Premier Jewellery And Loans • About

ABOUT

Directions:
Premier Jewellery and Loans is located at:
#4-1980 Bredin Rd.
Kelowna, B.C. Canada
V1Y 4R4

Phone: 250-717-0234
Email: sales@premierpawn.com

Store hours:
Monday-Saturday 10am – 7pm
Sundays & Holidays: Closed

The Store:
Premier Jewellery and Loans is located in scenic Kelowna British Columbia and has been serving the community since 1995.

We specialize in jewelry, musical instruments, audio/video electronics and video gaming equipment. Our inventory also features quality power tools, digital cameras, MP3 players and many other items.

Premier views the pawn industry as a field ripe for innovation and advancement. This premise governs the layout of our store (a clean, bright, non-smoking environment) as well as our uniformed and courteous staff. Premier is a new modern vision of a centuries old industry.

We are proud members of:
The Better Business Bureau
The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce
The British Columbia Pawnbrokers Association
The National Pawnbrokers Association (U.S.)
and The Canadian Federation of Independent Business

MEET THE STAFF:
Martin Strasser, Owner
Premier's General Manager, Martin Strasser, served on the executive board of the B.C. Pawnbrokers Association for 4 years. As a recognized pawnshop spokesman, Mr. Strasser has been interviewed by local newspaper, television and radio stations many times on issues related to pawnbroking and secondhand business. Mr. Strasser has been heavily involved with City and RCMP officials in strengthening and refining Kelowna’s Secondhand/Pawn legislation.

As of 2007, Martin has 12 years of pawn experience. His education includes Diamond grading and Accredited Jewellery Professional courses from the Gemmological Institute of America (G.I.A.). Martin is currently working towards completing his Graduate Gemmologist certification.

Tyler Therrien, Assistant Manager
Tyler has been with Premier for 5 years, most of that in a management capacity. A devoted father of 3 and self professed video game addict, Tyler is our game console specialist. Tyler also holds a Graduate Sales Associate certification from the Jewellers Education Foundation of the American Gem Society.

Eryn B.
Eryn recently celebrated her 4 year anniversary with Premier as a senior customer service agent. She has also just completed her Graduate Sales Associate certificate from the American Gem Society. She brings her previous retail and administration skills to our operation and has assisted us in streamlining many aspects of our business procedures.

PAWNBROKING HISTORY:
As mankind's oldest financial institution, pawnbroking carries on a tradition with a rich history. Pawnbroking can be traced back at least 3,000 years to ancient China, and has been found in the earliest written histories of Greek and Roman civilizations.

Historical Facts and Legends
Guitar legend Jimmy Hendrix purchased his first guitar in a local pawnshop.

The Hope Diamond, one of the world's most famous and valuable diamonds spent some time in a pawnbrokers vault.

Queen Isabella of Spain offered to pawn her crown jewels to finance Columbus' voyage to America.

The Nursery Rhyme "Pop Goes The Weasel" refers to pawning. A weasel is a shoemaker's tool and to "pop" is to pawn. "That's the way the money goes... Pop goes the weasel."

The word pawn originates from the Latin word "patinum" which means cloth or clothing. The French word "pan" refers to a skirt or blouse. In the early centuries, the principle assets people had were their clothes and borrowed money by pawning their clothing.

The universal symbol of pawnbroking is three gold balls and is one of the most easily recognized in the world. The Medici families in Italy along with the Lombards in England were moneylenders in Europe. Legend has it that one of the Medicis in the employ of Emperor Charles the Great fought a giant and slew him with three sacks of rocks. The three balls or globes later became part of their family crest, and ultimately, the sign of pawnbroking.