JB JEWELLERS

2011-12-08T15:14:00.002-07:00

Welcome to our blog.

What follows is a gallery of custom designs that we have created over the past several years in collaboration with our wonderful clients. Please enjoy, and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Best regards,
Tannis

Art is Everywhere

2010-01-22T09:45:00.005-07:00

While vacationing in Mexico, we stopped in Puerto Vallarta recently, and enjoyed a few hours walking on their wonderful "Malecon" (ocean front walkway) They really embrace their artists and have installed fabulous public art pieces along the walk. We think they are done by the renowned Mexican artist, Sergio Bustamante, but we haven't referenced it yet.
We've added a few pictures to the side here, so please enjoy.

Tannis & Ian

Musings from Mexico

2010-01-17T09:18:00.005-07:00

Well the Christmas season is behind us, with an exciting New Year ahead. We're taking a little break in the sunny south now, mind you the shop is open in our absence, so you can call or email if you have any questions.
Even on holiday, it's fun to see what the local jewellery designers are doing. We've been particularly lucky this year to meet a fabulous lady who has been collecting jewellery here for decades, and is now selling her collection to raise money for the children in this town. I've bought a lovely hand wrought necklace in sterling silver, circa 1930 with all the Mexican assay marks , and a sterling with black enamel & copper inlay bracelet, circa 1950 that I'm just thrilled with. It makes you realize the place jewellery holds around the world as an expression of local culture and art - and we feel very privileged to be a part of that community in our own small way.

Best Regards & Happy New Year,
Tannis & Ian

2009-12-09T10:47:00.004-07:00

Oh, Oh - Where did the time go???

Christmas has snuck up on us again, we've just a shade over 2 weeks to go.
As a custom jeweller, our time for design work is a bit short, but we do have a nice selection of ready to wear jewellery that could be just the thing for someone special
on Christmas morning.
This season we have an excellent selection of pearls in strands and earrings, Chinese freshwater and our favourite, Tahitian black pearls. Something new we're showing this year is a white strand of pearls with 3 Black Tahitian's interspersed for a very striking effect.
We also have beautiful Italian gold chain in necklaces and bracelets as well as a number of gorgeous pendants in white gold with diamonds.
Earrings are always popular and we have an excellent selection of them too, pearls, diamonds, studs and drops.
Something special this year is a selection of vintage jewellery we have just received. This includes necklaces, brooches, rings and earrings. These are truly one of a kind, many dating back well over 100 years - from the Victorian and Edwardian eras up to the 50's and 60's.

So please give us a call if you'd like to come by for some last minute shopping.
Our fireplace is always on to keep you warm and cozy ,we have a private parking spot for easy access , and our hours are very flexible to accomodate your busy Christmas schedules.

Season's Greetings to all, we wish you a safe and merry holiday .

Tannis & Ian

Wedding Bells at JB's

2009-04-28T14:09:00.005-06:00

This past weekend we were honoured to have a young couple's bridal party stop by on their big day. We had worked closely with them in designing their rings,and their photographer (Gabe McClintock) suggested using our space for a few unique shots after the wedding. We couldn't be happier.

New website on the way !

2009-04-14T13:59:00.003-06:00

Like the rest of Victoria Crossing, our website is under construction too.
We just wrapped a photo shoot this weekend with one of the best photographers you'll ever meet - Calgary's own Gabe McClintock (www.perspectiveye.com)
His shots will be incorporated in the new site debuting later this spring.
You can view a few shots from our shoot at Gabe's site under "blog"

enjoy.

Spring is just around the corner, be happy

2009-02-26T10:40:00.011-07:00

Sure we're all suffering through a long nasty winter and incredible economic uncertainty, but we prefer a "glass half full" scenario. Most have us have been through hard economic times before and we always come out of it - you just have to be patient.

For our new clients, it's a good time to remind you that jewellery is a "long term" investment, and buying what's cheapest now, may not be a solution you'll look back on
in a couple of years time and be very happy about.
We feel that true value is in owning good quality products that will give you long term pleasure and service. A fine overcoat from the 40's or 50's is still a great item to wear during Calgary winters, vintage furniture never goes out of style and will actually increase in value. The same holds true for fine jewellery. A hand crafted ring with well chosen diamonds will last a lifetime and can easily become a family heirloom.

Our new loft has been a big hit with clients this year, and to brighten your day we
invite you to drop by for a glass of wine, Tuesdays to Fridays after 3pm. (just give us a quick call to let us know) It'll also give you an opportunity to see the many changes in progress in Victoria Crossing. The new "Colours" condo is mostly complete with "Union Square" across the street soon to follow. The Torode Group's new public art piece "Light, The Universe & Everything", an 18' steel illuminated sphere is now in place on the NE corner of 13th and 1st St.SW and the new upscale pub "St. James Corner" has just opened on the NW corner of 13th Ave. A number of other new shops between 12th and 13th Ave. are also coming along towards a summer opening.

With our wonderful new space, we've adopted more flexible hours to accommodate our clients' busy schedules, so we are now available for shopping or design appointments , almost any time you wish... evenings, weekends, whatever works for you.

We look forward to seeing you at the loft, and we wish you well for the upcoming year.

Tannis & Ian

Please call in advance at (403)263-5680 or e-mail us at tannis@jbjewellers.com

Christmas at JB Jewellers

2008-12-06T10:54:00.003-07:00

Overwhelmed by the crush of shoppers, the noise and the stress ?

We've decked our studio out for the holidays, creating a beautiful, warm, quiet environment which we think you'll enjoy. You can relax by the fire, have a glass of wine and take your time looking at our selection of rings, earrings, pendants, cufflinks, pearls and Italian gold chain. Our custom design service is always available but we do have a very nice selection of "one of a kind" rings, ranging from simple and elegant gold bands to fabulous diamond set, sapphire or ruby rings.

Through December we'll be available by appointment weekends and weekdays, so we can accomodate your busy schedules.

Please give us a call at (403) 263-5680 if you'd like to come by or e-mail us at tannis@jbjewellers.com

Happy Holidays,
Tannis

New Location

2008-05-17T12:24:00.004-06:00

After almost 30 years of operating our jewellery business from 8th Ave. in downtown Calgary, we've finally moved to a new home.
On June 3, 2008 we officially re-opened JB Jewellers in a beautiful loft space in the fashionable Victoria Crossing neighbourhood, just a few blocks from our original shop. We're very excited about the new location, as we feel Victoria Crossing is destined to become the real gem of downtown Calgary, with it's abundance of new residential construction and the amenities that will develop with that influx of new residents. There are already a lot of changes in just the past few months on 1st St. The "Union" and "Colours" condos are glassed in now. The Hotel Arts retail and commercial complex on the east side of 1st between 12th Ave & 13th is progressing quickly (Starbucks will be one of the tenants, for our caffeine deprived clients), and on the west side of 1st St., renos are happening in several properties with a gallery and furniture shop currently under construction, and more development happening alongside.

We look forward to seeing all of our wonderful clients and friends there, and certainly anyone with an interest in fine jewellery.
Please give us a call at (403) 263-5680. We'd love to see you at "the Loft"

"The Right Hand Ring" & other great ideas !

2007-10-03T10:48:00.000-06:00

We've added a link today to a fabulous website called "diamondsareforever.com"
This site can provide you with an excellent understanding of diamonds: The 4 C's of diamond grading and what they mean to you / how they impact the price * New trends in diamond products like the "Ladies Right Hand Ring" which is the biggest news in the industry right now * Engagement Ring design ideas * Info about ring sizing, diamond shapes, famous diamonds & the history of the industry.
Buying a diamond is an important decision. We can certainly answer any questions you may have, but we love this site, and would encourage you to have a look at it if a diamond purchase is in your future.

Regards,
Tannis

Questions ?

2007-09-01T18:16:00.000-06:00

This blog is a new endeavour for us, so we'd love to get a little feedback from our visitors. Please feel free to leave any comments you may have about the blog in this post. Also, if there are any questions you have regarding jewellery that you'd like us to address, please let us know.

Thanks so much.

Tannis Bilkoski,

JB Jewellers (Calgary) Ltd.

White Gold or Platinum ?

2007-08-30T12:49:00.001-06:00

People love the idea of a platinum enagement ring. It has a real romance about it that captivates the imagination. Platinum, however, is significantly more expensive than gold. It also tends to lose it's lustre with wear and can be disappointing visually, depending on the alloy. Because of it's strength, though, platinum lends itself to claw settings, pave settings and carved designs.

At JB Jewellers,we find that 19 karat white gold works extremely well in situations where platinum would not be appropriate, and is in fact our most popular choice for the majority of our clients. Our white gold is alloyed with palladium (which is a member of the platinum family) making it extremely white visually, very durable and it also polishes to a beautiful high finish.

Non-Conflict Diamonds

2007-08-17T12:12:00.000-06:00

The "Kimberly Process" is a self-regulatory agreement between the governments of countries involved in the diamond trade. At JB Jewellers we adhere to this policy.
The policy states that diamonds provided for sale have been purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations resolutions. The seller guarantees that the diamonds are natural, non-treated, unenhanced and conflict free, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by the supplier.

Check your rings regularly

2007-08-15T15:53:00.000-06:00

As a gemmologist/designer, I find conversation at dinner parties will often turn to jewellery.
I'm always interested in what others are wearing: where it's been made, the history of it, the significance to the owner - and I always have a close look at the condition of it. I think that jewellery becomes a part of your body after a while and you tend to take it for granted. This is a lot like taking your teeth for granted, as they both need regular check-ups and maintenance. I recently looked at a friend's engagement ring and was horrified to see one of the claws holding a very substantial diamond was missing completely. She had no idea, as she hadn't looked closely at her ring for a while, so I suggested that she take it off right then & there. That was a really close call and could have cost her a lot of heartache, not to mention the actual cost of replacing the stone.
As well as regular check-ups of your diamonds and other gems, don't forget to clean them at least weekly, if you wear them every day.

Why custom jewellery

2007-08-15T15:32:00.000-06:00

Getting a custom designed ring is a lot like purchasing a made to measure suit.
The fit is perfect for you, the materials are terrific and you can expect to get years of pleasure out of wearing it.
It's important to get a ring that is the appropriate size for your hand (long fingers or petite hands, etc.). Your personality and lifestyle will also dictate the design. Are you very active, an A-type personality or perhaps more reserved? Will the stones have to be set in a very strong mounting or can they be delicate?
All these things are addressed in a design appointment, but we have also done this for many clients around North America. A hand tracing will work just fine and a little on-line conversation about lifestyle, etc., even photos or drawings of other things that inspire you will all work.
A ring is usually a significant puchase, often times an emotional one to mark a milestone in your life or those you love.
Remember you can buy a ring anywhere "off the rack", but the advice and experience that an accredited jeweller offers, the attention to detail, the selection of precious metals and stones, are all significant and will make your experience a positive one that you will enjoy for years to come.