks that contain actual working watch movements.
“What separates our store from the others is we do a lot of custom work,” says Ng. “If a customer has a specific idea in mind, we will work with him or her to come up with a rough sketch drawing. Then, we either build (a model) in wax by hand or use CAD (computer-aided design). We can then cast the piece in gold or platinum.”
Ng says custom pieces can be made from old, no-longer-worn jewelry and gold, or from the coloured stones on display in the shop. The process of making a custom piece can take as little as four weeks, he says.
Gem by Carati features a superior selection of pieces from some of the world’s top brands, including Forevermark, a newly launched Canadian division of De Beers featuring all-Canadian diamonds. Gem by Carati is one of 22 stores in Canada offering the line, Ng says.
Other lines include Jeff Cooper, a bridal line out of New York, and Charriol, a line of unique diamond, stainless-steel and 18-karat jewelry pieces.
The shop also features an extensive line of Hamilton, Gucci and Tissot watches, running the gamut from classic faces to aviator styles that rival iPhones for their special features, along with men’s wedding bands from Carlex, a fine selection of black pearls from Tahiti and traditional white Japanese Akoya pearls.
Gem by Carati also offers in-house repair services (complete with a laser welder) to help keep your pieces in top condition without having to send them away.
Open seven days a week, Gem by Carati is the perfect place to find that special last-minute Christmas gift, or as thoughts look ahead to spring weddings, that perfect engagement or wedding ring might be waiting for you.
“Our staff are all trained to help our customers choose the best pieces,” says Ng.
Visit Gem by Carati at 234-225 7th Ave. S.W. (Scotia Centre, second level), call 403264-8772, or visit gembycarati.com.