Take A Look Inside Bednarek Jewellery

Saturday July 28th, 2018, 10:00am

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What makes that special piece of jewellery even more memorable than having it customized? Newly opened Bednarek Jewellery offers just that luxury with a wide array of goods available for purchase and the option to have a piece made from scratch.

Master Jeweller and Gemologist of the shop, Piotr Bednarek, has over 30 years of experience under his belt and a passion for his craft. President of the company, Lauren Bering, describes his work as a “classical art.”

Piotr (left) stands with Lauren in their shop.

The store, which opened its doors July 3rd, offers a variety of jewellery from reputable companies. In addition to that, there are the creations that Piotr makes for display, and there is always the option to discuss a customized piece of work to be made from start to finish with Piotr.

Piotr had come to Canada in 1995 with his family from Poland. In Poland, he attended school for 6 years specifically for jewellery. “I believe that jewellery is not just the product, it’s more than the product,” Piotr explains. “For us, it’s about making something and showing customers it came from the heart.”

“Anyone can make jewellery, but to give you something else–to make art–it makes a total different piece in my opinion, and people love it.”

Piotr has had a passion for jewellery since he was 15, and reflects on his time at the Polish jewellery school he attended fondly. “It was always my dream; there was only one school in Poland that had very small classes. Three years was studying and three years was practical work on the bench. I was one of the last people to learn jewellery from this school,” Piotr explains further as the school closed shortly after he graduated.

“I learned everything about jewellery, not just casting or setting stones, but everything in between as well. I got very good experience there and worked in Poland for 6 years before coming to Canada.”

Piotr worked for many local jewelers including Zareh’s and Precision, which is where he and Lauren met. “I just saw the strength and creativity that Piotr had and looked at him one day and we were like, we can do this, and now here we are.”

Lauren, who is a University of Windsor graduate for English Literature, took an interest in Piotr’s craft, and he taught her more and more about fine jewellery as her love for it grew.

Lauren’s love for gems started when she took a 9 month long trip to South America and Europe with her husband. “We saw so many different types of gemstones, and I just started to get more interested in where they came from.” From there she got a job at a jewellery store upon her return to Windsor and saw Piotr “working like a wizard” as he made jewellery. The more questions she would ask him, the more interested she would become in the art, and the more interested they both became about opening up their business.

“It became this relationship where I was interested and he had someone to show and teach his craft to,” Lauren explains. “No matter our differences, from our age to our languages, none of that got in the way and we are on the same page. He wanted to teach and I wanted to learn. He refined my knowledge of jewellery and taught me how to identify stones and grades of gold.”

Lauren’s growing love for the craft and Piotr’s lifelong passion for it led to them finally going on this venture together. Lauren had gotten into yoga and pottery herself, also being a creative mind, but truly found a passion for fine jewellery. “I’ve always been artistic but I wasn’t refined on what made me tick, and as soon as I saw this work I was so interested in what was behind the jewellery.

I want people to see how the creative process goes…you get a touch of what it is to manifest something from nothing. It takes talent and integrity.” Lauren also reflects on how great it has been to see the look on their client’s faces when their piece that they thought could not be fixed is good-as-new. Many clients come in with no hope that their piece can be saved, only to be proven wrong–in the best way–by Piotr and his work.

Piotr prides himself in the work he does and has the mindset that the product is more than just a thing, but something that comes from the heart. “This is my first store,” he starts to explain. “I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s like my baby, and I’m so happy to have it. We built it together from the beginning, and I hope that my baby will grow up so fast!”

Piotr prides himself on his ability to do from the smallest repair to making an entire piece. “Jewellery is my life; the customers are my life. Everyone has a dream that they want to come true, and my dream has come true,” he says, reflecting on his new store.

“Basically we have the ability to make anything that you can think of, ” Lauren explains on the question of the custom jewellery they offer. “If you have a picture or you have an idea, we can take that, design it, modify it, and manufacture it in-store. And we can do any repair.

“I think that is really special and is what a lot of people are looking for but don’t think it’s accessible…but now it is. The talent Piotr has is rare and I feel very fortunate to have met him.”

The experience for both Lauren and Piotr has been positive since opening up their doors. They offer quality jewellery pieces, watches, repairs, customized pieces and much more in the store. The store is unique and can almost be viewed as a gallery, from the art pieces that are in the showcases as jewellery, as well as paintings on the wall that are for sale.

“We are fully equipped to execute and create the design that a customer wants,” Lauren explains. “Fully equipped not only with tools but with the hands to do it, too.”