While other teens were out socializing, Aret Oymakas was studying jewellery with his grandfather. ““My grandfather was a master diamond setter. His mentality was that instead of riding my bicycle during the summer holidays, I could sit with him so he could teach me his trade.” Aret, the owner of Livia Diamonds, points to a shelf in his studio where his grandfather’s century-old tools are displayed, and recalls, “I practiced on synthetic stones and learned the proper way to set diamonds to not chip them. I would have rather been outside playing with friends but now I appreciate what my grandfather taught me.”
Aret was born in Istanbul but his family moved to Canada when he was a toddler, at which point his parents opened a jewellery store where he worked part-time during high school. After graduating from Seneca College with a diploma in marketing and advertising, he became a partner in the family business. When his parents retired, it was time to get out on his own. Aret opened Livia Diamonds in 2013.
Aret says his grandfather’s values still guide him today. “My grandfather taught me ethics and discipline and how a person’s name and reputation are very important,” he explains. “I believe that if you are transparent and honest, you will have a strong working relationship with the client.”
