Meet James Docking of Rutherford in Camberwell

For those seeking the finest quality pearls and antique jewellery, a visit to Rutherford in Camberwell is a must.

The jewellery store, located in the heartland of Burke Rd, has built a reputation for itself as a leading seller of pearls and antique jewellery.

Manager James Docking said his grandfather Bruce Rutherford started the business in 1952 in country town Yarrawonga before opening a store in Shepparton and going to London to work for prestigious auction house Sotheby’s.

The business later opened stores across Melbourne, including the Camberwell location which has been in the area since 2008.

James’ uncle and aunt, Wesley and Ruth, now own Rutherford and several family members also work for the business.

A passion for quality

Docking said his grandfather wanted to share what he was passionate about and starting the business allowed him to do so.

“He had such an extensive knowledge of antiques, and education was a big part of his passion. He was educating people about antiques, jewellery, furniture, about the periods, the rarity, how you can tell that something is old, what to look for (in antiques), the hallmarks and so on. He could basically pursue that how he liked in his own business,” he said.

It seems Rutherford may have been drawn to antique jewellery because of its uniqueness.

“He appreciated fine quality and rare valuables,” Docking said.

“When you are dealing with quality, something happens. You start to see the quality and enjoy it and appreciate it. We all grew up with an understanding that quality pays off, and when you have something that is crafted well, it is something that is going to have longevity.

“You come to appreciate quality when you think about the expert craftsman working with fine quality materials, who invests not only their passion but their knowledge and experience, and you have an outcome where these pieces are already 100 years old and they could safely be worn and enjoyed for 100 years to come.”

Another appeal of antique jewellery is also the sense that it has a story behind it; it has character, it’s had a past life and there’s history attached to it, Docking said.

Sometimes Rutherford gets a detailed report of the jewellery’s history, while at other times they don’t, so part of the intrigue with some antique pieces is imagining the story behind it.

“Antique jewellery is our passion. There’s something about antique jewellery; the way it was crafted, the uniqueness of it, the fact that they’re one-of-a-kind pieces. It’s a big part of our brand and it’s what we love to do,” Docking said.

Becoming a pearl specialist

By the mid-1990s, Rutherford became Melbourne’s first pearl specialist and the brand is now renowned for its pearl collection.

At the time, the pearl industry wasn’t what it is today – it was still evolving, Docking said. And Rutherford saw an opportunity to make it work.

“There was no pearl specialist store in Melbourne. Jewellers would not have had a lot of pearl jewellery in their collection,” Docking said.

“So, Rutherford took the tact of ‘let’s do pearls and do it seriously’. We travelled and started establishing relationships with the (pearl) farms directly. We jumped in the deep end with that… and that’s when the business established their first pearl specialist store.

“It is something that has worked really well for us. In fact, when most people think of Rutherford, they think of pearls.”

A focus on family values

Rutherford’s passion for the finest in antiques, jewellery and pearls have been passed down through the generations of his family and staff, and has created lasting relationships with people across the world.

And while there was no expectation or push that any family members get involved in the business, many of them have helped out in some capacity over the years, whether that be wrapping items at Christmas time or lending a hand for stocktake.

Docking said while the business was headed up by his uncle and aunt, several cousins and the third generation were also working for the family business.

“We’ve got a large family. We’re very close and we work together well,” he said.

“But the skillsets that we require to be specialists in so many different areas, and to have four stores and our online store all functioning very well, it goes well beyond just our family. We bring in people with particular expertise, whether that’s jewellers, gemmologists, diamond technologists, graphic designers, the whole gamut, to make sure we’re well rounded.”

Docking said the Rutherford family values were important to the business, and have been passed on in the way they run their stores and how they treat their customers, keeping that closeness and making people feel part of the family.

“It’s just who we are. We want to have integrity in our lives, and family is important to us, so that translates to our business as well,” he said.

“We stand by the golden rule that we treat others as we would like to be treated – and to us that means providing high quality (products), providing the service that people would expect from our brand, but providing it in a comfortable, friendly and high-service way.”

Visit the store

Rutherford

797 Burke Road, Camberwell

Phone: (03) 9882 4686.

Meet Payal Maheshwari of Portobello in Camberwell

A boutique jewellery shop in Camberwell is giving people access to beautifully designed, quality accessories at competitive prices.

Portobello, located in the Camberwell Arcade, has been part of the shopping precinct for more than 42 years and is one of the oldest shops in Camberwell.

Founder Jim (James Rea) was an artist and it is apparent to see his antique, vintage and art deco influences throughout the brand and the store.

Payal and Sundeep Maheshwari became owners of Portobello four years ago, and bring a strong background in sourcing product and jewellery manufacturing to the business.

While it’s important for them to preserve what Portobello has become renowned for – the vintage, antique and collectible items – the pair have also introduced some contemporary elements to the store’s collection, such as customisable jewellery.

The in-store experience also retains the traditional elements of an antique jewellery shop to keep that old world charm – receipts are still handwritten and there is no till at the front desk.

Portobello features an art deco cabinet which houses jewellery.

A brand with broad appeal

Portobello offers an extensive range of products. Expect to find everything from classic pearls to art deco and antique items, to more contemporary styles for the younger age groups.

With a customer base that spans three generations, Portobello caters to grandmothers who began shopping at the store many years ago and have since introduced the brand to their daughters and granddaughters.

While catering to a broad customer base can sometimes be challenging, it is mostly fun, Payal said.

“We’ll have an 80-year-old woman walk in to get a classic pearl necklace at the same time as a 15-year-old girl who wants an infinity bracelet,” she said.

“We love that about our store. Our customers have the confidence to come in here and find something they like, whether it’s for a gift or something for themselves.”

Customers are also able to view almost any piece of jewellery in its physical form before making a purchase, Payal said.

“You can actually see a silver piece physically before you order it. And for any orders for gold, we can make up the piece in silver first because we can manufacture it and show it to the customer before they buy it,” she said.

Sourcing power makes for competitive prices

Given their strong relationships with international suppliers and their own manufacturing plant based in India, Portobello is in a unique position to offer customers exquisite jewellery at competitive prices.

The owners regularly travel abroad to meet with suppliers and buy materials directly from the source, meaning the jewellery travels through fewer hands before reaching the store. This keeps costs down and the savings are passed on to the customer.

The materials are sourced from diverse locations around the world including Thailand, Mexico, Turkey, Poland and Indonesia.

“We buy directly from the pearl growers and the stone mines,” Payal said.

Portobello is very hands-on in sourcing their own product. When the striking purple gemstone charoite was becoming difficult to source, Portobello’s owners travelled to the stone suppliers to obtain the rough stone. They then cut and polished the stone themselves, and set them in sterling silver to make unique pieces of jewellery.

“We do it all from scratch and everything is handcrafted,” Payal said.

Portobello's store manager Alexandra Sutherland.

The personal touch

Customer service is key at Portobello, and they pride themselves on providing quality service to customers.

The store also offers repair and alteration services, thanks to their in-house repair and customisation services.

Customers can bring in any of their own jewellery to be repaired, with knotting of pearls, changing clasps and replacing earring hooks among common repairs.

“A lot of people don’t go to big jewellers and rather come to us for repairs. We can do a lot of basic repairs in-house, on the spot so you don’t have to leave your piece behind and collect it later,” Payal said.

Portobello’s customisable range allows people to put their own personal touch on pieces of jewellery, with the ability to choose their favourite elements or even design their own items.

“You can basically have a ring made to your size, in the metal of your choice and with the gemstone you like. You can truly make it your own,” Payal said.

“People are even coming in with images of their own designs and we can create those designs for them.”