Jewellery and Watch Repairs at the Market
Van is the artisan of Van Jeweller in Aisle F of the Market.
You can recognise him by his radiant complexion which complements his wares. He sells an assortment of gold and silver jewellery, as well as watches that fill the cabinets of his stall and work space. Van works at a modest table, with tools and a headlamp on. He works intricately with his hands and focuses without the presence of a screen. This scene passes for a kind of magic in today’s digital proliferation. On a small table, Van performs skilled operations on new and beloved objects - transforming elements, fixing, and materialising visions.
When we asked Van about his service offering, we learned that in the realm of jewellery, he can do just about anything. It is difficult to capture the scope of his skill set – from mending clasps and securing gems, melting and reconfiguring silver and gold, fixing watches and changing their batteries, and bringing jewellery designs to life – we realise that Van has neatly summarised his capabilities out of polite consideration for our time. This is so as to not lose our interest by detailing all that he can do (which is almost boundless). Actually, it’s a joy to learn about the craft and to appreciate the time and skill that goes towards the ancient art of adornment. Van is modest and we are thankful that his longtime friend Theresa, who works at Van Jeweller on weekends, is present to elaborate on his experience for us.
Van came to Australia in 1990 from Can Tho in Vietnam - a city of canals, tropical fruit and floating markets. This is where Van became a jeweller. Since then, he has worked extensively for large jewellery houses across Melbourne including Zamels, House of Ruth and Wallace Bishop. In these places, Van’s skillset was enriched by the ‘Caucasian perspective’ to jewellery-making. After a long duration across these professional roles, Van opened his first shop in Moorabbin. For some time, Van sustained his job in the jewellery factory and worked seven days a week across the two locations, to safeguard the risk of his decision and the hopes he had for his business.
Periodically, Van apologises for the need to translate through Theresa. They both explain that because so much of Van’s life is in interaction with his tools, and because his work history was solitary in the factories, he has not had as much chance to practice English. Despite this, what Van loves most about being at the Market is the social interactions. He tells us in a fluency aligned with truth that it’s the smiles on customer’s faces that he appreciates most. It makes Van happy when customers are satisfied by the work he has done, whether it is the revival of a pre-loved piece or the creation of something new.
You can find Van Jeweller in Aisle F, open every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8am.