Lunch with: John Zeke

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/11/2011 (5264 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Your dad, Walter, spent a lifetime in the jewellery business. Were you expected to follow in his footsteps?

I wasn’t expected to, but I think I was given all the direction and the incentive to do so. What I did choose to do was explore some other options, such as attend university in Winnipeg, to pursue possibly other interests. But I realized when I was near the end of my business degree that I did want to get into the family business.

Was there something in particular that drew you to the business?

It was the allure, the mystique of diamonds. Just the whole concept of how diamonds have evolved from being, centuries ago, for royalty only, and exclusive to certain individuals. But ever since about 1948 or ’49, the whole diamond business exploded to where it was acceptable and available for almost anyone to purchase diamonds or precious gems.

Did it make a mess of your industry when cubic zirconia came on the market?

Not really. It affected probably at the beginning when it was launched. But it seems to have created maybe another market of buying jewellery. People who wanted to buy a diamond ring still wanted a diamond. And the connotation of presenting that beautiful piece of jewellery — or engagement ring, for that matter — when it’s NOT real, doesn’t satisfy the consumer.

As a jeweller, can you tell at a glance if something is real or fake?

We can, yes. We can usually tell by — we call it the brilliance, or the scintillation of a diamond. We can tell by the material of the settings — a lot of times it’s much lighter — and by how it’s finished. But I think the consumer still has a hard time telling the difference.

That said, the consumer is much more educated nowadays, and knows the product better. So that probably helps a store like ours, where we are experienced and trained and know the product, so we can really answer those questions, versus someone who doesn’t know the industry as well.

If you weren’t a jeweller, in which profession would you like to be engaged?

I think it would be interesting to be a university prof. No specific area. I’d just like the interaction, I think, at a university, with the students — the youth. I think it would be very challenging and I think it would keep you vibrant and keep your brain going and keep you young.

What profession would you absolutely not want to be in?

I don’t think I’d want to be in the restaurant business. Twenty-four/seven is difficult.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

Well, excluding the obvious things, like kids and marriage, I think travelling to unique destinations, which is what my wife Kate and I like to do. Maybe that’s not really a gift, but that’s what we give to each other — going to different parts of the world and seeing things.

What was your most memorable birthday and why?

OK, I’ve got to mention two, and the reason being is my 50th was a great one, but the reason why I kind of like my 35th best is my father was there. He was still with us, so he was at the party and it was like he was one of the boys with us. So I always remember that party.

What do you like most about your home?

It’s very unique, and a lot of that has to do with Kate — her tastes and how she’s decorated it. We always kind of joke that it’s weird, so I guess that’s what we like about it. It’s certainly not traditional, and I don’t think you’ll find another one like it anywhere around here. It’s very interesting.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

I don’t know if I would change much. I enjoy my work. I’m not a person who would just walk away from everything. I think I would be awfully bored by that. So I think I would just continue to do what I do.