Dimitries: Something old, something new

Posted on 8 February, 2019

To Amalia Stavreas of Dimitries Jewellers, every piece of jewellery sold has a story worth telling.

“I believe jewellery has always been a chance to snapshot a moment in time, and we’ve seen it all over the years – from people wanting to celebrate a personal achievement to excited couples custom making their wedding bands together,” Amalia says.

As one of Canberra’s oldest jewellery stores, Dimitries has its own family story to tell. When John and Maria Forides opened the doors to its flagship store in Manuka in 1967, it was a time where Liz Taylor’s jaw-dropping jewels were headlining the papers and Marilyn Monroe was cooing that diamonds were a girl’s best friend.

After the success of the Manuka boutique, two further stores were opened in Woden and Queanbeyan, and throughout this time the business stayed in the same family, housing three generations of award-winning designers, including granddaughter Amalia.

Now the jeweller is about to embark on a new journey when it closes its existing Woden and Tuggeranong stores on the 31^st of March and relocates to the Queanbeyan store, a boutique that still holds so many fond memories for Amalia and her family.

On the same date, Dimitries will also launch a brand new website that will make it easier to purchase pieces online – a change Amalia says is all about accommodating their client’s busy lifestyles.

“We figured out that we can still offer a personal service online, and with people working so hard we know they don’t necessarily have the time to come in and try on the pieces and do the run-around, so it’s really about addressing those needs,” she says.

“Our customers will still have access to the Dimitries family and we’ll be running a personal shopper service, where if people can’t find a piece we can do the shopping for them and post it out to them.

“We will also be providing a personalised design service, where clients can book one-on-one designer appointments. A lot of our clients work in Barton and parliament and can’t always get out, so we come to them.”

Despite the shift in the way people purchase jewellery, Amalia believes the romance behind selecting pieces hasn’t waned—in fact, sentimentality is more present than ever.

“What we’ve found is that our clients want more of a recognition of themselves or their family in their pieces,” Amalia says.

“We had a woman who got a promotion, and she wanted to mark the moment by picking a ring—now every time she wears it she’s reminded of how hard she’s worked to get there.”

One of the other changing trends Amalia has noticed is that there’s more choice than ever. Diamonds are no longer a girl’s only best friend when there’s also sapphires, emeralds and pearls to choose from, and custom made rings have soared in popularity.

“Our custom service is something we do a lot of—we were actually one of the first jewellery businesses to specialise in custom made and remodelled jewellery,” Amalia says.

“Choosing custom made is a way to reflect that customer’s individuality, while remodelling is a nod to that sentimental aspect.

“I just had a client put a deposit down on his grandmother’s and great grandmother’s remodelled rings. I think now it’s become more of a search of self-expression, people are more likely to spend the time doing the research and doing things right.”

Dimitries customer Brielle says her custom made emerald cut engagement ring (top image) was a “refreshingly individual” process.

“From the minute I walked in to Dimitries, I was able to try on the different shaped bands and diamonds, so we could see what each shape looked like on my finger,” she says.

“I loved that I could be so heavily involved in the process of picking something out and it could be such a personal experience.”

SALE

To celebrate their relocation to the flagship Queanbeyan store, Dimitries will be offering a ‘coming home’ sale, with 20 – 60 per cent off selected items in all three stores from the 8^th of February until the 31st of March.

the essentials

What: Dimitries sale
When: 8 February – 31 March 2019
Where: Shop 7C, Westfield Woden, Keltie St, Phillip, Shop 126 Tuggeranong Hyperdome, Greenway, 131 Monaro St, Queanbeyan
Website: dimitries.com.au

Feature image: Bel Combridge. Supplied.

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