that sparkles all

John McKay Jewellers

53 Moss Street

John McKay Jewellers opened in 1946 with Lesley Elder becoming the sole owner of the business in 2004.

“My background has always been in jewellery, I started in the industry straight from school,” said Lesley.

“We stock several brands of jewellery including Kith Heath, Tiangu Jackson, Nomination, and our own brand Maci.

“As well as designing and manufacturing all types of jewellery, we carry a large stock of Gold silver platinum and Diamond jewellery with prices ranging from £5.00 to £25,000.”

“We are busy all year round, our workshop never halts, but we do see an increase in manufacturing in November for Christmas and again in February and March with wedding rings,” added Lesley.

“We have more than 800 wedding ring samples from which clients can choose from as well as offering bespoke design wedding rings, we also have our own range of bridal jewellery - Maci Bride - Designer Bride & Bridesmaid Jewellery - which we supply bridal stores with wholesale.

“In my 36 years I have made an abundance of strange items of jewellery from nipple hand cuff studs with a chain adjoining them, a 3-inch by 3-inch number 50 with a cup for a 50th wedding anniversary, copies of Status, Islands, portraits, polo mints, lollipops and a favourite a few years ago was silver rollos.

“But one of my own personal favourite items of jewellery is a Victorian hair clasp for a child which I picked up about 25 years ago and have been holding onto in the hope of a granddaughter one day.

“I think the best thing about my job is the fact that every single day is different, one minute you can be fitting a watch battery the next you can be assisting a client designing an engagement ring.

“We are grateful that for 75 years the people of Paisley and the surrounding towns have supported John McKay Jewellers in business.”

McLauchlan & Co Jewellers

22 New Street

It’s a real family affair at McLauchlan & Co Jewellers with the shop opened in 1909 by the current owner’s great grandmother.

“She was widowed and had to give up the Paisley run spirit business but kept on the coal business,” explained owner Craig McLauchlan. “She was a modern-day entrepreneur and decided a fancy goods and jewellers would be suitable for a lady to run.

“I had to leave school to run the shop because my father broke his collarbone and couldn’t work. I had helped in the shop from the age of 14 so I learned the watch repairs from one of our watch makers and the jewellery from our goldsmith.

“We have silver, gold and platinum jewellery and watches to suit all pockets with silver earrings and chains from £5, and watches starting from £30 right up to diamond rings priced at £8,000.

“Plus, we have a new range of Royal Scot crystal glasses and vases too.”

“Over the years, the trade has certainly changed,” added Craig. “We are busier all year round, not just at Christmas, customers are now more likely to buy the jewellery when they see it than wait until Christmas.

“While our wedding business is very much geared towards our personal service, helping the customer find the special ring they have always wanted whether that’s a plain or a diamond set wedding ring and we can make bespoke one off designs to the customer's specifications.

“It’s so rewarding to see the look on our customers faces when they see a bespoke order for the first time or a sentimental piece of jewellery we have refurbished .

“That’s the best thing about the job - seeing the third generation of families still coming to the shop, we love a chat with our customers.”

Sinclair’s of Paisley 30a High Street

Sinclair’s of Paisley opened on the High Street in November 2021 after previously trading further up the High Street as Jewelfare for nearly 20 years.

“We moved and rebranded as Sinclair’s of Paisley as we needed bigger premises after Covid and it was the ideal time to put my family name above the door of the new premises,” said owner Thomas Sinclair.

“I started as a jewellery retail assistant in a small business in Glasgow at the age of 17 and took a keen interest in how the jewellery we sold was made and subsequently repaired, so I started my five-year apprenticeship at the age of 18.

“My knowledge of how to run a jewellery business was built up from 14 years of watching and learning from my previous employer, I always tell him that I managed to eliminate most of his bad habits before taking on my own business! He’s still a great friend and advisor.”

“We sell a wide range of new and pre-owned jewellery and watches,” added Thomas. “Our prices range from silver earrings at under a fiver to diamond rings in the many thousands.

“As for our wedding service, at any given time, we are likely to have at least 100-150 wedding rings in stock.

“Having a repair and manufacturing workshop within the shop means that we’ll also make and adjust wedding rings to order where necessary.

“Seeing the pleasure on a customer’s face when I’ve managed to repair or refurbish a family heirloom is definitely the best part of the job.

“We’re always looking for pre-owned pieces of jewellery to buy and resell so we’d be delighted to make an offer on any pieces that our customers may be interested in selling.”

Warren James Piazza Shopping Centre

Warren James is a national familyowned business who began in 1979, specialising in offering amazing quality jewellery which is responsibly sourced.

“Warren James opened in Paisley in 2015 and has since had a recent refurbishment last year, introducing a beautiful new shop but still offering the same unbeatable prices and fantastic jewellery,” said manager Sophie Irwin.

“Our main focus at Warren James is to ensure every customer is satisfied with both the quality of our jewellery and the value we offer across our range.

“Each piece is crafted with care and our passion for great design ensures we are always on trend.

“We offer a wide range of jewellery to suit everyone’s needs and style including 925 sterling silver, 9ct gold, and our fabulous 18ct gold vermeil on silver, which offers the best of both worlds with a luxury piece of 18ct gold over solid sterling silver ensuring great value and quality.

“With wedding season approaching we specialise in providing a stunning range of engagement rings and wedding bands, tailoring to everyone’s style and budget.

“We offer a fantastic range of hand selected diamond rings at unbeatable prices, including our certificated range assuring the quality of your beautiful ring. We offer our wedding bands and engagement rings in a wide range of sizes, tailored to fit in time for your special day.”

“Our busiest time of the year is definitely over December where our team look forward to helping every customer find the perfect Christmas gift for their loved ones,” added Sophie.

“The best thing about working at Warren James in Paisley is helping customers find that perfect ring for their special day, whether it’s an engagement, wedding or eternity.

“It is lovely to be part of their experience and we love hearing feedback of how their day went. We aim to put a smile on all our lovely customer’s faces with our friendly service and make customers for life.”