Artina’s Jewellery is proud to be a family-owned and operated business for over 30 years. We couldn’t have withstood the test of time if it weren’t for our dedicated team, talented artists, and loyal customers. Today is National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, a day to acknowledge and support businesses like Artina’s Jewellery.
The easiest way to support small, family-owned businesses is to share your favorite stores with your friends and leave a Google Review. (Yes, it really does help!)
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Always Find Local Jewelley at Artina's
Artina’s Jewellery has two storefronts in Victoria (Lekwungen & W̱SÁNEĆ) and Vancouver (Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh.) We also have an online store that ships worldwide. You won’t find a more “local” store than Artina’s. We are a business that celebrates and proudly embraces all Canadian identities and stories. From world-renowned Indigenous artists to masterful contemporary artists, and first-generation Canadians, we truly have no shortage of Canadian artists we can’t thank enough.
Our store has grown and changed over the years. We thought we’d share just how far we’ve come and share what we have planned for the future.
Building Artina’s Jewellery Boutique Victoria
The store’s original owner, Susan Artina Black offered up her unique name for her dream business. Husband and co-owner John Black thought it was perfect because it perfectly described the business: “art” for the talent and craftsmanship and “‘tina” meaning “little one” in Latin. Their business would continue to seek out skillful artists and sell tiny beautiful things like jewellery.
For the next 10 years, Susan and John would go on to create Victoria BC’s most unique jewellery store. When it was time for the two to retire, they found another family willing to continue the legacy.
Bringing Artina’s To Vancouver
Long-time customer and supporter Lori DeVusyt took the reigns in 1999. Lori took pride in continuing the store’s original concept and legacy while still growing the business with her family. Part of that growth was opening a second location Gastown, Vancouver in August of 2009.
Bringing our jewellery boutique to Vancouver was one of the best decisions we’ve made for our growth. To stand alongside other fashion boutiques in Gastown is something we’re incredibly proud of.
Launching Artina’s Jewellery Online
The current owner of Artina’s is local resident Lera Zakreski. Lera moved from her country of origin, Ukraine, in 2010. She lived in Calgary initially and moved to Victoria in 2017. She had heard that Vancouver Island was full of artisans but Artina’s Jewellery blew away her expectations.
Please Note: As an effort to help the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine, Artina's Jewellery is matching all donations made through our link here.
Fashion is a passion of Lera’s, so the vast quantity of contemporary jewellery that Artina’s has to offer makes her eyes light up. Indigenous artistry was a whole new endeavour but took a high interest in learning about the techniques and legends passed on through many generations.
When Lera heard that Artina’s was for sale, she jumped at this new opportunity in January 2020. There were certainly challenges during the first year, but Lera stayed vigilant and determined to continue the tradition of sharing the best of Canadian jewellery with the world. She decided it was time to really share Artina’s to the world and launched our online store that now ships worldwide.
The Future of Artina’s Jewellery
No matter how much we grow, Artina’s Jewellery promises to deliver quality, handmade jewellery and superior customer service with every purchase. Every day, our team seeks new talented artists across Canada. More importantly, we want to ensure that we continue to support and nurture our relationship with our all our artists.
To stay updated on everything our team does, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. If you want to support local Mom and Pop Businesses like Artina’s Jewellery, share our store with a friend!
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