Ian

Ian is a master goldsmith with forty years of experience in the making of fine jewellery. He received the best training available in a demanding and ancient craft. During a four year apprenticeship under renowned Swiss jeweller Toni Cavelti, Ian learned the art of hand fabricating jewellery using traditional European techniques.

After completing his apprenticeship in Cavelti’s shop, Ian spent the next fifteen years working under talented designers Alois and Thérèse Lander. The team at Lander Design supplied exquisite handmade pieces to Swedish Jeweler of Vancouver. Ian and Claire designed many unique pieces for the Susan Clark Gallery of Gem Art.

Ian is grateful for the wonderful training he received from his two mentors, Alois Lander and Toni Cavelti.

Lesley

Lesley has been working in the family business since 2009. She has a diamond grading certificate from the Canadian Institute of Gemmology and has completed a design course at the Revere Academy of Jewellery Arts in San Francisco.

Jewellery design in the real world doesn't always involve dreaming up fabulous things to put in shop windows.  As the designer at Finlayson's, her job is to first of all listen carefully to her clients and then help guide them toward their interpretation of beauty and function.  Everyone has an intrinsic sense of what is ‘right’ and nothing goes to the jeweller's bench to be built until Lesley is certain she's nailed it for each client.  The process takes however long it needs to take.  She works in consultation with her father, master goldsmith Ian Finlayson.  Between her art and his craft, each piece hand made at Finlayson's is durable, beautiful and unique to its wearer. 

The father-daughter team has created many timeless pieces of wearable art.  If you see an eye-catching ring on someone's finger or a unique pendant around their neck, just ask.  Odds are that it is one of Ian and Lesley's collaborations.

Darcy

Darcy Gertz will carve anything that's not nailed down: gemstones, ice, wood, or pumpkins. He is a master sand sculptor and has won competitions in several countries. (Little known fact: his team holds the record for the world’s tallest sand castle.)

He started carving in wax, which led to a position as a goldsmith at Harling’s Jewellers in Vancouver, BC, where he worked for 10 years. He attended the Jewellery Art & Design program at Vancouver Community College. Darcy has been working with Finlaysons since 2001. He expertly handles most of our on-site jewellery repairs and collaborates closely with Ian on custom pieces.