Storytelling, romance and generational value: Hawkesbury-born La Maison d’Or celebrates two special anniversaries

The story of La Maison d’Or Jewellers is one of family and immigration, poverty and wealth, and lots and lots of diamonds. It’s a story that company president Brent Harden loves to tell and why he says he’s in the business of telling love stories through diamonds, gemstones, platinum and gold. Soon after he sat down with me to tell his story, in recognition of the company’s 75th anniversary in business and 45th anniversary operating in Ottawa, he was distracted. It’s not his fault; he can’t resist jewelry. He noticed my engagement ring — which I had only received a week earlier — and immediately began telling me about the stone, the quality, the setting. All features that I can appreciate, but was unaware of. “May I see it?” he asked. He turned it in the light, quickly dissecting things like clarity and colour. “That’s a beautiful stone. Take it off for a second. We’ll polish it for you. Your other rings, too. Yes, that one’s sterling. No problem.” Before I knew what had happened, my fingers were bare and he’d handed my jewelry — including my brand-new engagement ring — to a colleague. I’ll admit it was strange to watch someone disappear with my new ring.

But while Harden apologized for interrupting the interview, the quick exchange illustrated to me what anchors the Harden family story: a dedication to customer service and an unwavering love of diamonds. The Harden family settled in Hawkesbury, Ont. in 1944 and embarked on a long journey that would eventually lead their family to success, security and multi-generational wealth. Harden’s mother, Julie, was the daughter of Lebanese immigrants who originally arrived in Saskatchewan, where they were offered 50 acres of land to settle and little else. “They had no tools. No knowledge to care for that land. So they came to Hawkesbury, where my grandfather would go around to the families in the area and exchange clothing for food and that’s how they survived,” explained Harden. “They were extremely poor. But they valued everything.” Harden’s father, Bill Sr.,descended from British immigrants. His mother began the family’s entrepreneurial journey with a diner. The Astoria Grill opened on the Main Street of Hawkesbury and was the first step in the family legacy. Now, in the glittering La Maison d’Or store in Place d’Orleans, a photo of the Harden family and the Astoria Grill hangs above a coffee bar, serving as a reminder that the family’s roots run deep. The jewelry store specializes in diamonds and engagement rings — with the slogan “Where Ottawa gets engaged” — and produces about 400 custom-made items each year.

The store was founded in 1949 in Hawkesbury and expanded to a total of six stores after sons Bill and Brent became partners in 1975 — Lachute, Que. (opened in 1976), Orleans (1979), Harden’s Jewelers in Kanata (1979) and Harden’s in Orleans (1985). The Place d’Orleans store opened when the mall had only 15 stores, said Harden, and some days passed without a single customer. But the family “stuck at it” and soon the store became a pillar of the shopping centre. In 1989, it moved to a new location within the mall and opened a new store. For 25 years, La Maison d’Or operated six stores, until Harden decided to close all but the Place d’Orleans location in 1997. “They were all great stores, but I wanted to have one high-quality one rather than divide my attention,” he said. Investing in quality is a pillar of the business. Harden himself is a gemologist and feels strongly about the natural-versus-synthetic diamond debate. If you ask him, it isn’t a debate at all. “We’re in the business of storytelling, of romance and generational value,” Harden explained. “The issue with synthetic diamonds is that, over time, they're becoming fashion jewelry … It just doesn’t hold its value.” At that point, Harden placed a five-carat natural yellow diamond ring on the countertop in front of me. It isn’t an exaggeration to say the stone was dazzling.

“It’s about rarity. It’s about beauty, for yourself and for your family. Diamonds are extremely personal,” he explained. “You look at it and it wasn’t built in a lab across the world where people are barely paid. It grew over so many years, naturally, under the earth.” Over the years, Harden has visited some of the world’s largest diamond hubs, including the cutting centres in Antwerp, Tel Aviv and Mumbai. To fulfill his clients’ visions, he sources diamonds and gems from around the world, searching for the perfect stone for each design. “We’re telling stories that can go on and on, to new generations, from the engagement ring to wedding bands to anniversary gifts to being passed down,” he explained. The Harden family story is also a Canadian success story, he says, from immigrants who built a business in Canada to the diamonds the family now chooses to use. In March 2024, Harden flew to the Ekati diamond mine in Yellowknife, N.W.T. Together with two other diamond mines in the territories, the Ekati mine has positioned Canada as the third-largest diamond producer in the world. The diamonds were formed somewhere between 900 million and 3.2 billion years ago, created between 150 and 200 kilometres below the Earth’s surface and Harden was one of only 25 jewellers worldwide who toured both the Ekati diamond mine and its sorting facility. To him, the rarity and beauty of the diamonds, as well as the revenue that the industry brings into the local communities, is why natural Canadian diamonds are the gold standard. “I got to speak with business leaders in Yellowknife whose companies focus on developing education, opportunity and wealth for the Indigenous people in this area,” said Harden. “It’s amazing to see how they take the benefits of the diamond mines and create even more from it.”

Almost 50 per cent of the employees of the Diavik Mine, which opened in 1998, are Indigenous. Since the mine opened in 1998, the mines have realized $26 billion in revenue. Of that, $18 billion went towards N.W.T and $8 billion went toward bolstering Indigenous-owned businesses. “People think synthetic diamonds are more ethical. They’re not. Look at what this industry is doing for the local economy, creating an income and supporting Indigenous communities outside of just government reliance and mitigating environmental impacts,” said Harden. “There’s no comparison.” The word “legacy” might as well be written across the storefront — it’s this word that drives and motivates La Maison d’Or and it’s what Harden says will continue to set the business apart. “I had this father come in about 25 years ago. Mr. Adams. Big smile, beautiful personality. He said he wanted to buy a ring for his wife for their anniversary,” recalled Harden. “I sold him a ring. He had four daughters, and I sold all four girls their rings. “They got married, they had children, and I just sold Mr. Adams’ grandson an engagement ring.” In honour of the 75/45 anniversary, La Maison d’Or has been celebrating with family, friends and clients, filling the store with generations of loyal customers as they seek to tell their story. “We came from nothing and we’ve built this business, built a community and built family wealth that we can pass down to our children and grandchildren,” explained Harden.

My rings reappeared, sparkling, just in time for Harden to walk through the store with me. He showed me his favourite items, designed by his own hands, and gave me an inside look into the inner workings of the store, including his beloved, almost-family goldsmith, his tight-knit team, and the motivational letters from family members in his office. Photos of the Harden family decorate the store, which was renovated in 2015 and designed by Harden’s daughter, Jessica. Framed posters of Ottawa couples wearing engagement rings and wedding bands designed by La Maison d’Or adorn the walls and the diamonds and gems are nearly blinding under the shining lights. “We’re in the business of telling stories — love stories — for others. And our own story is an entrepreneurial story, an immigration story, a Canadian success story and now a story of family and of women in business,” explained Harden.

His daughter is positioned to run the company, along with team manager Rita Elias, for years to come and the family has invested in local charities, organizations and commercial real estate, all in the pursuit of building and securing a future. “It means everything. Look at what my mom and my dad built in a little store in Hawkesbury,” said Harden. “And look what we have now.”