I don’t own a lot of jewellery but get attached to the things I have. Last summer I killed two birds with one (gem) stone. I interviewed Jim Pappas from Danforth Jewellers down the street for my Yellow Pages story and also brought in a bag of broken bracelets, necklaces and my old watch (the battery ran out twelve years ago) for him to fix. I had been a customer of Jim’s since I moved to the neighbourhood decades ago (he refurbished my grandfather’s old watch, which I will save for a future story) but never really “talked” to him. I was glad I had the opportunity. This is his story.
A Love of Precious Gems
When Jim Pappas opened Danforth Jewellers in 2013, it was an easy choice – his father was a gem wholesaler so he’d been around jewellery all his life. “As a kid growing up, I loved the sparkly diamonds, and the intensity and vivid colours of sapphires, rubies and emeralds,” he confesses. “Once I saw the precious gems I fell in love with them.”
Later, Jim joined his parents John and Christina in running a watch and jewellery store a block west of where his store stands today. He learned a lot growing up in the family business. “My dad was always looking for cleaner, higher quality diamonds and better cuts,” says Jim. “He wasn’t the kind of person who would buy something just for the sake of profit. He wanted to sell better quality goods.”
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