Hobart-based Darts Jewellers celebrated its 100th Birthday last week by giving away a ‘treasure chest’ of jewellery valued at over $7000 to one lucky customer.
Store owner Erica Dart said the treasure chest contained a diamond dress ring from ADTC valued at $2500 as well as jewellery and watches from other suppliers.
“All customers who made a purchase with us during October went into a draw to win the prize,” she said.
“My mother Gloria (who ran the store with her husband Max from 1966 until 1984) drew the lucky ticket from the barrel. The winner was Ros Harvey of Bellerive – she was one very happy camper.”
Dart, who has owned Darts Jewellers with her partner Michael Granger for the last eight years, said the store “is a small boutique jewellery store that stocks product that is both contemporary and unusual”.
“We believe our success is based around consistency in delivering a quality product at affordable prices and guaranteeing that we will stand by the product we sell,” she said.
“This is an easy statement to make however owning a business that is 100-years-old suggests that we get this right more times than not.”
Established as Richard Darcey Optometrist & Jeweller in 1912, the store was purchased by Max Dart (who began his watchmaking apprenticeship at the business) and his wife Gloria in 1966.
The couple’s four children all joined the business, which they had renamed Darts Jewellers, as soon as they left school − David as a watchmaker and the three girls (Athalie, Erica and Helen) as sales staff.
In 1984 Max and Gloria retired and David ran the business for the next 10 years before handing over the business to Athalie and Erica.
Eleven years later in 2005 Athalie retired from the business and handed over total control to Erica.
“Throughout all these changes the core values of quality, value and superior customer service have never waned and are still just as important to day as they were when Darts first opened its doors in Criterion Street,” she said.
Today Dart Jewellers, which expanded to include another store in nearby Sorell two years ago, is still very much a family business – Athalie works in the Hobart store and Helen manages the Sorell store.