Local Business
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend
The family legacy continues at Diamond Gallery with a third-generation jeweller By Brenlee Coates
F
or some reason the thought of working for the fam- ily business long-term never seemed right to Lisa Malbranck until she was far along a different path. “I’ve grown up around jewelry forever,” says the
partner at Diamond Gallery, whose family history in jewelry spans six decades. “I didn’t think that this was for me.” It was during a field placement for her recreation manage- ment studies in beautiful southern France, however, that she began reflecting on how much she enjoyed working alongside her parents at their Corydon Avenue shop. Upon returning, “I started doing more design work with my father,” she says. Once she realized she was heading in the right direction, she dove headfirst into the industry to become a Gemological Institute of America (GIA)-certified gemmologist. In the incredibly niche field, there is one school considered to be the authority on gems worldwide, GIA, also her father’s alma mater. She underwent a “massively intense,” condensed program,
which submerged her in the world of precious gems for six months in California. “It was very fun for a prairie kid to live on the ocean for six
months,” she reflects. Completion of the program required a grade of 100 per cent on a grueling final exam, which included identifying the attributes of any stones presented. “You get five times (to pass the exam) and I got it on the first try,” remembers Lisa. “Tat was probably the most fun call to make to my dad.” Jewelry runs deep in the Malbranck family – Lisa’s grand-
father, Al Malbranck, opened a jewelry store on Marion Street in 1951, called Al’s Jewellers. After apprenticing under his father’s tutelage and managing the store for several years, Allan Malbranck and wife Anita set out to open their own shop, the Diamond Gallery, in 1992. Diamond Gallery is known for upholding high standards.
“We were the first jeweller in Winnipeg to say our diamonds are conflict-free,” says Lisa. Teir professional accreditation is
38 • Spring 2015
also a rare find among jewellers as it isn’t required to practice in Canada. It lends itself to their house brand and custom designs, which use strictly gold and platinum – materials that stand the test of time, or last the proverbial forever. “All jew- elry’s purchased for some sort of emotional reason,” observes Lisa. “It ends up being something that’s forever.” Because of this, the Malbranck family is often privy to mo- mentous occasions in their clientele’s lives, like marriages, repurposing a special heirloom, etc. Not too long ago, Lisa shared a big moment with her clients when she announced the birth of her son on social media and in their company newsletter. “It was amazing the response we got,” says Lisa, noticeably moved while recalling the flood of congratulatory messages. “Winnipeg’s a community I’m really proud of.” Te Malbrancks have established strong connections in
the community over the years, and have special ties to the Francophone community, in particular. Just last year, Lisa won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the St. Boniface Francophone Chamber of Commerce. She and her mom were also honoured by the Women Business Owners of Manitoba last year. Te shop itself is never short on accolades; it won the most
recent Canadian Independent Jewellery Retailer of the Year award from Canadian Jewellery Magazine. “What we offer is a really boutique customer experience, tailored to fit whatever the person has in mind,” explains Lisa – down to the price range, materials, and lifestyle the piece needs to fit into. Even though the shop is celebrated, the popularity of on- line shopping does impact these types of jewellers. Lisa takes a proactive approach by partaking in and being a vocal pro- ponent of “shop local” campaigns, and the business gives back plentifully to the community that supports it. “Te people that choose to work with us are more mindful of supporting a local business (and) supporting the local economy,” says Lisa. In turn, the Malbrancks support many charity events year-
round, and choose a local youth-focused charity as the ben- eficiary for a momentous fundraiser each Christmas.
The Hub
Photos provided by Diamond Gallery.
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