Gem Studio puts new shine on handmade experience

In recent weeks, some restaurant-goers headed to a Winnipeg eatery have found themselves looking at jewels and charms before ordering their meals.

The Gem Studio opened at the end of May in the same Corydon Avenue building as Kevin’s Bistro and Stella’s Cafe. Occasionally, patrons of the joint restaurants pick the wrong door and walk into the new business — which offers customers a hands-on jewelry-making experience guided by professional silversmiths.

Their mistake turns into a marketing opportunity, according to Dylan Forest, studio manager. “Everybody kind of takes a … discount code or coupon and says they’ll come back later when they have some time with their friends or family,” he said.

Forest hopes they do. It’s the franchise’s first Gem Studio location in Western Canada.

The studio offers an interactive retail concept in which customers design and create personalized jewelry with the help of one of its 14 employees. The mission is to make jewelry-making accessible, fun and personal.

Local franchisee Gregory Gill, a hobbyist metalsmith who spent 30 years working for Federated Co-operatives Ltd., brought the brand to Winnipeg after discovering it online.

Its unique approach to retail and the social aspect appealed to him.

“I do feel people are looking for something different (to do) instead of just going to sit at the bar and drink,” Gill said. “They’re looking for something they can do — an experience. And that’s where this came in.”

The Gem Studio’s offerings include charm workshops where participants design and create personalized charm pieces. The cost depends on the chain and charms that customers choose, and can range from $22 to $120, Forest said.

Silversmith workshops are hands-on sessions guided by professionals for customers of all skill levels. The base cost is $85. Permanent jewelry workshops range from $65 to $200.

Customers can book group workshops and private events, as well as offsite workshops to suit corporate teams and special occasions.

“(You can) disconnect from your phone for an hour-and-a-half to three hours and have some fun and visit,” Gill said. “You get to take something home with you.”

There are many options when it comes to what customers can make, Forest added, including bracelets, necklaces, anklets, earrings, pendants, bolo ties and cufflinks.

American entrepreneur Matt James started the Gem Studio in his college dorm room in Utah in 2017. At first, it was a fundraiser for a primary school in Uganda he had co-founded two years earlier. Since then, it’s grown into a chain with eight locations in the United States.

Toronto-based franchisor Founder Brands struck a deal with James in 2024 to bring Gem Studio north of the border. Founder Brands opened the first Canadian location in Toronto that December. Since then, they’ve added a second Toronto location, plus studios in Moncton, N.B., and Hamilton.

A Calgary location opened in June, and a Vancouver studio will open next week, said Adam Corrin, co-founder and managing partner at Founder Brands. The company plans to open another nine locations across Canada before April.

Corrin, who was born and raised in Winnipeg, said Founder Brands was attracted to the Gem Studio because of the experiential retail aspect.

“Experiential retail is not a trend,” he said. “People are looking for things to do that are unique and different … The customer is walking out with this one-of-one piece of jewelry that was designed by them and made by them.”

Amy Graceffo owns Fifth Hair Lounge & Beauty Bar at the corner of Corydon Avenue and Wilton Street. She says she’s happy to have the Gem Studio next door to her seven-year-old business.

“The more, the merrier,” she said. “If there’s more business being brought to this little hood, it’s good for us.”

Gloria Sawatzky, who owns Beyond Flowers at 1099 Corydon Ave., agreed.

“The businesses across the street are lovely,” she said. “There’s been a lot more foot traffic, a lot more people coming by.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca