The new McGrail Jewellers business in Wanganui's Guyton St is a family affair, with brothers Michael and Richard running it and paintings from their brother and niece hanging on the wall.
Michael is the jeweller and brother Richard will be minding the shop. They aim to provide quality pieces atcompetitive prices.
The store opened on August 29, after alterations that took four months. It's in the space formerly occupied by Louise Herdman's mosaic studio.
Michael McGrail said he was a qualified manufacturing jeweller, who would be using the workshop out the back to make jewellery for the shop, do repairs and undertake commission work for customers.
He did his apprenticeship with Richard Sheppard in the 1970s. After that he worked for other people in Napier, Mount Maunganui and London, and had his own shop in Whitianga for six years.
He especially likes using gold to make his own designs.
Now returned to settle in Wanganui, he said people there would be most likely to remember him as the drummer in Freddy and the Terrorways and Dance Party. Richard McGrail was on the keyboards for Dance Party.
The end wall of their shop is a gallery which will be open to other artists in future.
