Great jeweller in Calgary?

[PumpkinPie]

Hi all,
I’m looking for recommendations for a jeweller in Calgary that can do a great and careful job refurbishing and resizing a platinum Victorian diamond ring.
I’ve been to Wong Ken’s and was quoted $700! Also Fleetwood Jewelry which was not helpful (they send out their resizing jobs to Toronto) and super frustratingly “sales-y”.
Anyone have someone they know and trust in Calgary?

 

[secretagentlaura]

My husband and I have had some similar work done and several custom pieces made at Brinkhaus over the last fifteen years. I don't know that they'd be less expensive, though!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

The Goldsmiths (on 14th ave NW) I am not surprised at the price you were (already) quoted for a refurb job. Platinum resizing is at least $100.00.

cheers--Sharon

 

[peacechick]

The question is whether there is anything that isn’t expensive in Canada After paying $15 to change a watch battery and remove a link (and I had to haggle too), I bought my own watch repair kit and started doing that stuff myself. Then I switched to solar powered watches and haven’t changed a battery since.

 

[MollyMalone]

I'm offering 2 names, plucked via Google, in the hope that local PSers can offer feedback. I picked them because they tout the fact they have a laser welder on premises, which is what I much prefer a repair-restoration bench to use. Plus, making the investment in a laser welder (the expense of the initial set-up; cost of maintenance; and training) bespeaks to me of a bench that does a good deal of repair-restoration work.

Anthony of Calgary Jewelers in the Marlborough Mall: 4.2* from 10 voters on their Facebook page, 4.5* from 38 Google user ratings
http://www.anthonyjewellers.com/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=6

Michelson Jewellers, appears to be a very "homey" little shop in a small strip mall on Acadia Drive, SE: 1 5* rating 2 months ago from a Google "Local Guide" who added "Fast, friendly, and they do a great job"
No web site & the Facebook page is sadly lacking, but you will see the laser welding in action if you click on the video:
https://www.facebook.com/MichelsenJewellers/

fyi: there are some jewelry store benches that will not do platinum work themselves. Gold filings, etc. can contaminate platinum as it's being worked, so fabricating and/or repairing both gold and platinum pieces requires scrupulous care and attention, i.e., the bench equivalent of keeping a kosher kitchen. And not every bench wants to be bothered with that -- which perhaps explains why Fleetwood was going to ship off your ring for resizing (although you'd think they wouldn't have to send it to Toronto!)

 

[pearaffair]

I've had work done with http://marlowdesign.ca/ but it wasn't antique stuff. I was happy with the price and the quality. I think he has less overhead so less mark-up. Get a quote, maybe?

 

[Canuckgemgeek]

As a FYI Brinhaus in Calgary and Vancouver is owned by Birks, so they do have access to some amazing bench skills. Fleetwood is predominantly an "estate" buyer/ seller of lower to middle of the road items, they do have a in-house design department / bench, Christopher Sommers designs
I believe, but if you ever check their adds, details are often very vauge as far as clarity, colour, cut and such as well as a general absence of grading reports. They do from time to time have drewl worthy estate items, a 5+ CT unheated, fully graded, blue Burmese sapphire ring comes to mind. There is also Leno Jewelers, in downtown Calgary, by the Stampede grounds, small shop, amazing items, great value and a in-house bench. Mostly custom work, owner is a GG as well, if you do visit check out her selection of loose coloured gems. Sending items to Toronto especially platinum, is not at all uncommon, as there is a few very skilled benches and fabricators there, some who do work for the big brands. They can do both incrediably detailed hand work, including milgrain, and detailed engraving, as well as more modern methods like beed blasting, while masking certian areas, so you have high polish, and frosted finishes side by side. I would say in restoring items like this, skill/ access to skill is absloutly paramount, as I have had many, many items cleaned up and or restored, and I never go off of price alone.

 

[diamondyes]

Sorry to hijack but if anyone knows of fun in Calgary and can give me recommendations, I would appreciate it! https://www.pricescope.com/communit...tores-in-calgary-alberta.275063/#post-5167897