The independent voice for the industry since 1879
DECEMBER 2014
Canadian Jeweller Magazine Stunning handwork DESIGNER from Almari Design’s Vladimir Chakharian PROFILE Our take on what consumers FASHION will want in the coming months FORWARD
JEWELLERY APPS Stand apart from the crowd with your own app
EN FRANÇAIS
Distributeur de l’Est: Viser l’excellence depuis 60 ans
Howard Appotive Howard Fine Jewellers A lavish landmark Scan me to go to our website
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Departments
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Contents 12 EDITOR’S LET TER 14 CONTRIBUTORS / BEHIND THE SCENES
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16 PRODUCT SHOWCASE 20 FOR THE RECORD News, trends and events
80 ST YLE COUNCIL Bold looks to combat the cold
27 WHAT'S ON The shows you can't miss 28 STAR WATCH Jaw-dropping looks from the red carpet 30 CJ GALLERY Avakian bedazzles in Monaco; Classic Creations kicks off Watch Fair; a star-studded night for Hamilton watches 54 ON THE COVER: HOWARD FINE JEWELLERS This top-notch Ottawa-based jeweller is living the dream after a massive store renovation by Irina Lytchak
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74 SHOWCASE / MARKETPL ACE
82 L AST WORD Frozen embrace: Maple Leaf Diamonds by Maya Akbay
CJ en français 47 LES NOUVELLES 49 DISTRIBUTEUR DE L'EST: VISER L'EXCELLENCE DEPUIS 60 ANS December 2014 cover photographed
^ Next issue spotlight:
by Jessica Deeks
Christine Jewellers
DECEMBER 2014
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Features & Columns
Contents
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36 FEATURE: THE SMART WATCH Not just another pretty face. Where does this technology fit into the traditional watch market? by Liza Marley
38 DESIGNER PROFILE: VL ADIMIR CHAKHARIAN Vancouver-based Almari Design jeweller gives us a glimpse into the fascinating world of traditional engraving by Sarah B. Hood
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40 COMPANY PROFILE: BULLION MART Moniruz Zaman talks to us about Bullion Mart's impressive growth by Irina Lytchak
42 MARKETING MAGIC Stand apart from the crowd with your own app by Ryan Holtz
68 RETAIL WATCH Don't turn a blind eye to the sales you could be making if you just think outside of the box by Todd Wasylyshyn
44 KEEPING TIME If it ain't broke, don't fix it
70 GEMS & GEMMOLOGY What happened to topaz before the invention of gemmology?
by Kuldip Rupra
by Duncan Parker
46 ON DISPL AY COLUMN Don't stock your display cases with the wrong product! by Larry Johnson
72 JVC COLUMN Behind the scenes at JVC - Part 1 by John Lamont
60 FEATURE: FASHION FORWARD Our trend guide to help you stay ahead of the holiday havoc
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Cover Story
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Howard Appotive pictured with his daughter Stephanie
With a major store renovation all wrapped up, Howard Fine Jewellers continues to please customers and live up to its name as a top-notch jewellery and watch destination in the heart of Ottawa. by Irina Lytchak photography by Jessica Deeks
HOWARD APPOTIVE WAS STEPPING INTO FAMILIAR TERRITORY when he embarked on a journey which led him to opening his very own storefront with his brother David several decades ago. The jeweller studied gemmology in school, apprenticed with Barry Brothers and worked under renowned names like Birks and Mappins before opening his own business so it’s no wonder that today his store, Howard Fine Jewellers, is a renowned landmark location on one of the busiest corners of downtown Ottawa. “I originally opened up a manufacturing business, Howard Manufacturing Jewellers, in 1967; it was a bit of a fluke,” recalls Appotive. “I planned on opening up a retail store in a shopping mall but it kept getting delayed so I started selling to all the different jewellers here in the city. I didn’t have storefront for about 25 years after I was in business but I was making it.” Years later when Howard Fine Jewellers was ready to open its doors to the public, Appotive couldn’t say goodbye to his manufacturing business and it is still an integral part of his store. Today, Howard Fine Jewellers, which is run under an equal partnership between brothers Howard and David, houses eight jewellers and two setters in a separate mezzanine located right in the store. “They’re all master jewellers, there are no apprentices,” says Appotive proudly. “It’s incredible. We do everything from casting, right to the finished product. Nothing is done outside.”
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Dedicated to timepiece luxury There are several things that set Howard Fine Jewellers apart from other jewellery retailers in Canada and even from the rest of the world, one of them being the retailer’s dedicated relationship with the Rolex brand. “We’ve been working with Rolex for 40 years,” says Appotive. “We have an authorized Rolex watch service, by authorized Rolex watchmakers. I think there’s a couple others in Canada that do it, but not that many. We report everything to Rolex.” The store’s recent renovations also included a brand new segment of the store dedicated to the iconic watch brand, which is a first for Canada’s jewellery retail landscape. “It’s gorgeous, absolutely beautiful,” says Appotive. “The designs came directly from Rolex.” The newly redecorated store has more of what Appotive calls an “international” look, with the feel of a high-end European jewellery house, in order to better align itself with the affluent customers that tend to walk into the busy downtown.
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“The calibre, quality, and the finishing lives up to that international standard,” says Appotive. “And that’s our competition today. We are in a prime location in downtown Ottawa, on the business corner of the city. That’s how we get our international business a lot of the time. And because we don’t charge for branding, we have that big edge.”
Family and dedication go hand in hand Despite the turmoil and hassles that come with doing an immense store transformation, Howard Fine Jewellers kept it’s doors open to its loyal clientele, making sure to accommodate all requests while still retailing product from its wide-ranging floor inventory. “During the renovations, we had a security lobby where we handled everybody as much as we could,” explains Appotive. “We made sure to stock everything in vaults between showing it to people. We also set up a pop-up store a few doors down in my daughter Lindsay’s store. We took over about four of the showcases and it worked really well. People were going back and forth between the two locations. The clients loved it.”
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“The calibre, quality, and the finishing lives up to that international standard. And that’s our competition today.” It was easy for Appotive to rely on daughter Lindsay during the renovations because she, along with Appotive’s other daughter Stephanie and wife Sharron, are all very involved with the business. Sharon is a graphic designer who is also involved in designing the jewellery pieces retailed at Howard Fine Jewellers while Stephanie is in the process of gradually taking over the store. Lindsay has her own jewellery shop called True Bijoux, which concentrates on high fashion jewellery pieces and is just a few doors down from her father’s store. And while Appotive’s partner and brother David now focuses most of his time on the family’s financial and real estate holdings, David’s wife Sharon oversees the vintage and pre-owned inventory control for both Howard Fine Jewellers and True Bijoux. “They have all been involved right from the beginning,” beams Appotive. “It’s all in the family.”
Thinking outside of the box Not only does Howard Fine Jewellers cater to clientele in person through its beautiful storefront but the business also brings in a large sum of its profit through online sales. The website for the company showcases various modern designs done inhouse as well as pre-owned and estate high-end jewellery and watches.
“Some of the pieces we sell are brand new but we sell them as pre-owned, because they may have been traded in,” explains Appotive. “For example, if someone was presented with an Omega watch but they really wanted a Rolex, they can trade it in. In the end, the product is brand-spanking new.” When it comes to estate and vintage jewellery and watches, Howard Fine Jewellers stands apart for offering pieces that are absolutely magnificent and in many cases, one-of-a-kind. The retailer also specializes in buying distressed merchandise, which entails the purchasing of samples from manufacturers that are looking to let go of their product. “Once we obtain the merchandise, we can do many different things with it because we have a full factory right in the store,” says Appotive. “We can dismantle it, use it for our own designs, or use the material again.” Today, Howard Fine Jewellers is a prominent landmark that makes up part of Ottawa’s downtown landscape and the family behind the store is proud to look back at what the store has achieved over the years. “If you’re looking for an item that’s one-of-a-kind and you need it done right… that’s us,” says Appotive. “We really try to blow people away with what we do.” Most importantly of all, it’s the customers that walk into the store on a daily basis that enrich the Howard Fine Jewellers name to be what it is today. “It’s all about the people, the clients,” he says. “They are terrific.” CJ
AT A GL A NCE NAME: Howard Fine Jewellers OWNERS: Howard and David Appotive (along with Sharron, Stephanie, Lindsay and Sharon) LOCATIONS: 220 Sparks St, Ottawa, ON K1P 5C1 STORE SIZE: 3,000 square feet, including the mezzanine STAFF: 40 KNOWN FOR: central location and high-end, one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces BRANDS: Rolex, Tudor, Hearts on Fire, Henri Daussi, Furrer Jacot, Tacori, Jack Kelege, Howard, Jeff Cooper, Todd Reed COOL FACTOR: one of the few retailers in Canada to have a specialized partnership with Rolex
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