Michael Hill

Some jewellery counters stand on their own storefront; others sit inside a mall among dozens of other shops, and the second kind changes the visit almost as much as what sits behind the glass. Finding the right mall entrance matters as much as finding the right counter once you are inside, and repairs, sizing and battery changes usually outnumber outright purchases at counters of every kind.

Bring the piece with you if the visit is about repair or resizing, and ask three things while you are there. How long the work takes, whether it is done on the premises or sent away, and what documentation comes back with it. For an engagement or an anniversary purchase, ask what the valuation covers and whether it will satisfy an insurer, since that paperwork is easier to collect at the counter than to chase afterwards. Retail jewellery has heavy weeks around the holidays and in the spring, so anything with a deadline attached is better started early. If you are coming across the city, remember that Kelowna is spread out and this end of Harvey moves slowly on summer afternoons.