Our story

Meet the business owner

Jean van der Haegen

“Back when I was 9 years old my grandfather(Raymond Ruys) died. I grew up with his stories and his dreams. He had a very clear vision about what jewels needed to be: “unique and personal. Not a jewel should be made twice, cause no feeling is the same.”

I wanted to keep this vision alive and when I grew older my passion for jewellery and art grew with me. The decision of becoming a jeweller was a choice by heart, created through my childhood.

Today I am a 69 years old man trying to mold your unique moment into a perfect piece of art. keeping the tradition of our jewellery store alive.”


Our story

You have to go back 5 generations and 184 years, to see the founder of the jewellery-store, Jacques Ruys, sitting on the benches of the Silversmithdivision of the Academy of Antwerp. Received Master in 1839, he holds at first a workshop in the family house of Sint-Jorispoort and the years of his wedding, in 1854, opens with his wife, the store at the street-side.

It is still with this silver baptistmal shell of 19cm made by the hands of Jacques Ruys, that children are baptized in the marvelous Cathedral of Antwerp.

Their elder son, Albert Ruys, takes over the store in 1885, the year of his wedding with Joséphine Ramboux, daughter of another jewellers’ family of Antwerp. Together the couple is going to develop the business and extend the store to both houses adjacent to the family house. In 1902 they rebuilt them. Even today the building is preserved in this authentic state. The magnificent drawings, remaining from this period, of the romantic jewels of the ‘Belle Epoque’ are realised by the house for rich traders and industrialists of the city. Such a jewel was recently discovered in Canada and qcquired as a major item by the Antwerp Diamondmuseum.

Raymond Ruys, son of the couple, takes over the store in 1919. Very beautiful creations of Art Deco style will be realized by him. both in jewellery and silver items. Today they make the name Ruys known by connoisseurs far beyond our borders.

Raymond Ruys designed this vase for the World Expo in 1930, inspired on African culturs

 

Since 1956, his son Robert and later his grandson Jean managed to maintain in Antwerp. With the magnificent store, a historic place where many beautiful pieces of jewellery are made up till now.

Today Jewellery Ruys is a place where tradition lives on. 5 generations in jewellery giving the best of themselves to help there clients to find the right jewel. Our passion for jewelry and diamonds is found in the quality we seek. We believe excellence is in the details. So come and visit us in our beautiful art deco shop. We’ll share our knowledge so you can find the perfect jewel for your budget.