By: Dana Mitchell, Communications & Outreach Intern
When Eastman Davidson opened Davidson’s Glebe Jewellers in 1939, his peers were baffled by the decision to settle in a new suburb outside of Ottawa’s downtown core. Despite the initial doubt, Davidson’s quickly grew into a flourishing business that has been a pillar of the Glebe community for eighty-five years.
Eastman Davidson was born in Ottawa in 1912. While attending high school in Detroit, where his family moved during the Depression, Davidson started his education in jewellery design and worked security for a jewellery store. After moving back to Ottawa in 1932, Davidson took up watchmaking and eventually opened a repair shop in his living room on Gladstone Avenue. It wasn’t long before he decided to open his own store, with $200 and the support of Bulova Watch Company and William Rogers Silver Co. One year later, he married Margaret Flack, who helped run the business until they retired in 1982.
Davidson’s daughter, Judy Richards, decided to join the family business in 1972 and make it her full-time career. Richards began working at Davidson’s Jewellers when she was ten years old, folding boxes for two cents apiece which she would promptly spend on treats from the corner store. She recalls how a few years later, while waiting for her mother to finish work, she was instructed to help a customer and was swiftly pushed to the front of the store.
“That was my introduction to retail,” she jokes. “I was thrown right in.”
After the official purchase of Davidson’s Jewellers from her parents in 1982, Richards built upon their legacy for thirty years—providing a welcoming shopping experience, quality products, and expert service. Throughout her career, Richards received many awards and served on the Boards of business and community-based organizations, including the Glebe BIA. For the former owner, the Glebe community is integral to the business’s history and its continued success.
“The Glebe has always been our community,” says Richards. “I was born and raised in the Glebe, or just on the fringes, and went to all the schools here. Since coming into the business, I’ve known three generations of customers: my dad’s original clients; their children, who became my clients; and the third generation of those families who continue to support Davidson’s Jewellers.”
In 2010, John Anderson became the president of Davidson’s Jewellers as Richards started a five-year transition period into retirement. Trained in gemology and jewellery appraisal, Anderson joined the team in 2007 on what he thought would be a short-term basis; however, a well-timed conversation in 2008 convinced him to stay and take over the company. Both Anderson and Richards consider this a serendipitous encounter—Anderson wanted to open his own store and Richards admired his principles and strong work ethic, traits, she says, that remind her of her father.
On November 27, 2024, Davidson’s Jewellers will celebrate its 85th anniversary. Now the oldest jewellery store in the city, the business still honours its rich history while remaining a cutting-edge, highly accredited establishment. When asked about the secret to their longevity, Anderson says it’s the business’s ability to adapt to changing community needs that has made all the difference.
“The company’s been here for 85 years, but what we’re doing isn’t old school,” says the current owner. “We’re still at the forefront of the jewellery industry, whether it’s with the product, our services, or the technology we use.”
These advancements would not be possible without the skilled staff members working at Davidson’s. Enrico Crivellari, the current general manager, joined the team in 2013. With over thirty years of experience, he helped launch the company into its next chapter. Other members of the team offer a wide array of expertise, including appraisals, goldsmithing, custom design, and insurance replacement.
“We’ve got the best team here that we’ve ever had,” says Anderson. “It’s fantastic when you come into a place where everybody is on the same page and is happy with their work. It’s very rewarding.”
Whether it’s the friendly staff, the trendy products, or the reliable services, there’s plenty of reasons why customers keep coming back to Davidson’s Jewellers. Over the years, this loyalty has enabled the business to invest in its own operations and the prosperity of the larger Glebe community.
As Crivellari puts it: “The foundation was already there. All that we’ve done is take it and build it up to a different level.”
For more information on Davidson’s Jewellers, visit their website or drop by their location on the corner of Bank Street and Third Avenue.
