2000
Ralph met Lori in the summer of 2000 and four short months later, they married. Blending Ralph’s three kids with Lori’s two, they now had primary custody of five children. Lori left her career as a financial advisor to be a full-time parent, enabling Ralph to re-focus on the business.
2002
Davy Lapa introduced ISee2 technology to the world and Ralph became one of a select few Canadian retailers to have this cutting-edge technology. It gave the store a significant edge in a tight retail market.
2003
Ralph’s dad, Ralph Senior, retired and the full gauntlet of leadership fell to Ralph alone.
2005
With Ralph’s experience and strong connections, he continued to be approached by numerous companies to act as a facilitator for introductions and in negotiations.
2007
For 3 decades, VJ had relied on word of mouth, referrals, and location for its clientele. In 2007, Ralph began writing and recording his own radio spots and continues to do so even today.
2010
Throughout these two decades, Ralph often travelled to Antwerp, Belgium on regular diamond buying trips. He was often given the privilege of examining extraordinary diamonds, either polished or rough. In this pic, Ralph is inspecting a 100ct rough diamond.
2011
Ralph was invited to tour the amazing natural ‘Cave of Crystals’ in the Naica mine in Chihauha province, Mexico. Only a select few would ever receive this coveted invitation. The chamber contained giant selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever found. The largest crystal was almost 12 metres (over 37ft) long with a volume of 5 cubic metres (180 cubic feet). These gypsum crystals grew in every possible direction, looking very much like Superman’s Fortress. The cave was highly dangerous, however, due to the extreme heat (58 degrees Celsius or 136 degrees Fahrenheit) with 90 to 99 percent humidity. Without proper protection, people could only endure ten minutes of exposure at a time. This incredible adventure would become one of Ralph’s most profound experiences.
2018
The lease on the store was set to expire in 2019. At 62 and close to retirement age, Ralph found himself at a crossroad. Did he sell off the inventory and close? Or did he double down and build a new location? With prayerful consideration, Ralph chose the latter and dove into designing his dream store.
People were drawn to Ralph’s knowledge and experience, and due to his many connections, his ability to source almost any stone out there directly from the cutters. This eliminated VJ’s reliance on middle distributors, allowing those significant savings to be passed onto our clients. Valuing people above product and team above individual, Ralph insisted on maintaining his no-commission philosophy. The store was growing exponentially.
With so much more focus on custom work, along with our ever-growing team, and an expanded inventory of finished goods, Ralph chose a location within Manulife Place that would more than triple the size of Vandenbergs.
2019
Ralph and Lori’s daughter, Chelsea, made the decision to pivot careers after developing an interest in the gemstone industry while living in Australia. She asked if she could join the Vandenbergs’ team in April of 2019 and moved back home to Canada. That summer, she attended the GIA campus in Carlsbad, CA to learn jewellery design. Under her dad’s mentorship, Chelsea developed a passion for gems surpassed only by her father. Like a sponge soaking up every bit of knowledge she could, Chelsea began her steep learning curve, with a view of someday taking on the leadership mantle.
November of 2019 saw the grand opening of Ralph’s visionary 3200 sq ft store. With an 1800 sq ft showroom, a large factory behind floor to ceiling glass, and so many visual treats for the eyes to see, the store opened to great fanfare.
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF OUR STORY.