About Vertolli Jewellers & The Lorefice Family

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 introduces an e-commerce platform, allowing customers to browse Vertolli's authentic vintage jewelry collection from home. The company utilizes in-house high-resolution macro photography to provide the finest jewelry images globally, ensuring customers can clearly see what they are purchasing.

Additionally, David launches a fixed-price mail-order watch repair service, which quickly gains popularity among watch enthusiasts across the country.

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