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Joaillerie Dufresne · Trois-Rivières · workshop since 1971

Pieces made to last
longer
than we will.

Custom creation, sales and repair. Three generations at the same bench, in Trois-Rivières. We explain everything — the price, the stone, the metal — without ever rushing you.

The collections

Six families, a few pieces each.

I

Engagement rings

Solitaires, halos, three-stone settings, or a vintage setting restored. Every ring is hand-fitted before it's handed over.

$1,800 to $20,000 · custom from $2,400
II

Wedding bands

Gold or platinum, smooth, hammered, engraved on the inside. A couple's two bands are cast from the same metal pour.

$550 to $4,500 per ring
III

Necklaces and pendants

Fine chains, medallions, set pendants. The most requested birth or retirement gift — and the one passed down the most.

$180 to $6,000
IV

Earrings

Diamond studs, pearls, colored stones, hoops. Solid gold posts only — that's the detail that avoids reactions.

$150 to $7,500
V

Men's jewelry

Link chains and bracelets, tungsten or gold bands, cufflinks, hand monogram engraving.

$220 to $5,000
VI

Watches

A few chosen Swiss and Japanese brands, plus service: battery, water-resistance seal, strap adjustment, movement overhaul.

$295 to $9,000
The proposal

You're not buying jewelry. You're buying the one second you'll remember for the rest of your life.

Custom creation

Six to ten weeks, six steps.

A one-of-a-kind piece typically costs 10%% to 20%% more than a comparable showcase model — sometimes less, because you're not paying a wholesaler's margin or a design that doesn't suit you.

1
The meeting

One hour, by appointment. We talk about the person, the style they already wear, daily use — and the budget, frankly, from the start. It drives the choices, not the other way around.

2
The sketch

Two or three hand drawings within the following week, with real proportions and the price of each. We adjust until it's right.

3
The wax or 3D model

A 3D render to see the piece from every angle, then a resin-printed model you can try on your finger. Nothing is cast before your written approval.

4
The casting

Cast in gold or platinum at the workshop, from the model. This is where the piece stops being an idea: two days later, it exists in raw metal.

5
The setting

The prongs are cut and bent down one by one under a binocular loupe. The slowest, most delicate step — and the one that decides if the stone holds for thirty years.

6
Polishing and delivery

Polishing, rhodium plating if it's white gold, ultrasonic cleaning, interior engraving. Delivered in person, with the stone's certificate and the appraisal for your insurance.

40%% deposit on model approval, balance on delivery. The sketch and 3D render belong to you, even if you decide not to go further.
Diamonds and stones

Four letters, and no one ever explains them to you.

We explain them here, and again in-store, with a loupe and two stones side by side. You'll see the difference with your own eyes before you pay for it.

Carat
The weight

One carat = 0.2 grams. It's not a visual size measurement: a well-cut 0.90-carat stone often looks bigger than a heavy, deep 1.05-carat one. Prices jump right above round numbers (1.00 ct, 1.50 ct) — buying 0.95 ct saves hundreds of dollars for an invisible difference.

Color
D to Z

D is perfectly colorless, Z is distinctly yellow. From K onward, the tint becomes visible to the naked eye on a white setting. The sweet spot is around G-H: no one will see the difference from a D, and you pay 30% less. On yellow or rose gold, a J passes very well.

Clarity
FL to I3

These are inclusions, tiny natural marks inside the crystal. From VS2 and often SI1, they're invisible without a 10x loupe. Paying for VVS1 on a ring worn every day means paying for something no one will ever see.

Cut
The only one that shows

The only one of the four you shouldn't skimp on. It's the cut — the angles and facet proportions — that determines whether a stone reflects light or stays dull. An Excellent cut on a modest diamond beats a Good cut on an expensive stone. Always.

Natural or lab-grown

Chemically, they're the same carbon crystals: same hardness, same brilliance, same 4 C's. The difference is origin — and price. At equal quality, a lab-grown diamond today costs 60%% to 80%% less than a natural one.

Concretely: a 1-carat solitaire, color G, clarity VS1, runs around $9,500 natural and $2,400 lab-grown. Natural holds its resale value better; lab-grown gets you a bigger stone for the same budget. Both are legitimate choices, and we sell both.

Certificate and colored stones

Every diamond of 0.30 carat and up is sold with its GIA or AGS certificate — an independent report describing the stone in detail, with its number laser-inscribed on the girdle. Without a certificate, you're buying an opinion.

Sapphire, ruby, emerald, tourmaline, morganite, opal: beautiful, often cheaper than a diamond, but softer. Emerald and opal need protective settings and a bit of care. We'll tell you which one survives a lifetime of dishwashing.

The metals

What you wear every day.

MetalDurabilityRelative Price
10K gold 41.7% gold. The hardest and most affordable, but the tone is paler and it can react on sensitive skin. $
14K gold 58.5% gold. The best compromise for a piece worn every day: good color, scratch resistance, reasonable price. Our default recommendation. $$
18K gold 75% gold. Rich, deep color, effectively hypoallergenic, but softer: it marks faster on an active hand. $$$
White gold Gold alloyed with palladium, rhodium-plated. Needs re-rhodium plating every 2 to 4 years ($85) to restore the original white. $$–$$$
Rose gold Gold alloyed with copper. Doesn't discolor, needs no special care, and flatters most skin tones. As strong as 14K yellow. $$–$$$
Platinum 95% pure, densely heavy, naturally white forever. It doesn't wear away, it displaces: scratches form a matte patina that can be repolished. The safest choice for holding a large stone. $$$$
Sterling silver 925. Beautiful and affordable, but it tarnishes and deforms. Perfect for a fashion piece, not recommended for an engagement ring. $
Repair and maintenance

It all happens here, in the workshop out back.

Your family jewelry doesn't leave in a box for a subcontractor in Montreal. It goes through a door, and it comes back. Free estimate, always given before any work begins.

Ring resizing (1 to 2 sizes, gold) $75 to $140
Prong replacement (per prong) $45 to $90
Chain or clasp soldering $35 to $75
Restoration of a vintage setting $150 to $450
Watch battery replacement, seal checked $18
Ultrasonic cleaning and polishing free, for life, on any jewelry purchased here
Annual prong and stone check free
Recasting an heirloom into a new piece from $600, your gold credited by weight
Written appraisal for insurance $85 (1 piece) · $60 each additional
Hand engraving, inside a band $40 to $120

Why two identical-looking rings can cost triple.

A ring's price comes down to four things: the stone (by far the largest share, and where half a clarity grade changes thousands of dollars), the metal and its actual weight, the work of manufacturing and setting, and the margin of whoever sells it to you.

Two "1-carat" solitaires can differ by $8,000: color D versus J, excellent cut versus good, clarity VVS1 versus SI2, natural versus lab-grown. That's why we put the certificates on the table and show you the stones under a loupe. No pressure sales, ever: if you leave to think it over for a month, your quote stays valid.

The jeweler

Camille Dufresne, third generation.

Graduate of the École de joaillerie de Québec (jewelry diploma, 2009), trained in stone-setting in Antwerp, GIA-accredited gemologist. Seventeen years at the bench, twelve of them in the workshop founded by her grandfather in 1971.

The workshop is on-site, behind the shop: casting, setting, soldering, polishing, hand engraving. Nothing is sent elsewhere, except stone cutting — a separate trade we don't claim to practice.

Two people in the shop, never more. We'll take an hour with you if needed. That's why we work by appointment.

Trust, plainly stated
GIA or AGS certificate provided for every diamond of 0.30 carat and up, with the laser inscription number.
Lifetime warranty on the manufacture of our custom pieces: setting, solder joints, structure.
Full exchange or refund within 30 days on showcase pieces that are unengraved and unmodified.
Written appraisal for your insurer provided with every purchase of $1,500 and up.
Buyback of gold and broken jewelry, paid by weight at the day's rate, posted at the counter.
Member of the Corporation des bijoutiers du Québec, with a GIA-accredited gemologist in-store.
No work undertaken without an accepted written estimate — even for a $35 solder joint.
Jewelry left at the workshop is insured and locked in the safe every evening.
By appointment

Let's talk about your project.

One hour, no obligation to buy, no showcase to work around. Come with a photo, a vague idea, or your grandmother's jewelry.

Shop and workshop
Dufresne
128 rue des Forges, Trois-Rivières, Quebec G9A 2G7
Free municipal parking after 6pm · two spots reserved at the back
Hours
Tuesday to Friday · 10am to 5:30pm
Saturday · 10am to 4pm · closed Monday and Sunday
Private appointments available Monday or evenings until 8pm
Contact us
819 555-0147
atelier@joailleriedufresne.ca
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