“Jewellery is an amazing way to make the holidays just a little more sparkly and bright!”
And La Maison d’Or, one of Ottawa’s premiere family-run jewellers, is setting out to make Jessica Harden’s spirited words a reality.
The 75-year-old company—in which Harden, daughter of company President Brent Harden, is an in-house Applied Jewellery Professional—has helped countless Ottawa couples get engaged, married, and commemorate special occasions. This time of year, though, they’re especially busy, working hard to make the holiday season as celebratory and memorable as possible.
“We do a lot of planning for the holidays,” details Team Manager Rita Elias. “We work hard to make sure we have an amazing inventory of in-stock pieces catering to all price points and styles.”
“On top of that,” she continues, “we are offering a luxury concierge shopping experience.”
Rita details this unique one-on-one alternative to the traditional holiday shopping experience. While elsewhere, customers are often treated cursorily by preoccupied or indifferent staff, it’s an entirely different story at La Maison d’Or.
“When you come in to do your holiday shopping,” she begins, “one of our amazing GIA and American Gem Society certified associates sits down with you in one of our comfortable seating areas. We make you coffee or tea, provide you with snacks, then help you address your shopping list. We show you a variety of gorgeous jewellery, including one-of-a-kind pieces you can’t find anywhere else. We can also gift wrap for you! It’s a truly personalized holiday shopping experience.”
Alternately, the company offers clients the option of using its famous gift guide, in either a print or online edition, the latter of which is updated daily. “The gift guide shows a gorgeous variety of jewellery,” outlines Jessica, “so that everyone can find the perfect gift. All our in-stock items are organized by price point for easy shopping. We want to make the holiday gift-giving process as simple as possible for the Ottawa community.”
At La Maison d’Or, staff are thrilled to help every type of holiday shopper. “There are people who are super organized and want to get their shopping done early, and there are last-minute shoppers who come in on Christmas Eve,” Rita lists. “We also see a lot of people looking to propose on Christmas or New Year’s, searching for that perfect custom engagement ring.” Adds Jessica, “Afterward, we love hearing the stories of people who got engaged over the holidays thanks to us. It’s like we got to celebrate that special moment with them as part of their extended families.”
Speaking of celebrations, the staff at La Maison d’Or holds a special one each year:
“We host an annual VIP Client Event in November,” Rita explains. “It’s a big, fabulous party with amazing food, drinks, and sparkly gifts for everyone who attends. It’s another unique way of getting to celebrate the holidays with our clients.”
La Maison d’Or is also always aiming to delight clients with their varied, destined-to-impress product lines, all of which are hand-chosen by Brent himself. Natural diamond pieces are always at the forefront of new arrivals, which has led to an exciting new collaboration with the Natural Diamond Council, an initiative that was brought to La Maison d’Or last year by the visionary Brent. This partnership is based on a mutual mission to promote the benefits of natural diamonds worldwide.
“We are always working to educate our customers about the beauty, value, and rarity of owning a natural diamond,” Brent specifies. “Customers now more than ever are getting the message of how truly rare they are and how valuable it is to have a natural diamond heirloom piece to pass down to future generations. Formed 100 miles below the earth’s surface over 3 billion years ago, the rarity of a natural diamond is something to be treasured.”
The company’s charitable arm, which is in motion year-round, also ups its game when the holiday bells peel.
“We’ve been donating custom-made La Maison d ‘Or 45/75 anniversary rings,” says Brent, referring to custom items designed to commemorate the longevity of the store in Orléans and the start-up store founded in Hawkesbury by his parents. “The rings are made with those natural Canadian diamonds I’ve mentioned, set in platinum. We give them to various organizations for fundraising purposes.”
To date, La Maison d’Or has raised a total of $60,000 for organizations including the Queensway-Carleton Hospital Foundation, the Ottawa Heart Institute, Ronald McDonald House, the United Way Eastern Ontario, the Bruyère Health Foundation, and the Montfort Foundation.
Adds Brent, reflecting the spirit of the season, “Our goal is to give back as much as possible to the community that has been like family to us.”
Written by Dan Lalande
