La Perle Rare Jewelry: 40 Years of Passion, Boldness, and Heart
We’ve been telling you about it for the past few months… and the big day has finally arrived: La Perle Rare Jewelry is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
People often speak of a midlife crisis at forty. For a business, it is rather the perfect moment to look back, to measure the road traveled, and to reflect on everything that has been built with passion, perseverance, and humanity.
Today, we invite you to discover the story of a company that, for four decades, has been part of the Mauricie landscape… and part of your life stories.
The Birth of a Vision
At the origin of La Perle Rare stands a couple: Yves Levasseur and Andrée Poussard. There is also a shared love for beauty, for jewelry… and above all, for human connection.
Yves Levasseur, on the left, and Andrée Poussard, on the right
Andrée’s parents were jewelers. She grew up in that world and was already working in it when she met Yves. Yves, for his part, is a curious self taught man, a true jack of all trades fascinated by the possibilities offered by the art of jewelry making. Introduced to the industry by Andrée and her father, he quite literally fell in love with the craft.
Together, Yves and Andrée formed a remarkably complementary team. Yves reflects, analyzes, imagines. He generates ideas, thinks big, anticipates. Andrée acts on instinct. She moves forward, brings projects to life, and turns vision into action.
Yves completed his apprenticeship in a jewelry store in Shawinigan, climbing the ranks one by one, from sales associate to manager. Then, in 1985, while flipping through Le Nouvelliste, he read that Les Galeries du Cap would be expanding. In that precise moment, he knew: that is where he would open his own jewelry store.
Construction site of La Perle Rare Jewelry, 1985 to 1986, with Yves Levasseur and a colleague
With no capital, but with remarkable determination, he convinced the shopping center managers to trust him. The supplier connections of his in laws later allowed him to secure the credit and support necessary to bring his project to life and open his boutique.
On March 24, 1986, La Perle Rare welcomed its very first customers.
A Story Behind the Name
The choice of the store’s name raised more than a few eyebrows at the time.
La Perle Rare? Some thought it sounded limiting for a jewelry store that would not sell pearls alone.
But Yves knew exactly what he was doing. To him, the name represented precisely the experience he wanted to offer. Customers would not simply come to buy a piece of jewelry. They would come to find their rare pearl: the perfect piece for themselves, or for the unique person they wished to give it to.
Forty years later, that vision has never felt more accurate.
The Early Years: Planting Dreams
When the store opened, Andrée and Yves were young parents. Their daughter Krystel was just over a year old. They worked tirelessly, driven by a very clear vision: a good day is not measured only by sales, but by the dreams planted in their customers’ minds.
The Levasseur family, in the early 1990s
From the very beginning, they wanted to build a jewelry store founded on trust. A place where time is taken. Where people are listened to. Where guidance is offered. Where the right piece is found, regardless of budget. Because to them, a jewel is never just an object. It tells a story.
Another defining element quickly became a true trademark. At La Perle Rare, everything had to be beautiful, clean, and carefully presented. Jewelry sets were displayed with precision. Showcases and counters were immaculate. The décor was thoughtfully designed. Employees were polished and professional, reflecting the image of the boutique.
This visual rigor, established by Yves in the early years, remains a source of pride to this day. Because the experience begins long before the jewel itself. It begins the moment you walk through the door.
The counters from 1986 to today
Growth Built on Trust
Success came quickly. The boutique became a reference in Mauricie.
One of its great strengths was the breadth of its inventory. Always attentive to trends, Andrée and Yves wanted to offer choices for every taste and every budget: fashion jewelry in stainless steel, silver pieces, creations in gold and diamonds.
In L’Hebdo Journal, a full page is dedicated to Bijouterie La Perle Rare
Over time, they became known to many as Mister and Missus La Perle Rare. Customers came to see them personally.
The team grew. Dedicated employees helped build and shine the boutique’s reputation for warm service. Services diversified: repairs, watch services, ear piercing.
La Perle Rare does not simply sell jewelry. It accompanies life’s milestones.
The Natural Successor: Krystel
Krystel quite literally grew up in the jewelry store. As a child, she labeled new arrivals with her mother. She attended meetings with suppliers at home. She even wished she could have her bedroom at La Perle Rare so she could stay close to her parents.
Despite this, she first chose to study entrepreneurship and marketing, then to work elsewhere to broaden her horizons.
In 2010, when Andrée expressed the need for help managing the business, Krystel returned home. Naturally.
At Krystel Levasseur’s graduation
A New Energy, A New Ambition
Krystel brought a renewed vision. To her, La Perle Rare is an entity in its own right, one that must evolve, be protected, and projected into the future. She initiated the major expansion and redesign of the boutique in 2012.
Renovation plans for the Galeries du Cap location
Completion of the renovations of the Galeries du Cap location in 2012
She also took the bold step of opening a second location in the Trois Rivières Ouest sector to reach a new clientele.
Opening of the Trois Rivières location
But Krystel often repeats: none of this would be possible without a strong team. For her, employees are the image, the showcase, and the heart of La Perle Rare. They carry the customer experience every day. They perpetuate the welcoming spirit, attentive listening, and professionalism that built the boutique’s reputation. This team culture, inherited from her parents, is something she nurtures with care.
La Perle Rare Jewelry team in December 2025
Today, even as she invests significantly in the growth of the online store, she never loses sight of what matters most: nothing can replace the human connection between an advisor and a client. It remains the true signature of Bijouterie La Perle Rare.
Alex Joins: A Shared Vision
As Andrée and Yves gradually step back, Krystel finds a valuable ally in her cousin Alex. A server in the family restaurant, Alex already demonstrated a natural talent for customer service and a genuine entrepreneurial spirit.
He joined the team nearly five years ago, started at the bottom, and worked his way up to become assistant director.
Today, Krystel and Alex share the same ambition: to make La Perle Rare shine across Quebec and beyond through the online boutique.
Krystel Levasseur, on the left, and Alex Mishcenko, on the right
Why Choose La Perle Rare, Now and Always
If La Perle Rare is still thriving after 40 years, it is because it has evolved alongside its clients, and because it places its team at the heart of everything.
Since the days of Yves and Andrée, one conviction has guided the company: a jewelry store cannot shine without competent, caring employees who are proud of their workplace. Day after day, they are the face of La Perle Rare.
That pride is reflected in the space itself: everything is beautiful, clean, orderly, and carefully displayed. Showcases are impeccable, counters uncluttered, each piece presented with elegance. This visual signature, present since the very beginning, is an integral part of the experience.
Here, everyone is welcomed in the same way: from the child buying a first gift for their mother to the man celebrating 50 years of marriage; from the young professional to the prosperous farmer; from the discreet worker to the television personality.
Over the years, personalized services have expanded: jewelry repairs in gold, silver, and stainless steel; watch services and battery replacements; sourcing unique pieces from suppliers or creating custom designs through the expertise of jewelers; diamond certification held by Krystel and Alex; ear piercing for adults and children; permanent bracelet welding.
You come to us for far more than a piece of jewelry. You come to be advised, listened to, and guided.
The Future: Faithful to What Matters
Forty years later, the DNA of La Perle Rare remains intact.
Andrée and Yves’ passion.
Krystel’s vision.
Alex’s energy.
The commitment of the entire team.
And above all, this deep conviction: a jewel takes on its true value in the story it accompanies.
What comes next? It will continue to be written with you.
