History of Vertolli Jewellers
We Are Where We Come From

1945
Joseph Lorefice, Watchmaker & Jeweller
David's father Joseph Lorefice, an Italian immigrant and Canadian WW2 veteran, studied Horology at Central Tec after the war ended in 1945.

1950
A Leap Of Faith
David's father opened his first jewelry store on Donlands Ave and O'Connor Dr. in East York, Toronto, Ontario in 1950. He named it 'Donlands Jewellers'.
Business thrived due to Joseph's congeniality and strong desire to please all customers. He was an exemplary role model for David.

1955
Business Sale
Joseph transfers his flourishing jewellery store to his Uncle Vince and resettles his family in Scarborough, Ontario. He re-opens Donlands Jewellers in the Wexford Heights Plaza, conveniently located on Lawrence at Warden Avenue.
Business is strong and Joseph starts looking for a larger property.

1965
Business Expansion
A prominent children's clothing store nearby in the Wexford Heights Plaza suddenly shuts down, and Joseph doesn't hesitate to acquire the spacious location and expand his Donlands Jewellers by almost 300%
Customers love how Joseph Lorefice takes care of them, and business is very, very good.

1966
David's Education
Joseph guides his son David towards a career in Watchmaking; he begins study of Horology in 1966 at George Brown College (Nassau Street Campus) in downtown Toronto.
David is an apt pupil, eager to follow in his father's substantial footsteps.

1970
Family Business
After finishing college, David supports his father at Donlands Jewellers. He repairs watches and sells jewelry, all while adopting his father's exceptional customer service abilities, which had elevated Joseph's reputation as a prominent businessman across Canada by this time.

1974
Omega Watch Company
David takes a break from the family business to expand his skill set and accepts a position at the Omega Watch Company in downtown Toronto. Here David develops a deep understanding of many high-end Omega watch models, including the iconic Speedmaster Professional chronograph.

1980
Chronograph Expertise
David returns to his father's thriving retail jewelry establishment armed with expertise in intricate chronograph watch movements, taking the business to new heights.
Donlands Jewellers now excels in serving the most discerning clientele who own the world's finest timepieces.

1995
Vertolli Jewellers Established
After 15 years under the wing of his father, David strikes out on his own to establish his own jewellery store and watch repair shop in downtown Barrie, Ontario.
He names it after his mother: 'Vertolli Jewellers'.

1997
50 Good Years
Joseph Lorefice retires having served a half century of satisfied customers at Donlands Jewelers.
The May 22, 1997 edition of the Toronto Star reports on the successful Scarborough businessman in an article.

2014
Website Launch
David launches an e-commerce website so customers can shop Vertolli's collection of authentic vintage jewellery in high resolution from the comfort of their home.
David's exclusive fixed-price mail-order watch repair service is also launched, proving popular with watch enthusiasts nationwide.

2020
Vertolli Goes 100% E-Commerce
The success David has online with his website prompts him to cease operations of the brick & mortar retail store after a quarter-century of success in downtown Barrie.
Today, Vertolli Jewellers operates entirely on the Internet. The Vertolli team provides friendly, expert support via telephone or email, with in-person meetings by appointment only.
Contact David today ~ he would love to hear from you!
- 1945
- 1950
- 1955
- 1965
- 1966
- 1970
- 1974
- 1980
- 1995
- 1997
- 2014
- 2020