Burnaby Jewellery Guide: Repair, Resizing and Custom Work
Burnaby has plenty of places to buy jewellery. Finding the person who will actually fix it is harder. If you live in Metrotown, Brentwood, Lougheed or the Heights and you need a ring sized, a chain soldered or a custom piece made, this guide covers how to reach our bench in Coquitlam, what we do on site, how long it takes, and what to bring so the first visit is the only one you need before pickup.
Getting here from Burnaby
We are at 2929 Barnet Highway, Unit 2424, inside Coquitlam Centre. Mall parking and washrooms are a few steps away, which helps if a fitting or a custom design talk runs longer than planned.
By car, the simplest route from most of Burnaby is the Lougheed Highway. Highway 7 carries the Lougheed name and runs east through Burnaby into Coquitlam, where it meets Barnet Highway at Pinetree Way. Our address is on Barnet Highway. We will not print a drive time, because the Lougheed at 8 a.m. and the Lougheed at 2 p.m. are two different roads. Check a live map before you leave.
By SkyTrain, seven Millennium Line stations are in Burnaby: Gilmore, Brentwood Town Centre, Holdom, Sperling to Burnaby Lake, Lake City Way, Production Way to University, and Lougheed Town Centre. Ride east to Lincoln station, which opened in 2016 as part of the Evergreen Extension. Wikipedia's entry on the station notes that Coquitlam Centre is within walking distance of it. If you start on the Expo Line at Metrotown, Royal Oak or Edmonds, take a train bound for Production Way to University, which is served by both the Expo and Millennium lines, and change there.
Shopping at a mall versus bringing work to a bench
Burnaby is home to Metropolis at Metrotown, the largest mall in British Columbia, with more than 450 shops and services. Plenty of those sell jewellery, and buying there is easy. Repairs are where the setups differ. Some counters do the work in the store. Others collect the piece and send it to a workshop elsewhere, which can work well and also means your ring travels and the person you speak to never touches it.
Whichever shop you use, ask one question before you hand anything over: where will the work be done, and by whom? At our shop the answer is the goldsmith at the bench in the same unit. Most jobs never leave the building, and you can talk to the person doing the work. If you want a prong filed lower because it catches on knitwear, you say it to the goldsmith directly instead of writing it on a ticket.
What we do at the bench
Ring resizing is the job we do most. Fingers change with temperature, pregnancy, weight and age, and a ring that fit at a wedding at Hart House on Deer Lake may not fit ten years later. Sizing down removes metal. Sizing up adds or stretches it, and a band that is already thin may need new metal at the bottom first, which our guide to ring shank replacement explains.
Prong work comes next. Prongs wear thin at the tips long before a stone feels loose, and retipping adds metal back to each one. Caught early, it is a small job. Caught late, it means replacing a lost stone. Our post on loose stone warning signs shows what to check at home.
Chains and clasps make up a large share of the rest: a broken link, a clasp spring that no longer closes, a jump ring that has stretched open. On a fine chain that has worn along its whole length, we will tell you if a repair will only move the next break a few links down, so you can decide between fixing it and replacing it.
We also restring pearls, tighten stones, arrange rhodium replating for white gold, replace watch batteries and size watch bracelets. We do not repair watch movements. If a watch needs that, we will say so at the counter.
Turnaround, honestly
A watch battery or a strap adjustment is done while you wait. A prong check and clean takes a few minutes. Plain band sizing takes a few days, and sizing a ring with stones set around the band takes about a week. Retipping takes about a week as well. Custom pieces take four to eight weeks from approved design to pickup, depending on casting and how many changes you make along the way.
Two things stretch every timeline. December is the first, because everyone remembers the broken clasp in the same three weeks. The second is a piece with hidden problems, such as an old repair that has to be undone before the new one can hold. We would rather tell you that on day two than hand back work that fails.
Engagement rings, wedding bands and gold
Burnaby couples come to us for engagement rings at two stages: before the proposal, to choose or design the ring, and after it, to size the ring and order wedding bands that sit flush against it. If you are at the first stage, bring photos of rings you like and a rough budget, and we will show you natural and lab-grown diamond options side by side. If you are at the second, bring the engagement ring so the band can be shaped to it. Our wedding jewellery timeline explains how far ahead to order each piece.
We also buy gold and sell investment gold bars. If you have broken chains or single earrings you will never wear, we can test and weigh them at the counter and explain the offer before you decide. Our post on trading in old gold jewellery walks through how that works.
What to bring
Bring the piece and every part of it, including any stone that fell out, in a sealed bag. Bring the appraisal or receipt if you have one, since it tells us the metal and the stones without testing. Bring photo identification, because we record who dropped off what. If you need a size for someone else, bring a ring they already wear on the right finger. And bring your deadline. If you need the ring back for an anniversary or a flight, say so at drop-off.
Appraisals and custom design
An appraisal is a separate service from a repair. Most people need one for insurance, and an insurer wants a written document with the metal, the karat, the stone weights and qualities, photographs and a replacement value. Our guide to insurance appraisals explains what a policy usually asks for.
Custom design starts with a conversation and a sketch, moves to a digital model or a wax you approve, and only then goes to casting. Many custom pieces start with something the customer already owns: a grandmother's ring with a stone worth keeping, or a box of single earrings and broken chains that can become one new piece. Our custom jewellery for Burnaby page shows how that process runs from first visit to pickup.
We are also opening a store in downtown Vancouver. The address and opening date are not set yet; you can sign up on our downtown Vancouver page to hear first. Until then, Coquitlam Centre is the closest bench to Burnaby.
Earrings in our cases
A few of the earrings in the shop now, in case you want something to look at while a repair is checked at the counter.
Key Takeaways
- We are at 2929 Barnet Highway, Unit 2424, inside Coquitlam Centre. From Burnaby, take the Lougheed Highway east, or the Millennium Line east to Lincoln station.
- From the Expo Line at Metrotown, Royal Oak or Edmonds, ride to Production Way to University and change to the Millennium Line.
- Ask any shop where the repair will be done and by whom. Our goldsmith works in the same unit, and most jobs never leave the building.
- Typical times at our bench: battery while you wait, plain sizing in a few days, sizing with stones and retipping in about a week, custom pieces in four to eight weeks.
- Bring the piece and all its parts, any paperwork, photo ID, and your deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to Vanhess from Burnaby by SkyTrain?
Take the Millennium Line east to Lincoln station, which Wikipedia's entry describes as within walking distance of Coquitlam Centre. We are inside the mall at Unit 2424. Seven Millennium Line stations are in Burnaby: Gilmore, Brentwood Town Centre, Holdom, Sperling to Burnaby Lake, Lake City Way, Production Way to University and Lougheed Town Centre, so most of north and central Burnaby can ride straight through without changing trains. If you live near Metrotown, Royal Oak or Edmonds, start on the Expo Line and take a train bound for Production Way to University. That station is served by both the Expo and Millennium lines, so you change platforms there and continue east. Check the TransLink trip planner on the day for current times. Once you are in the mall, you can call us at +1 (604) 653-6449 if you cannot find us.
Is it worth leaving Burnaby for a jewellery repair?
That depends on the job and on who would do it closer to home. Burnaby has a lot of jewellery retail, including Metropolis at Metrotown, which Wikipedia lists as the largest mall in British Columbia with more than 450 shops and services. Some shops repair on site and some send work away to a central workshop. Both models can produce good work. The difference you feel is in handling and conversation: a piece that is sent out travels, and the person at the counter cannot answer questions about the work itself. If your job is simple and a nearby shop does it in house, go there. If it is a ring with sentimental value, a custom piece, or a repair someone else has already tried, it is worth the trip to a bench where you can talk to the goldsmith directly. Call ahead and we will tell you whether we can do it.
How long does ring resizing take?
At our bench, a plain band in gold is usually ready in a few days. A ring with stones set around the band takes about a week, because stones near the cut may need to come out and go back in, and every prong is checked afterwards. Rings that have been resized many times, or that have a thin band at the bottom, sometimes need new metal fitted before they can be sized, which adds time; we will tell you on the day if that applies. Some rings cannot be sized in the usual way. Full eternity bands with stones all the way around have no plain metal to cut, and rings made of tungsten or ceramic cannot be soldered. For those, we will explain the alternatives at the counter. December runs longer for every job. Our guide can a ring be resized covers the limits in more detail.
Do you fix chains and clasps?
Yes, and it is one of the jobs we do most. A broken link on a solid gold chain is usually soldered the same day or within a few days. A clasp that no longer closes is replaced, and we will match the metal and karat so the chain stays consistent. A stretched or opened jump ring is closed and soldered so it cannot open again. The case that needs a conversation is a fine chain that has worn thin along its whole length. Fixing one link on a worn chain often moves the next break a few links further along, and we will tell you if that is likely so you can decide whether to repair or replace. Hollow chains and some fancy link styles such as herringbone are also harder to repair invisibly. Bring the chain and all its pieces in a sealed bag, even the tiny ones, since a missing link changes the job.
Can you make a custom piece from my old jewellery?
Often, yes. Many custom pieces start with stones from a family ring or a box of gold that nobody wears. We look at the stones first, because some are worth reusing and some are better replaced. Diamonds and sapphires usually come out of an old setting in good condition. Softer or treated stones such as emerald, opal and pearl need more care, and a chipped stone may not survive being reset. The gold can sometimes be melted and reused in the new piece, though old solder and mixed karats can make the metal unsuitable, and in those cases we credit its value toward new gold instead. The design process runs from a conversation and a sketch to a model you approve before casting. Expect four to eight weeks from approval to pickup. Our heirloom redesign page shows the steps.
Do you do jewellery appraisals for insurance?
Yes. An insurance appraisal is a written document describing each piece, including the metal and karat, the weight and quality of the stones, photographs, and a replacement value for your policy. It is a separate service from a repair, and it takes longer than a counter check, because the stones are measured and graded and the report is written up. Bring any existing paperwork, such as an old appraisal, a receipt or a grading report for a diamond, since it saves testing and helps the new document match the history of the piece. Insurers differ in what they ask for and how often they want an update, so check your policy or ask your broker before you book. Our guide to insurance appraisals explains what a policy usually requires and why the date on an appraisal matters.
Do you repair watches?
We replace watch batteries and adjust and replace straps and metal bracelets, and those are usually done while you wait. We do not repair watch movements, so a watch that runs slow, stops with a new battery, or needs servicing inside the case has to go to a watchmaker. We will tell you at the counter if that is what a watch needs, and we will not take it in for a job we cannot do. If you are not sure whether the problem is the battery or the movement, bring it in. A battery test takes a minute, and if the watch still does not run with a fresh battery, you know it needs a watchmaker. Our post on watch battery and strap service lists what we handle.
Will there be a Vanhess store closer to Burnaby?
We are opening a store in downtown Vancouver. The street address and the opening date have not been announced yet, and they will appear first on our downtown Vancouver page, where you can sign up for an email when they are set. The new store is planned as a full-service shop with a goldsmith working on site, offering custom design, engagement rings and wedding bands, repairs, resizing and appraisals. Until it opens, our Coquitlam Centre store is the closest bench for Burnaby, and it is open now. You can start a custom design or drop off a repair there today. Depending on where in Burnaby you live, Coquitlam Centre may stay the more convenient of the two after the new store opens, since the Millennium Line runs straight from Brentwood and Lougheed to Lincoln station.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Coquitlam Centre
- Wikipedia: Lougheed Highway (British Columbia Highway 7)
- Wikipedia: Millennium Line
- Wikipedia: Lincoln station (SkyTrain)
- Wikipedia: Production Way to University station
- Wikipedia: Metropolis at Metrotown
Data sourced October 2026. Road and SkyTrain details from Wikipedia entries for each route and station; check TransLink for current service before you travel. Turnaround times, services and repair notes are our own practice at our Coquitlam bench.
Visit Vanhess
We are a family-run studio at 2929 Barnet Highway, Unit 2424, inside Coquitlam Centre, with a goldsmith at the bench on site. Bring the piece in and we will look at it with you at the counter and give you a firm date before we start. Call +1 (604) 653-6449 if you want to check timing before you drive over, or see our visiting from Burnaby page for more on the trip.
