Rare Jewel Found in Petrolia

Reg Grandis examines one of the many gems in his inventory, a rare 1.25 carat solitaire.

Walk in the door of Grandis Jewellers in Petrolia and you might feel you’ve stepped back in time, to the grand days of jewelry stores.

It’s a feeling that Reg Grandis, the third generation jewellers at this location, has deliberately cultivated.

“Our store was recently featured in Canadian Jeweller magazine as the best in Canada,” Mr. Grandis notes. “The design of the store is patterned after a turn of the century Birks. It used to be that you bought from Birks with the ultimate in confidence. Now with Birks gone, we’ve revived that tradition.”

A Grandis diamond – and there is a difference – comes with 100 years of integrity and tradition, values that are hard to find in today’s retail environment.

And that makes it a rare gem indeed.

“Instead of the hustle and bustle of the city, our clients can step back in  time into a romantic Victorian atmosphere where they can take their time and enjoy the whole experience,” Grandis says.

With a century of experience in the Grandis name, customers can have confidence with Grandis Jewellers. “We sell a lot of diamonds,” Mr. Grandis says. “Fine jewelry is a major investment and for 100 years we have maintained our leading edge by being definitive experts in our field.”

Beside being a third generation horologist (or watchmaker), goldsmith and designer, Mr. Grandis has extensive gemmological training.

Reg Grandis knows diamonds. With degrees from the Gemological Institute of America and the Canadian Jewellers Institute, Mr. Grandis has recently earned the prestigious degree in diamond grading and identification from the Hoge Raad Voor Diamoant Institute of Gemmology in Antwerp, Belgium. There are probably only about 20 people in Canada that have this expertise.

“Diamonds today are a world-wide commodity and we’ve set ourselves up to compete globally on quality and price basis,” Mr. Grandis says. “We can compete with anyone be it from Florida, Barbados or even Hong Kong.”

But individuality is also a hallmark of Grandis Jewellers.

“Diamonds are each as diverse and exceptional as people. No two are the same,” Mr. Grandis says smiling. “sometimes tell clients that diamonds can be like cars – you can have a four-foot white car, but one’s a Volkswagen and one is a Porsche. When you buy something as special as a diamond you have to trust the person you deal with to be honest and deal with integrity.”

A 100-year track record for honesty is hard to beat, but when you add a written insurance appraisal with picture and Grandis exclusive 100 per cent trade back policy, it’s no wonder they sell so many diamonds.

“We have many loose stones and exclusive stones,” Mr. Grandis notes. “One example is the gorgeous anniversary band set with blue diamonds, which we get from Tel Aviv, or from Antwerp we have a stunning ideal cut 1.38 carat canary solitaire.”

Mr. Grandis can create or redesign anything. “A lot of our clients get a kick out of having the original sketches of their new ring. It involves them from start to finish and makes it even more of an heirloom.”

This rare combination – quality product, traditional service and attention to detail – makes Grandis jewellers of Petrolia shine like the rare jewel that it has always been.