Harling's Jewellers - Company History

The Harling's Story

The Harling's Story is one of integrity, drive, hard work and family. Since our founding in 1964, Harling's has grown from a tiny operation on the west side of Vancouver to a recognized leader in the Canadian jewellery and insurance replacement industry, while always maintaining the intimacy and personal service of a family-owned boutique. Use the links up above to learn more about our company history.

A Little Boutique Opens

Mel Battensby was the original proprietor of Harling’s Jewellers. A native Vancouverite, Mel worked part-time selling rings and watches on campus while earning his bachelor's degree at the University of British Columbia. After his graduation, Mel decided to go into the jewellery business for himself. With tremendous enthusiasm and his mother helping out a few days each week, Mel opened a little boutique at 41st and Cambie in Vancouver, and the Harling's story began.

New Location. New Services.

This was a big decade for Harling's. In 1972 Mel and his wife Pat opened up a new boutique in the Bower building on Granville street in downtown Vancouver. At the same time, Mel decided to use his knowledge of the insurance business to expand Harling's services and offer jewellery insurance replacement. Within a few years, Harling's grew to become one of the leading insurance replacement jewellers in Canada and established an industry-wide reputation for integrity and customer service.

A Commitment to Service and Expertise

Through the 1980's, Harling's business continued to excel. As each new employee joined the Harling's family, Mel encouraged them to further their knowledge and expertise by getting certified through the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A). At the end of the decade, more changes were in store as we moved into the United Kingdom building at Granville and Hastings, and Mel's son Chris Battensby decided to enter the family business and joined Harling's.

A New Generation of Harling's

In 1990 Chris Battensby became the second generation of his family to run Harling's Jewellers, following in the footsteps of his father, Mel. Since then, Harling's has seen a tremendous amount of growth and change, building our insurance replacement services, increasing our buying in international markets, and opening our second location in Surrey, BC in 1998.

Five Decades of Family Business

With Harling's now in our fifth decade as a family-owned business, Harling's founder Mel Battensby and his wife Pat decided to retire, but their son Chris still leads the company. In 2003, we opened another location in Victoria, BC, and in 2006 we introduced a radical new store design and concept we call the "upstairs boutique." Under Chris's guidance, Harling's Jewellers continues to grow, expand and move forward, while always staying true to the principals that the company was founded on: integrity trust and courteous service.