Canadian Jeweller's recent redesign is part of the magazine's countdown to its 135th anniversary in 2014. "It's important to us to breathe some new life into it," said editor Janine Druery.

Editorial has been refocused with new sections and beefed-up style and celebrity coverage, but the biggest changes have been to the overall look of the magazine, published by The RGM Group.


"It felt like it was a couple of decades old," said art director Malcolm Brown about the previous design and its reflection of jewelry shop aesthetics. For a more contemporary feel, he replaced the mag's Miller font family with Trade, Trade Gothic, and touches of Sabon.

The logo has been simplified to the letters 'C' and 'J,' which house the word 'Mag.' Brown said this allows more space for clean type and portraiture.

Previous covers frequently featured subjects in jewelry stores, "which are very busy places," Brown said. "There's a lot of lights, a lot of glass and mirrors, and some of these places are fairly old in their design."

Brown wanted to simplify the shoots, focus on the individual and not have them posing near a counter. Inside, Brown opts for more white space to differentiate editorial from the busier ad pages.

Both Druery and Brown started at Canadian Jeweller six months ago, following a period of transition for their respective roles. Publisher Olivier Felicio had been filling the role of editor-in-chief; long-time art director Scott Jordan joined Rogers Publishing in December, with James Marsh handling design for a stint following the Nov. 2012 issue.

Druery has been spending time digging through the archives since joining the team. Ramping up to the anniversary, a special section called Canadian Jeweller Through the Ages looks back at the magazine over the years.

[*This story has been updated]