W
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THE JEWEL IN OUR TOWN
Wirral Life talk to Jan Foley of Hallmark Jewellers in Heswall
How long has Hallmark been in Heswall?
We have been here for 38 years and every day I am excited to open my
store and share the joy of choosing a piece of jewellery with my clients.
If a friend wanted to purchase some jewellery, why should I
recommend Hallmark?
Hallmark has everything you could possibly want from a jeweller.
From a £5.99 set of earrings for a little girl through to a £60,000
diamond ring. Our prices are extremely competitive, and we pride
ourselves on our customer service, particularly our after sales service.
The shop is bright and airy, and the staff are always on hand to help in
any way possible.
We are personable and passionate. Each member of staff brings a
different skill set to the table. I am so proud of our team and that is
what we are, a team.
There is a promotion on at the moment where everyone who purchases
a piece of jewellery will be given a privilege card which will give you
10% discount on all future purchases on production of that card.
In this technological age, why don’t you sell online?
I have made a conscience decision not to sell online. There are a few
reasons why. It is difficult to gauge the size of things online. Yes, we all
know the approximate size of a ring, but will that ring look good on
my finger? Will it compliment my skin tone? It is also a lot of money to
part with without seeing the goods so I believe our customers will all
be local.
We put time and effort into our window displays and the jewels within
are kept in pristine condition. That way a potential customer can
browse at their leisure, benefit from our knowledge of the industry and
purchase the perfect piece of jewellery every time.
As an independent family business, we have gone from strength to
strength. I still believe that a jewellery purchase is a very personal
thing. I stand by my conviction that you need to See it – Try it – Love
it – Buy it!
If I had an idea in mind, could you design a piece of jewellery based
on my sketch?
Yes, we could. We have an incredible jewellery designer in Stephen
Wong, who will create a bespoke piece of jewellery to your exact
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specifications. You will have a consultation to discover exactly what
you have in mind and together we will determine your best options.
What about if I was left some jewellery, could you make it into a
new piece of jewellery?
Yes. We offer three options:
•
We can buy it as it is.
•
You can have something made from it.
•
The most popular option is part exchange which allows you to
choose a piece that suits you but allows you to retain the memory.
When buying a diamond, what should I look for?
Most people buying a diamond in this day and age go on the internet.
They look at the various cuts, the clarity and the colours and then
walk into the jewellers and say, 'I would like a VS1 diamond that is G
in colour'. It is not always as it seems. If you had 20 VS1 diamonds,
all colour G, there would be a difference in each one. For me it is
about the refraction of light. You should be looking for a nice bright
diamond, one without any marks (usually only visible through a
jeweller’s loop).
Here at Hallmark, we let the customers examine the stones using my
personal loop, we are totally transparent. Going back to a previous
question, this is another reason for not buying jewellery online.
All our diamonds are ethically sourced.
What exactly is a wholesale diamond merchant?
It is a jeweller who is selling at wholesale prices. In 2014 gold and
diamonds went up which made jewellery unaffordable, so I took
the drastic decision to go wholesale. You will often find an identical
diamond ring, same stone, same cut, same case in a large jewellery
chain for double or triple the price that we charge.
Is it still worth investing in diamonds?
Absolutely! Five years ago, I bought a diamond for £30,000 today the
same ring would cost £45,000. A perfect investment. If anyone would
like to discuss investment diamonds, please call and ask for Jan. I
would be delighted to assist and get the very best deal for them.