Atlantic Jewellers

Getting engaged is hard enough on a guy’s nerves, I really did not look forward to the confusion of the purchase of my girl’s engagement ring. I had no idea how complicated it could be, as far as I was concerned, a diamond is a diamond, how was I supposed to know the number of different things that can effect the price of a stone?!? The four Cs? What the hell is that? :-) An independent certificate of quality? Who is Kimberly and what is this about her process and blood diamonds? Information overdrive. It was nuts figuring it all out.
I did my homework, (thank God to the internet!), pulled a list of places/​Jewellers to visit. I had visited a few, walking away with the sentiment that I would have to leave what was going to be my house down payment on a rock if I was going to get what I liked.
Then you can’t really compare shop an engagement ring, I mean, diamonds can be so different from one to the next, you look at one thinking, wow, what a deal, only to find out that the stone may be big, but its quality is so, so, and you are actually being ripped off!
Then I found Atlantic Jewellers, a little family shop across the river in Gatineau. You would never guess it from the outside, its an older building, even when you walk in, you feel like you are in more of an antique shop then a Jewellery, they have a lot of Crystal and stuff that confuses you at first.
Then you sit down with the owner, Madame Pacheco, who handles all the engagement ring special orders, (they call them special because they custom make most engagement rings right on the premises), who has owned the place since 1976.
She started by asking me a few question about me and my future better half Stephanie, even asked if I had a picture of her, you get a sense that you are talking to an artist who really cares, like the ring she is going to make for you is as much hers as it is yours.
She spent over an hour with me, answering my every question, it was absolutely fantastic. We started with by budget and a basic understanding of what I wanted, then she showed me a few diamonds, they were all a little smaller than I was hoping for, so she pulled some up on her computer, found one that fit my budget and ordered it right on the spot, with the understanding that if I did not like it, we would look for another until we found one that I liked.
It came in to the store a couple days later. I could ‘t make it to the store, so she offered to come to my office. When she came, I fell in love with that stone, it was over 2 Carats, and I could not believe the price she offered. She had it set in a ring I had picked at the store and two days later, was back in my office to show me the final product.
I can only say this: Wow.
Plus, Madame Pacheco gave me 30 days to return it, no questions asked, in case Stephanie does not like it or I change my mind, but frankly, how could I…
It was exactly what I wanted, at the price I wanted it.
I can’t wait to give it to Stephanie this X-​Mas.
To Madame Pacheco and her great team at Atlantic Jewellers, two words, Thank You.