BIC October 2015 J Vair profile

9 Decades

BY RENNAY CRAATS PHOTOS BY JAGER & KOKEMOR

Of J. Vair Anderson Jewellerss

9090

90TH ANNIVERSARY | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 1

||||||||||||||||||| 145

||||||||||||||||||| 2 | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 90TH ANNIVERSARY

D

ABOVE AN EXAMPLE OF J. VAIR’S PLATINUM AND DIAMOND JEWELLERY COLLECTION. VISIT J. VAIR TO VIEW THEIR ENTIRE EXTENSIVE SELECTION

iamonds are forever and so, it seems, are some diamond sellers. At least that’s the case with J. Vair Anderson Jewellers. Three generations of Andersons in this downtown Calgary jewelry store have been serving discerning clients for 90 years.

Anderson’s grandfather, J. Vair, trained as a watchmaker in Ontario and once he finished his training he, as did many young men in the early 1900s, headed west. During a visit with his brother in Calgary, J. Vair met jeweller DE Black and was invited to work for him.

“There are not a lot of family businesses in Calgary or even Canada that have been in business in a city, in one family, for almost 100 years,” says owner Ken Anderson. “It’s really gratifying for us and it’s what’s going to keep us going forward.”

“Mr. Black told my grandfather, ‘you don’t have to go any further west. I can put you on the bench right now,’ – so he stayed,” Anderson says.

Black, one of the first notable jewellers in the city, later managed the first Birks store and J. Vair stayed

90TH ANNIVERSARY | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 3

|||||||||||||||||||

on as an assistant. This experience taught him the business and in 1925, he opened J. Vair Anderson Jewellers on 8th Avenue.

Since then the store has been in a few different locations – 1st Street, TD Square mall, and now in a great location on 3rd Street SW—but the Andersons have always done business downtown.

Anderson, as did his father and grandfather before him, loves the vibrant energy of the downtown core and could never imagine doing business anywhere else. Seventeen years ago Anderson moved out of his father’s mall location and returned to a street shop.

Rather than having mall traffic, the current location is a destination shop on a street designated as a mall itself – Barclay Street Mall. This area, anchored by Eau ||||||||||||||||||| 4 | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 90TH ANNIVERSARY

Claire Market and 3rd Street, is meant as a corridor for shoppers to stroll from 7th and 8th Avenues and continue shopping into Eau Claire.

It has the feel of Old Quebec with the cobbled stones and distinct character, and it has proven to be an ideal location for J. Vair Anderson. Of course, there have been opportunities to expand over the decades, but the Andersons weren’t interested.

“You get to the point of being successful and people start knocking on your door to see if you’d be willing to open somewhere else – my dad’s philosophy was that he hadn’t met anybody who could be in two places at once,” Anderson says.

As a family business, it has always been important for the Andersons to foster personal relationships with

C.D. BARCADOS CO LTD

would like to thank J.VAIR ANDERSON

for 3 generations of partnership and congratulations on your 90th Anniversary!

PHOTO CAPTION?

LEFT KEN ANDERSON RIGHT J. VAIR ANDERSON

their customers, which would be lost opening multiple locations. Anderson’s customers expect to see him when they pop in to shop and he’s happy to greet them when they do. And as the reins were passed from grandfather to father to son, many customers have also passed their loyalty on through generations.

It’s common to sell a young couple an engagement ring and find that Anderson also sold their parents their rings and his dad sold their grandparents theirs.

“We’re a generational business. We have the pleasure of dealing with a grandfather and then a father and a grandson and great-grandson. (Retail) is hard work but that’s why I say it’s a labour of love,” Anderson says.

That labour has led to J. Vair Anderson’s reputation as innovative and trusted professionals in the industry.

After all, trust is the cornerstone of the business and 90TH ANNIVERSARY | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 5

|||||||||||||||||||

ABOVE J. VAIR ANDERSON COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE POCKET WATCHES

this trust is not taken for granted. Anderson and his team are dedicated to earning that trust every day by providing second-to-none customer service that is a throwback to his father’s and grandfather’s day. They enjoy connecting with customers face-to-face and giving quality service to ensure these customers are completely satisfied, whether they are having a quick watch repair done or a complicated custom design on a set of rings for a special occasion.

The staff of around 10 people is helpful and friendly as well as being well trained, well informed and accredited.

They are always on hand to answer questions, offer suggestions or sit down and discuss custom projects.

With a full-time gemologist and designer on staff, customers can easily find out about different stones.

The gemologist is eager to provide information and

advice whether the customer is having the piece made

by J. Vair professionals or elsewhere.

“They may have seen something in their travels that piqued their interest and they’d like to explore that,” Anderson says.

J. Vair’s designer and gemologist can also help customers who need pieces appraised for estates or insurance coverage, and create custom jewelry for special occasions.

More and more, customers are coming in with inherited jewelry that is heavy with sentiment but that are often period pieces and not styles that the next generations would routinely wear. Many customers bring in these heirlooms looking to either use parts of the jewelry to create a more suitable ring or necklace

Solo Auto Leasing would like to congratulate J.Vair Anderson in celebration of their 90th Anniversary!

Providing Quality Vehicles to Extraodinary Companies & Individuals since 1983 Solo Auto Leasing |

Suite 504 200 La Ca ille P l SW Calgar y, A B | Te l:403.235.4489 | Fax: 403.569.0449

||||||||||||||||||| 6 | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 90TH ANNIVERSARY

90TH ANNIVERSARY | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 7

|||||||||||||||||||

Clients can sit with J. Vair Anderson’s designer and talk about styles that are current in the marketplace and watch as the designer sketches the designs right in front of them.

while others are wanting to restore these older pieces to their original condition so they can carry on the tradition of wearing them. Clients can sit with J. Vair Anderson’s designer and talk about styles that are current in the marketplace and watch as the designer sketches the designs right in front of them.

Outside of watches, the store also carries incredible jewelry lines. J. Vair Anderson Jewellers enjoys exclusivity in selling several brands including jewelry by Wellendorff, Henrich and Denzel, Mikimoto, Stephen Webster, Carelle, JudeFrances, and Rodney Rayner. Every year Anderson travels to Europe to investigate new jewelry lines and to reconnect with trusted suppliers, ensuring clients have the very best the world has to offer.

“We pride ourselves on getting certain brands that are known not only in the Canadian market but also the North American and world markets,” says Anderson.

“And if you can get exclusivity, that’s even better.”

J. Vair Anderson strikes a good balance between the latest fashions and classic styles and stones that stand the test of time. Many of the pieces at the store are diamond-based, and Anderson deals only in diamonds with incredible clarity, cut and colour. But J. Vair Anderson carries something to suit every taste. If diamonds don’t appeal to a customer, the cases also display a fine selection

“We’ve also gotten into CAD or computer-assisted designing so we can give clients a 3D rendering of what a particular piece of jewelry will look like,” he says.

On the other hand, if customers are looking for a brand-new ring, watch, earrings, bracelet or necklace, the store sparkles with pieces from the world’s finest jewelry makers. Staying true to J. Vair and Ken’s father Gordon, the store has a soft spot for watches.

The store is an independent Rolex dealer and offers quality timepieces by Omega and Tag Heuer as well as Parmigiani watches.

For years, people got away from wearing watches.

They didn’t see why they would need a watch when they never left the house without their cellphone, which also displayed the time. But, as Anderson points out, a cellphone is hardly a piece of jewelry.

Over the past decade, Anderson has noticed a renewed interest in both men’s and women’s watches, and especially in high-end men’s watches. People have returned to wearing beautiful timepieces for fashion statements as much as function.

“It’s certainly increased our business over the last few years and of course the basis of our company was watchmaking anyway – my father and grandfather both being trained watchmakers,” he says. ||||||||||||||||||| 8 | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 90TH ANNIVERSARY

Congratulations J.Vair, Ross Haynes has been proud to be with you for 30 of your 90 years of excellence.

www.wellendorff.com 90TH ANNIVERSARY | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 9

|||||||||||||||||||

ABOVE AN INVITING DISPLAY OF UNIQUE JEWELLERY FROM LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL DESIGNERS.

of stunning coloured stones sourced from around the world.

Pearls are also extra special at the store. J. Vair started an “Add a Pearl” program during his tenure and his son and grandson kept it alive. Customers can select and register a certain size and quality of pearl when a daughter or granddaughter is born and buy loose pearls individually over the years resulting in a full strand of pearls at some time in her future.

J. Vair Anderson Jewellers offers it all, from a unique, eclectic mix of jewelry lines to unbeatable customer

Congratulations

J.Vair Anderson

on 90 years of business!

2-3613 15a St SE Calgary, AB T2G 3N5 | 403.287.2850 ||||||||||||||||||| 10 | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 90TH ANNIVERSARY

Congratulations to Ken and the team at J. Vair Anderson!

Norton Rose Fulbright is proud to help you celebrate your 90th anniversary.

Law around the world nortonrosefulbright.com

Aspen Properties would like to congratulate J. Vair Anderson on your 90th Anniversary, we are proud to be a partner in your success.

BDO PROUDLY SERVES LOCAL BUSINESSES BDO is proud to join J.Vair Anderson in celebration of their 90th anniversary Assurance | Accounting | Tax | Advisory People who know, know BDO.SM 620 – 903 8th Ave SW Calgary AB 403 266 5608 www.bdo.ca

aspenproperties.ca

Congratulations J.Vair Anderson on 90 years!

Our congratulations to J. Vair Anderson on your 90 years of style, quality and first class service!

T O B Y P O M E R O Y. C O M

403 269 7774 | printthree.ab.ca

From the No. 1 Chinese Media in Calgary, we are proud of our partnership with J. Vair Anderson as they excel in the Chinese Canadian Market.

theepochtimes.com #3, 1916 30 Ave NE Calgary, AB | | 403.250.5942

Restoration, Repair, Custom Design 201- 815 1st Street SW, Calgary AB 403.264.2429 LibertyCustomGoldworks.com

90TH ANNIVERSARY | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 11 |||||||||||||||||||

service, and its attention to customers’ needs has surely contributed to its longevity. So too has its dedication to the community in which it operates.

Over the years, Anderson and his company have lent their support to many charitable organizations including the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Children’s Hospital and organizations battling various cancers. The Alzheimer Society is another cause that is near and dear to Anderson and his team, and in honour of his father who passed away from the disease, they support the fight against it as well. While much support is done quietly and without fanfare as is Anderson’s preference, J. Vair Anderson Jewellers is involved in assisting many organizations raise funds for their worthy causes. One notable example is the Banff Centre’s Midsummer Ball. For the better part of a decade, the jeweller has been active in supporting the Banff Centre in its quest to raise money for their scholarship programs. “We are like everybody else in ABOVE MORE TEMPTING PIECES FROM THE GALLERY OF DESIGNERS.

||||||||||||||||||| 12 | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 90TH ANNIVERSARY

M I K I M OTO.CO M

90TH ANNIVERSARY | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 13 |||||||||||||||||||

HENRICH & DENZEL

Tenda

Exclusively at:

409 – 3rd Street SW 403.266.1669 jvairanderson.com ||||||||||||||||||| 14 | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 90TH ANNIVERSARY

“We’re a generational business.

We have the pleasure of dealing with a grandfather and then a father and a grandson and great-grandson. It is hard work but that’s why I say it’s a labour of love.” - Ken Anderson

90TH ANNIVERSARY | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 15 |||||||||||||||||||

ABOVE JEWELLERY TO CELEBRATE WITH.

the city. If you have the wherewithal to help those in need in the community, you do so,” he says.

Anderson and his father and grandfather cared about the community and have supported other businesses and organizations as much as they could since the 1920s. And the quality product, quality service and community focus has served J. Vair Anderson Jewellers well for decades.

But it hasn’t always been easy over its nearly 100 years in business. There have been many highs during which business boomed and lows that challenged the survival of even the most established businesses.

The family has the experience to recognize that the economy runs on a cycle and so Anderson and his

father and grandfather before have been able to create a better business plan to navigate through those inevitable tough times and make it out the other side.

As one of the oldest members in the Chamber of Commerce and an example of how to weather the lows and ride the highs in Calgary, it seems there’s little left for J. Vair Anderson Jewellers to do. But Ken Anderson has one more wish: “My goal at this stage? I would love to be able to celebrate 100 years in Calgary.”

With 90 years under its belt, J. Vair Anderson Jewellers is sure to reach that millennial milestone and soar past it. Like fine wine, cheese and jewelry, J. Vair Anderson only gets better with age. •

Thank you to Calgary for 90 amazing years.

409 – 3rd Street SW Calgary, AB T2P 4Z2 403.266.1669 info@jvairanderson.com

||||||||||||||||||| 16 | J.VAIR ANDERSON | 90TH ANNIVERSARY