Ben Moss Alternative in Coquitlam: Skip the Mall, Meet the Goldsmith
Ben Moss Alternative in Coquitlam: Skip the Mall, Meet the Goldsmith
Short answer: Ben Moss Jewellers is a Canadian mall chain with a store at Coquitlam Centre, offering mostly 10k and 14k gold pieces consulted by sales associates. Vanhess Jewellery is an independent, second-generation studio about 6 km up the road at 2929 Barnet Hwy, where master goldsmith Mehran designs and handcrafts pieces in solid 14k and 18k gold at his own bench. If you want a familiar mall name and a warranty desk, Ben Moss is Ben Moss. If you want the person who made your ring to know it by sight, Vanhess is the indie alternative in the same city.
Who should read this comparison
You live in Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Burnaby, or anywhere in the Tri-Cities, and you are looking at engagement rings, wedding bands, or a milestone piece. You have probably walked past the Ben Moss kiosk at Coquitlam Centre. Maybe you have even tried a ring on there. Now you are wondering whether a local, independent studio in the same city would suit you better — and whether "custom" from a mall chain is the same thing as "custom" from a working goldsmith.
This page lays the two side by side, fairly. Ben Moss has been a Canadian name since 1910 and the Coquitlam Centre location is a real, convenient option for many buyers. Vanhess is a different kind of business entirely. The goal here is to help you pick the right one for what you actually want — not to dunk on either.
Ben Moss at a glance
Ben Moss Jewellers was founded in Winnipeg in 1910 and is one of Canada's oldest jewellery names. After entering creditor protection in 2016 and closing 54 stores, the brand was acquired in early 2017 by Halifax-based Charm Diamond Centres, which relaunched a smaller network of roughly 16+ mall locations across Canada — including the Coquitlam Centre store. The catalogue is dominated by 10k and 14k gold with sterling silver and a mix of lab-grown and natural commercial-grade diamonds. Bridal is the core category, with most engagement rings falling roughly between $1,500 and $5,000 CAD. Financing and a Lifetime Extended Service Plan on repairs are standard offers.
Vanhess Jewellery at a glance
Vanhess Jewellery is an independent, founder-led studio at 2929 Barnet Hwy, Coquitlam — about 6 km from the Coquitlam Centre mall by car. It was built by Mehran, a second-generation jeweller with 50+ years of family heritage in the craft and formal training in gemology and handcraft in India and Thailand. Vanhess is a Canadian Jewellers Association member with a 4.9/5 average across 150+ Google reviews. The core business is custom bench-made design in solid 14k and 18k gold (and platinum), with lab-grown or natural diamonds, coloured gemstones, and heirloom-stone resets. Every piece includes a lifetime care plan — free cleaning, resizing, inspections and prong tightening — done by the same hands that made it.
The bottom line
If you want a familiar national mall name, in-stock rings to try on today, and monthly financing — Ben Moss at Coquitlam Centre is a legitimate pick. If you want a piece designed and built by an actual goldsmith in your own city, in solid 14k or 18k gold, with lifetime care from the person who made it — Vanhess is the indie alternative six kilometres up the road.
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Vanhess Jewellery | Ben Moss |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage | Second-generation family jeweller; 50+ years of craft heritage; Coquitlam studio | Founded 1910 in Winnipeg; now owned by Charm Diamond Centres since 2017 |
| Business model | Independent single-studio; founder at the bench | Canadian mall chain, ~16+ stores post-relaunch (store locator) |
| Coquitlam location | 2929 Barnet Hwy, Coquitlam — private studio, by appointment or walk-in | Coquitlam Centre mall (about 6 km away) |
| Custom design | Bench-made bespoke by master goldsmith Mehran; 5-step consultation → CAD → handcraft | In-store "custom" consultation with a sales associate; bench work is not performed on-site |
| Primary gold standard | Solid 14k and 18k gold; platinum; sterling silver | 10k and 14k are standard; solid 18k is rare (some pieces are 18k vermeil, i.e. plated) |
| Diamonds / stones | GIA/IGI-certified lab-grown and natural diamonds; rare gemstones; heirloom stones welcome | Commercial-grade natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds, coloured gemstones |
| Sample engagement ring | 1ct lab-grown solitaire in 14k typically in the low-to-mid four figures CAD; solid 18k available | 1ct lab-grown in 14k from around $2,799 CAD (per published review pricing) |
| In-person consultation | Directly with Mehran, the master craftsman | Sales associate at the counter |
| Lifetime care | Yes — free resizing, cleaning, inspections and prong-tightening every 4–6 months, for life | Yes — Lifetime Extended Service Plan repairs within their network |
| Financing | Ask in-studio — options discussed case-by-case | Financing plans typically offered in-store |
| Warranty | 2-year manufacturing warranty + lifetime care plan | Lifetime Diamond Guarantee + Lifetime Extended Service Plan on repairs |
| Returns | 30-day returns on ready-to-wear; free shipping across Canada | 30-day return policy |
| Heirloom-stone reset | Yes — full redesign service in-house | Typically sent out / not a core service |
| Reputation | 4.9/5 on Google across 150+ reviews | Store-level Google ratings typically around 4.1–4.3 |
Strengths and honest trade-offs
Where Vanhess wins
- Bench-made in Coquitlam by a master goldsmith — not outsourced
- Solid 14k and 18k gold as the standard, not 10k
- Direct relationship with Mehran from first sketch to lifetime service
- Full heirloom redesign service for resetting family stones
- Lifetime care at the same bench — the person servicing your ring is the person who made it
Where Ben Moss genuinely wins
- A familiar Canadian heritage name since 1910
- Mall convenience — walk in at Coquitlam Centre on a Saturday and try rings on
- In-store financing options for budget buyers
- Broader in-stock inventory of ready-to-wear commercial-grade pieces
- National service network if you move to another Canadian city
Which should you choose?
Choose Ben Moss if…
You want to walk into a mall today, try on multiple in-stock rings, apply for financing on the spot, and leave with a ring backed by a familiar Canadian brand name. You are comfortable with 10k or 14k gold and a commercial-grade diamond, and the convenience of a national repair network matters more to you than knowing your goldsmith personally.
Choose Vanhess if…
You want a piece designed around you — not chosen from a catalogue — and you would rather have it built in solid 14k or 18k gold by the person you meet on day one. You like the idea of a local Coquitlam studio you can keep coming back to for decades of free care, and you value a GIA/IGI-certified stone and an heirloom option.
Still deciding?
Book a free 30-minute consultation with Mehran first. It costs nothing and you will know within that half hour whether bespoke is right for you. If it is not, Ben Moss Coquitlam Centre is genuinely a 10-minute drive away and there is no harm in comparing. Most people who come in for both say the difference is obvious inside five minutes.
Pricing: how do they actually compare?
Ben Moss sits firmly in the accessible mall-chain tier. A 1ct lab-grown solitaire in 14k is roughly $2,799 CAD per a published review, and most engagement rings fall in the $1,500–$5,000 range. Financing is available to spread that over months, which is a real benefit for buyers on a tight monthly budget.
Vanhess custom engagement rings typically land in the $2,500–$15,000 CAD range depending on metal (14k vs 18k), stone size, stone origin (lab vs natural), and setting complexity. A like-for-like 1ct lab-grown solitaire in 14k is generally competitive with the Ben Moss figure — sometimes a little below, sometimes a little above — but the piece is bench-made to your specs, made with a certified stone, and the lifetime care plan is bundled in with no monthly fee. Gift-level pieces start under $200. We publish an honest engagement ring budget guide so you can stress-test any quote — from us or from anyone else.
The honest takeaway: Ben Moss wins on lowest-ticket entry pricing and monthly financing. Vanhess wins on price-per-value once you hold metal purity (solid 18k vs 10k/14k), stone certification, and included lifetime care constant. It is not apples-to-apples — pick the tier that matches what you actually want to wear for the next 40 years.
Start your custom design with Mehran
Free consultation at our Coquitlam showroom (2929 Barnet Hwy) or by video call — no obligation.
See our custom process Book a consultationFrequently asked questions
Is Ben Moss in the same city as Vanhess?
Yes. Ben Moss operates a store at Coquitlam Centre, and Vanhess Jewellery is located at 2929 Barnet Hwy in Coquitlam — roughly 6 km apart, about a 10-minute drive. That makes it genuinely easy to visit both on the same afternoon if you want to compare a mall chain and an independent goldsmith's studio in person before deciding.
Is Ben Moss's "custom design" the same as a bespoke piece from Vanhess?
Not quite. Ben Moss offers a consultation process through a sales associate where you can select a setting, choose a stone, and place an order — the actual bench work is not performed in-store. At Vanhess, bespoke means Mehran personally sketches, CADs, and hand-builds the ring at his own bench in Coquitlam. Both are valid; one is configurator-plus-service, the other is true studio craftsmanship.
What's the difference between 10k, 14k and 18k gold?
The number is the purity: 10k is 41.7% gold, 14k is 58.3%, and 18k is 75%. Higher karat means richer yellow colour, softer feel, and typically more money. 10k wears harder and costs less, which is why mall catalogues lean on it. Vanhess works in solid 14k and 18k as standard — not plated, not vermeil — so the gold you see is the gold the piece is made of.
Does Vanhess offer financing like Ben Moss?
Vanhess is an independent studio, not a chain, so we don't have an in-house monthly credit plan the way a mall retailer does. We do discuss staged payment options on custom work case-by-case — a deposit at approval and the balance on completion is common. If zero-percent store financing is a hard requirement, Ben Moss has the edge there. Ask us directly and we'll be honest about what's possible.
Can Vanhess service a ring I bought at Ben Moss?
Yes. Mehran regularly services and repairs pieces bought from other jewellers, including mall chains. Resizing, prong tightening, rhodium re-plating, stone tightening and restoration are all available. We'll give you an honest assessment — including whether the piece is worth the repair cost or whether a redesign (often using your existing stones) would serve you better long-term.
Why would I choose an indie studio over a mall jeweller?
Three reasons most clients cite: you meet the person who makes the ring, you get solid 14k/18k instead of 10k as default, and the lifetime care is done by the same hands that built it. A mall chain gives you convenience, brand familiarity and financing. An indie studio gives you craftsmanship, relationship, and a piece that is genuinely yours. Pick the values that matter for a ring you'll wear every day.
Is Ben Moss still in business after the 2016 bankruptcy?
Yes. Ben Moss entered creditor protection in 2016 and closed its full network, then was acquired by Charm Diamond Centres in early 2017 and relaunched with a smaller footprint of around 16+ mall stores across Canada, including Coquitlam Centre. The brand is operational today and its warranty and service plans are honoured through Charm's network.