At Odyssey Jewellery in Richmond Hill, Ontario we have been helping clients for decades find the perfect Christmas gift. We have over 60 years in the industry and our pieces are unique and of the highest quality. Unlike other ‘big box’ stores we have both jewellery that is ready for purchase but can also work with you to create a custom made piece. We import and work with the highest quality of materials including gold, platinum, diamonds and other precious gems.

While it may just be the second week of October if you wish to give someone special a custom made piece of jewellery we recommend you make an appointment or pop into our store in Richmond Hill to get started! Christmas is a special time of year, and often people wish to give something unique as a gift. Nothing is as unique like a custom made piece of jewellery. Creating a custom made piece does take time – from the design process to fabricating the entire timeline can take 8-10 weeks. Below we will provide some examples of pieces you might want to consider having made in time for Christmas.

An Engagement Ring

Did you know that nearly 40% of couples get engaged between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day? And within that period Christmas Eve is the most popular day to get engaged. At Odyssey Jewellery you have a plethora of styles to choose from. We have traditional diamond engagement rings to something more unique. Many of our clients in recent years choose to design something themselves and work with us to make that vision a reality. To get started we recommend people start 8-10 weeks before Christmas. You can book an appointment with us or pop in to talk to one of our experts. Please feel free to bring any photos or drawings as inspiration, and you can work with our designers to perfect the design of your ring. Some couples like to design a ring together which is always special. We will work to produce final design sketches for you to approve, we will review materials including which center stone you wish to use. After your final sign off the ring will be created right here on site – our experts will finish your ring in time for Christmas!

Christmas Themed Jewellery

Jewellery designed specifically for the Christmas season began decades ago during WWII when women would pin Christmas themed corsages to their coats – something cheery during the harsh war years. Since the 1940’s this trend shifted to more permanent Christmas broaches often being added to coats and outfits during December. We enjoy working with clients to design memorable broaches that are often handed down to subsequent generations. More recently we’ve found people wanting ‘winter’ themed jewellery in the form of necklaces or earrings they can wear throughout the season. A Christmas themed gift set of jewellery makes a wonderful and memorable gift. One of our clients had a different themed broach designed every year providing their loved one a lovely collection that are quickly becoming family heirlooms.

Jewellery Sets

At Odyssey Jewellery we have created every item of jewellery and often we design complete sets which can be worn together or separately. If this interests you for a Christmas gift we recommend popping into our store in October to view what we have to offer. Many of our sets include matching necklace, earrings and bracelet pieces. Our jewellery is made with the highest quality precious metals and stones. If you don’t see anything you like we highly encourage you to talk to one of our jewellers about creating a custom set for your loved one this Christmas. A custom made jewellery set, perhaps incorporating the person’s birthstone or other sentimental element, is sure to be a winner Christmas morning! Make sure to bring with you the person’s ring size and an idea of the length of necklace – we like to start these sets in October so that they design process is stress free and you have your finished set in plenty of time for Christmas.

Odyssey Jewellery has become a fixture in Richmond Hill and serves clients all over the GTA. As of this writing we are just over 70 days till Christmas! If you are interested in having a custom piece of jewellery designed for a Christmas present we recommend you come in to get started early.

Odyssey Jewellery Designers Inc. offers a legacy of unparalleled craftsmanship, originality, and quality.  With over 60 years experience in the jewellery industry, Odyssey has a full factory and all work is done right on the premises.  Discover how we can bring your imaginations to life and help you create jewellery that reflects your own unique character. We are manufacturers and importers of platinum, 18kt gold and diamond Jewellery.

At Odyssey Jewellery we are experts in custom made jewellery. Based in Richmond Hill, Ontario we have served clients for decades for all of their jewellery needs. In our store we always have a wide range of jewellery pieces in stock; from rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, matching sets and watches – if you are looking for a piece of jewellery for yourself or a gift you can most likely find it at our store! But if you have something else in mind then you may want to work with one of our jewellery designers to create a custom piece.

Most of our clients who want a custom designed piece are searching for something very specific to mark a special moment or event; whether it’s an engagement ring or a bracelet to mark an anniversary our expert jewellers can work with you to create a piece of unique, memorable jewellery.

Getting Started with Custom Made Jewellery

The first thing to determine when designing a custom piece of jewellery is what you want us to help you create. If you don’t know what you want to create then we will discuss with you the different elements of a ring, necklace, bracelet etc. Each piece has unique attributes and some lend themselves to specific events (an engagement ring for example). We also recommend that our clients bring in ideas they may want to incorporate into their piece. Some people bring in photographs they like or even sketched out designs of what they would like us to create. But don’t worry, if you don’t have any ideas our jewellers can create ideas from scratch. Our initial meeting may take between 30-60 minutes.

Once you have decided on what piece you would like, be it a ring or bracelet or even a matching set with earrings, we can move on to decide on materials. Many people have an understanding of what precious metal they want to work with – whether it be gold, white gold or platinum. Once you have your precious metal decision selected you can move on to what gemstone you wish to incorporate. Many people choose a gemstone that correlates with the person receiving the piece of jewellery. Perhaps a birthstone for a ring or a person’s favourite gem for a bracelet? Whatever gemstones you want to work with, whether alone or in combination, we can source you the best gems to make your piece sparkle.

An important piece of information our jewellery designers will need for the next step of the design process is the size of the item you want designed. We will need the ring size or for a bracelet a measurement of the wrist and if a necklace we can work with you to decide how long the necklace should hang. With the exception of a ring many different styles call for different sizes; we always want to make sure that it fits the person wearing it and will be both comfortable and practical.

When you have met with our jewellery designers and decided on the design and materials for your custom made piece of jewellery our experts will get to work on creating a full rendering for you to review and approve. In this part of the design process we will probably review sketches with you two or three times before we move on to creating the final piece. If requested we can also create a wax model of the design so you can see what it will look like in 3D. It is important to take time in this review process to make sure you are happy with the materials you selected and the final design. An important thing to keep in mind with a custom designed piece is it can take a few weeks for our jewellers to create it. We will be able to share the timeline with you once we have some of the design elements chosen. If you are planning on giving this piece of jewellery to someone special for a specific event we recommend you get started about three months in advance of the date.

One of the most sought after custom designed pieces of jewellery is the engagement ring. Throughout the year we are thrilled to help happy couples design custom engagement rings. While many people choose to use ‘natural’ or ‘clear’ diamonds for their rings, at Odyssey Jewellery we also have other gemstones available. From rubies to emeralds we have all your gemstone needs covered. Another option we are proud to offer are lab-grown diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds are GIA certified and are a more cost conscious and ethical source for a diamond. Our jewellers will review with you the all important ‘four C’s’ of working with diamonds: Cut, Clarity, Carat & Colour. In combination the ‘four C’s’ greatly impact the value of your diamond.

Odyssey Jewellers have been serving Richmond Hill and the GTA for decades and we have been honored to work with clients to develop and create unforgettable custom made pieces of jewellery. Call us today to book an appointment to get started on your custom piece!

At Odyssey Jewellery we have spent decades working with valued clients who want to create a distinctive, unique piece of jewellery to mark a special occasion. Whether it is for a loved one or themselves, custom made jewellery is always extraordinary and often becomes a family heirloom that is passed down to the next generation. Serving the communities of Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan and the Greater Toronto Region our expert team of jewellery designers are ready to meet with you to get started on a special piece for you or a loved one.

Life is full of moments to celebrate and remember. Often, jewellery plays a key role in celebrating these occasions. Whether a custom-made engagement ring, a necklace to celebrate an anniversary or a bracelet to mark an important moment of one’s life a custom-made piece of jewellery can be a daily reminder of a joyful moment.

One of the advantages in working with Odyssey Jewellery is that we have our own in-house team of designers and jewellery experts – we never send anything out of house! With our expert team working on site, we can guarantee the highest quality and will work closely with you and keep you updated on every step of the process.

To get the process started we always make sure to spend adequate time with the client. At this meeting we will ask you to bring any photos or even your personal sketches of what you are looking for in a custom-made piece of jewellery. We will work with you to complete a design that completely fulfils your vision. If you don’t have any ideas of what you would like, our jewellery designers have decades of experience in creating unique custom pieces from scratch. We will discuss with you the types of materials you want to incorporate into the piece and develop sketches of ideas for you to choose from. As our jewellery is all made in-house, we are able to tell you exactly what the finish product will look like. We are also able to walk you through each step and the time it will take to produce your piece. Our attention to detail allows us to create and deliver the highest quality of jewellery that will be both memorable and long lasting.

You can be assured that at Odyssey Jewellery with our decades of experience we always stay on top of the current trends in jewellery. One of the most exciting developments in recent years has been the advent of lab-grown diamonds for use in jewellery. A lab-grown diamond is a GIA certified diamond that is grown in a lab using cutting edge technology. The composition of lab-grown diamonds is the exact same as diamonds found deep within the earth’s crust which are brought to the surface through mining. There are two processes which lab-grown diamonds are created which mimic mined diamonds. One is a High Pressure/High Temperature (HPHT) process, and the other is the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process. A diamond from the HPHT process starts as a small diamond seed that is placed into carbon, then the seed is exposed to extremely high temperatures – 1500 degrees Celsius – and put under tremendous pressure, 1.5 million pounds per square inch. As the carbon reacts to this heat and pressure it melts, and a diamond begins to form. A diamond made with the CVD process starts when slice of a diamond seed is positioned in a chamber and then heated to 800 degrees Celsius, the chamber is then filled with a gas like Methane (although other similar gases can be used), these gases are then ionized which causes pure carbon to adhere to the slice of diamond – slowly a diamond is formed.

The advantage of using lab-grown diamonds is that they can often be less expensive than ‘natural’ diamonds. This isn’t due to the quality but because the timeline on the supply chain between mined diamonds and lab-grown diamonds are very different. While both need to be cut, polished and receive GIA certification mined diamonds take much longer to retrieve. Many of our clients choose lab-grown diamonds as they are a more ethical option. Mined diamonds are often found in conflict-rich areas of the world and the money from the purchase of the diamonds has been tied to nefarious endeavours. Mined diamonds also take a certain toll of the environment in the region it operates in, whereas lab-grown diamonds are much less harmful to the environment and often a more ethical choice.

At Odyssey Jewellery we have a wide array of gemstones and precious metals to choose from. We will work with you to decide the best combination for your custom design. Our most popular items include engagement rings, bracelets, necklaces with unique pendants, earrings and diamond rings. Whether you are designing for a man or a woman we will be able to find the perfect piece and style for you. As a testament to our work, we are thrilled to be working with families over the generations to create pieces for their families. We are serious about our work, and we provide unparalleled service to our clients.

We look forward to working with you to design a breath-taking custom-made piece of jewellery as you celebrate a special moment in life. Get in touch today to get started on this special project.

Lab Grown Diamonds The Hottest Jewellery Trend of 2022

At Odyssey Jewellery, based in Richmond Hill, Ontario we were thrilled this past holiday season to discover how many customers were looking for lab-grown diamonds. Whether for an engagement ring or a custom piece of jewellery several of our clients are now only exclusively looking to purchase lab-grown diamonds. While lab grown diamonds have been around for decades it’s only recently that consumers have discovered that ‘non-conflict’ diamonds are a better alternative to traditional diamonds.

Following our very successful 2021 holiday season we are anticipating a busy and exciting year designing custom made jewellery for our clients and having them choose from our in-house designed engagement rings and other pieces using lab-grown diamonds. So why have lab-grown diamonds suddenly become so popular? There are multiple reasons why a newer generation of consumers have taken to this innovative diamond.

One of the main factors is the disconnect between people’s aspirations for a piece of jewellery and their budget. For example, the current trend in engagement rings is a large centre stone and most people desire a diamond at least 1 carat or larger. The trend for decades was that an engagement ring should cost ‘two months’ salary; but for many that simply isn’t feasible. Of people surveyed, 49% stated that their budget for an engagement ring was below $10,000 and 46% of those same people stated that a lab-grown diamond is more appealing over traditional diamonds. In addition many people admire rings with a larger stone. The wedding website The Knot surveyed newly engaged people in 2019 and found that the average price spent on an engagement ring was $5,600 and many people spent under $1,000. In fact, in the past 18 months there has been a tremendous uptick in rings with TWO stones! By using a lab-grown diamond in their engagement ring, or other piece of jewellery, people are able to design the ring with the size of diamond they desire without the same financial investment.

Another factor that retailers have seen in the past two to three years is that current buyers in the market are undeterred that lab-grown diamonds may not hold their value in the same way as the traditional diamonds. The younger generation do not see an engagement ring or other diamond jewellery as an investment piece like other generations have. Where a diamond purchase was historically positioned to a consumer as one of the major purchases they would ever make, this is no longer the case. Modern consumers know that the chance of them reselling their diamond jewellery (such as engagement rings) is low and they don’t need to consider it as an investment item.

Another major factor is that the younger generation are deeply committed to ethical resourcing of items they purchase and for many the condition in which traditional diamonds are mined is disturbing. The two main issues with diamond mining is the direct effect on humans involved in the mining process and the damage to the environment. As Diamonds are formed deep within the earth’s crust and are carried closer to the surface by kimberlite volcanic eruptions they then must be mined by human beings.

The two types of diamond mines are open or underground mines. To get to the diamonds, still buried 100 miles below ground, operators must remove the extensive layers of earth and rock. This is often done without consideration of the surrounding environment. Soil erosion, deforestation and waterway destruction are just a few of the ways diamond mines have a negative impact on the environment. Whole ecosystems can be sacrificed to extract diamonds from open mining pits. In underground mining tunnels are built which take miners deep into the earth and sections of earth containing diamonds are then hauled to the surface for processing. On the human level the working conditions in the majority of mines are deplorable. While new standards have been put in place in the last decade there is still much to be done to monitor and improve situations. Perhaps most shocking is that some mines, including those in Africa, use forced child labour to extract diamonds. These children are often subjected to abuse and suffer health issues that are not addressed.

For these reasons many people do not want to purchase diamonds from traditional mines, instead they want a ‘kinder’ alternative. Fortunately the technology that produces lab grown diamonds has greatly improved in the last two decades so that it is nearly impossible to distinguish between diamonds from a mine or those from a lab. Lab grown diamonds are also less expensive due to the less complicated supply chain. Lab grown diamonds do not have to go through the various steps mined diamonds do and can be grown anywhere in the world. All of these savings can then be passed on to the customer.

At Odyssey Jewellery we are proud to be the GTA’s leading jeweller using lab grown diamonds. We create unique pieces for sale in our Richmond Hill store and also work with clients to design custom pieces – from engagement rings to other items of jewellery. We provide GIA certificates for all of our pieces using lab grown diamonds. This is very important as it will list the quality and carat of the diamond used in your piece of jewellery. We are available on a walk-in basis and also take appointments. Call us today to get started on your journey with lab grown diamonds.

Tips and Advice for Resetting Your Heirloom Jewellery

There’s nothing more beautiful than an heirloom jewellery piece. Not only are the rings visually stunning, they carry a resounding and symbolic story with them. Proposing with an heirloom engagement ring is a wonderful and romantic gesture; it allows you the ability to link your love story with generations past.

Heirloom engagement and wedding rings can lack a modern touch or the design may not suit the bride-to-be’s taste or style. Sometimes the ring may be gorgeous in appearance, but cannot simply function with the new owner’s lifestyle. At Odyssey Jewellery, we have many design solutions that will blend your unique personal taste with the history intertwined in your heirloom ring.

Some people feel obligated not to mess with an heirloom ring’s stone. There can be a sense of guilt when contemplating changing the ring’s setting, the worry of upsetting family members can be a real challenge. That being said, it’s important to have a ring that fits your unique style and taste. We’ve been providing jewellery design services to Richmond Hill and Toronto customers for over 60 years, during this time we’ve witnesses various trends in jewellery design. Our team of experienced jewellery designers will walk you through the process of customizing your heirloom ring. We’ll work with you to create a design that suits your personal tastes while respecting and protecting the history of your ring.

An engagement or wedding ring is something that you will be wearing every day and you shouldn’t feel obligated to wear something that you don’t like or that doesn’t reflect your personal style. Resetting your heirloom ring doesn’t mean completely changing the look and feel of the ring.

It’s important to have open conversations with the person who gifted you the ring and express your preferences. Including family members in the design process will make for a much easier process and will show your genuine interest in respecting the history of the ring. Be sure to express the reasons why you desire to redesign your heirloom ring.

• Maybe the current ring in its current setting will not suit your lifestyle, give real-life examples of the potential challenges that you may face.
• Perhaps the ring is need of repair in its current state and redesigning it now will save future repair expenses and will protect the stone.
• There’s nothing wrong with stating that despite the ring’s beauty, it simply does not mesh with your own personal style and taste. Highlight the aspects of the heirloom ring that you love and discuss how your new ring design will enhance elements of the original design.
• Discuss how the ring’s current setting does not suit the size or shape of your fingers or hand.
• It’s possible that the engagement ring does not match your wedding band.

Getting married is something that you’ve probably looked forward to for most of your life, most family members will respect your desire to customize the gifted ring to suit your needs and wants.

After discussing your desires with family members you will be ready to begin the reset of your heirloom ring. It’s essential to have your ring inspected and appraised for both insurance and identification purposes. Occasionally an older stone is more prone to being cracked or chipped during the resetting process, an experienced jewellery designer will discuss these potential risks before working on your ring. It’s also possible that once unnoticeable damages can be found during the resetting, these damages or blemishes can often remain hidden with the right bezel setting.

After evaluating your heirloom ring we will discuss with you the resetting options and come up with a plan that suits your budget. We will create a sketch of a proposed design, this will give you a great idea of how your ring will look like after the resetting.

We’re proud of the reputation we’ve earned for our unparalleled craftsmanship and our high standard of quality. For over 60 years we’ve helped add personality to countless heirloom rings at our Richmond Hill jewellery factory. Our experienced jewellery designers are waiting to walk you through the entire process of resetting your heirloom engagement or wedding ring. We will make you feel comfortable and excited by giving your ring the care and attention it deserves.