The future is the door, the past is the key
«Without feeling it is impossible to do this work. Without intuition it is impossible to become a dealer of precious stones. There are no clues, no- pre-established norms- a dealer risks himself. This century old game of passing on the rarest and most precious of stones ever created by nature, serves the sole purpose of matching the earth’s beauty with the creativity of human genius.».
Paolo Paolillo
The Founding father Ciro Paolillo, Knight of the Crown of Italy
“Grandfather” Ciro Paolillo was born way back in 1859, on the seaside, in a fragmented Italy, yet it was already a destination favoured by the wealthiest European travellers.. We are in Torre del Greco, a true pearl beloved by both nobility and the bourgeoisie. The open, welcoming Gulf of Naples and the central location of this little town, in the shadows of Vesuvius, like a Botticellian Venus, she rises as a pearl in the centre of it’s shell.
“What can be more exciting than a precious stone , a ruby or an emerald? Ciro asked himself this almost 2 centuries ago, when he decided that the time had come to undertake a new and fascinating profession, that of exclusive jewellery.” Paolo Paolillo
Let the story begin
The Golden Mile is part of a straight road between Herculaneum and Torre del Greco.: it’s length measured exactly a mile according to the units used in the first half of the 18th century. The territory was divided into 4 municipalities within which 122 18th century Vesuvian villas rose; the Reggia, d’Elboeuf Palace, Villa Meola and Ruffo di Bagnara Palace in Portici, Villa Bisignano in Barra, Villa Bruno, Villa Vannucchi and Villa Pignatelli di Montecalvo in San Giorgio a Cremona, Villa Prota and Villa delle Ginestre in Torre del Greco, to name a few. Still today we can explore many of these luxurious homes of refined Neapolitans who loved to spend their vacations in this maritime paradise; even the King, in summer, moved to the Royal Palace in nearby Portici.
Torre del Greco was not just vacation and sun; since the mid 18th century, was also part of a strong vital entrepreneurial reality specializing in fisheries and crafting coral.
The craftsmanship and inventiveness of the inhabitants of Torre del Greco was best expressed in this organic material. Underlying it all we found two key elements: beauty and the ability to create unique objects.
“Grandfather “ Ciro frequented this milieu with his family and here , with his brother Gaetano he sets up the jewellery and silver business. But it is coral, as a living and luck-bringing material par excellence, considered by many cultures to be a talisman of fortune, that differentiates his production.
Like a true maestro, this founding father does not limit his production to single pieces but invents entire parures, composed by form and colour that are immediately popular with customers and distinguish him from all his competitors.
Then in 1917 an official document certifies the renewal of the licence of “brothers Ciro and Gaetano Paolillo referred to as german, meaning brothers issued from the same parents as “Paolillo Brothers”.
But history presses on and during WWII, they decide to halt their activity and put all their jewellery in a sacred place considered safe and untouchable: the Abbey of Montecassino- an unfortunate choice because the Abbey was reduced to rubble in Feb. 1944.
CARLO PAOLILLO
In the meantime, in 1918, Carlo was born, the last of 4 brothers. Frustrated with a country he judged too small for the ambitions of a progressive young man, he decides to abandon his birthplace. Carlo is decisive, he graduates with a degree in economy because with his independent and entrepreneurial character, he is not convinced he wishes to follow in his father’s footsteps.
In 1943 , in Rome, he marries Esperia Salvatori in the church of San Roberto Bellarmino in the heart of the Parioli neighbourhood. The following year Anna Maria is born and then in1949 Ciro arrives followed by Paolo in 1956.
A completely new post bellum context reigns in the Capital and with a huge wish for new beginnings, Carlo follows his aspirations; he in fact wishes to be an entrepreneur. So he goes to work for one of the most important Roman real estate developers where he is an administrator and secretary.
He quickly realizes though that he must give free reign to his entrepreneurial background : he gives up his salaried position to set out on his own.
With a wife and child to support, he returns to “his” Torre del Greco and friends whom he convinces to entrust to him corals and cameos that he will, respectfully and with determination, sell to clients in the luxury hotels in the Capital. We are dealing with the famous “Italian Souvenirs” dominated by coral. In the end , Carlo’s story reveals a strong continuity, familial rather than business, but also the capacity to re-invent himself, sensing the opportunity offered by the market at that time.
A Dynasty of Merchants and Jewellers
“My father Carlo”, continues Paolo Paolillo” was a genteel, polite, smiling gentleman, close to both his own family as well as his original family. Knowledgeable in areas that interested him, he was very demanding first of himself as well as of others.
Carlo, despite great sacrifice, begins to travel and to weave commercial relations with foreign producers and buyers. He invents a virtual system of import-export in which the supplier becomes a client and vice versa, thus involving diverse centres of production situated in faraway places: Filigree and marcasite in the Black Forest, garnets in the former Czech republic, the cutters of hard stones in Idar-Oberstein, between Frankfurt and Luxembourg and finally synthetic stones from Switzerland. This is all in the beginning, the early years of rebirth : the so called “economic Miracle” during the 50’s that Carlo exploits to a maximum thanks to his cultural and entrepreneurial capabilities. In 1951 he and his wife found Dott. Carlo Paolillo & Co.
The true turning point will come in the 50’s when he encounters Shiro Otsuki, the biggest producer of pearls in the world. They begin a strong commercial rapport along with a very strong human relationship; this will be the “red thread” that accompanies these 2 managers throughout their working years , transforming Dott. Carlo Paolillo & Co. into one of the most important Italian importers of cultured pearls. This economic strength will sustain their expansion to precious stones.
This ceaseless work confers upon him an exceptional competence, leading to great success. The company is recognized and respected in all the important markets of that time. His office, situated in via della Scrofa 14 in central Rome, becomes a reference point for contemporary goldsmiths and jewellers.
The Philosophy of Colours
“Carlo was attracted to colours” continues Paolo Paolillo “and he understood their fascination: it was this love that developed his discrimination in valuating and recognizing precious stones. You must never lie to the client: your competence must be such that you are the first guarantor of what you are selling”. This rigour and competence will characterize Dott. Carlo Paolillo & CO and will make them one of the undisputed leaders among Italian gem merchants.
Paolo Paolillo
The 3rd generation begins with the entrance of Ciro and followed immediately by Paolo. So now begins the importation of diamonds, something Carlo had always refused to do because he believed that in order to open this market, a strong fresh mentality was needed; thus his sons complete the range of offers.
The Diamond sector only appears easy. It is not tied to the ability to interpret a stone but rather the capacity to sell quickly. The company understands the need to create and make available a vast stock , thus enabling the jeweller client to acquire the stone he needs at that moment and not have to buy an entire selection- a costly solution.
Their force was indeed to make available an array of stock ranging from synthetic stones to diamonds of varying carats and quality. Paolillo’s success was based on a simple but efficient idea: the ability to buy and therefore offer together precious gems , diamonds , pearls,, coral and even synthetic stones. Easy to say but you needed a background to sustain it.
“This complete wide-ranging supply led to an important organisational effort”, PP is still speaking. “ An epic change to the distribution system aided by the arrival of computers strongly desired and set up by me . So also in this sector, that of computerized management of the distribution system, our company moved ahead of the competition.
In 1995 Carlo Paolillo retired : Paolo becomes the president of the board of directors. The 2 brothers work together until 2023 when they decide to divide Carlo Paolillo &Co and to follow their own paths, resulting in 2 single companies; Paolo Paolillo srl and Ciro Paolillo srl.
Competence and service have transformed Paolillo into a veritable organized and structured “Company”, a far cry from the family business of many years ago.
Sales are enabled by the important work of buying, which necessitates travel throughout the world. While Ciro concentrates on buying diamonds from the stock markets of Tel Aviv and Antwerp, Paolo specializes in precious stones, pearls and coral. While travelling with his father he gradually assimilates skills and acumen: first in Thailand and India , then in Japan and Australia for pearls and finally in Hong Kong for gems. These places will become his haunts.
(Oppenheimer) This system works so well that Paolillo is recognized as the most important company in the capital leading it to be chosen by the State Mint for the supply, setting and distribution of collectible diamond encrusted gold coins. The collaboration reached its peak when in 1998, de Beers became a partner with Paolillo together with the State Printer and Mint in the realisation /creation of the world’s first project to offer diamonds directly to the public. It is important to note that it was the skilful and engaging presentation by Paolillo to De Beers that convinced the diamond company to invest in this project. It was made official in 1999 with the signature in Rome, in the splendid setting of the Flags room in the town hall in the presence of an exceptional “notary” – the mayor Francesco Rutelli.
In Service to the Company
Paolo Paolillo, whilst taking care of his commercial activity, also takes on the social activity of promoting and developing Roman jewellery and goldwork. He does this by participating actively in ARRO: The Regional Roman Association of Goldsmiths, where he was for years vice-president and then president from 2005-2015. He will be the one to promote and create courses for the training and the requalification of goldsmiths: thousands of hours that increase the professionalism of the sector. The 1st exhibition of High Jewellery was organized under his presidency: in the museums of the Eternal City and in the Roman museum in Cologne, Germany and in China in the contemporary art space “798” in Peking.
He was also not only a councillor in the presidency of the Roman Confcommercio but also in the Chamber of Commerce as well. Roman mayor W.Veltroni made him a “knight” of the Rome Chamber of Commerce.
But Paolo Paolillo’s true political service was more concrete than any position or award can transmit. His insight was that of realizing at the beginning of the new millennium, that the jeweller’s world was in transition and it needed to be reorganized. The figure of the jeweller was being lost. Until then he could organize a complex entrepreneurial activity: design, projecting, knowledge of the gems and craftsmen, directing the office and accounts- all of a sudden it was clear that this no longer sufficed. Why? – Easy- it no longer was enough to organize and perfect the entire productive process- you then needed to sell and this became a problem because communication entered the equation- with all it’s costs. Unfortunately the jewellery profession was excessively fragmented, characterized with profit margins to low to sustain the costs of publicity. It was Paolo who suggested the only way to overcome this impasse: abandon “personalism” and promote the “jewellery system”, uniting forces and going to the client, promoting quality, originality and mastery of each Roman reality which was an example for the entire world production- the Roman Renaissance ,the Church and the Popes, the world of art patrons, politicians, entrepreneurs, the university and art institutes. They had all found in the majestic art of High Jewellery- the perfect medium to express themselves and their successes. It was time to bring it back.
The Merchant: An Art
Let’s step back to what Paolo defines as the “most beautiful job in the world”, to live among precious gems, diamonds pearls, side by side with the masters who interpret these fascinating and unique crafts: this is the goal of the gem merchant, but this is not the only one.
The merchant is the central element, beside him, after him – goldsmiths, silversmiths, setters, engravers, and enamellers. Before him, the gem cutters, – those who transform stones into spectacular masterpieces of light. And even before that , there is the work in the mines, where , from the owner to the last of the miners, the stake is to extract the biggest, rarest and most precious stone.
“It was a beautiful relationship with my father. Each time I travelled with him, I discovered that ours was not just a father-son dialogue, but that of a master- disciple,” Paolo says “He was a traveller from another time, used to being even a month away from home, wandering around Europe in interminable trains, cold in winter , boiling in summer. Then by plane, to reach our second homes where we always found familiar faces: The Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, the Portobia Hotel in Kobe. I followed him and acquired from him knowledge and expertise.
It is impossible to forget the dinners on the terrace of the hotels, discussing and reviewing the batches of stones we had seen, discussing their worth, how much to offer, considering each single gem for how much we could have paid for it.
At daybreak we returned to the streets , to the markets, meeting with suppliers who, overtime became friends; merchants still alive today in the ‘suspended world’ where time passes differently from anywhere else.”
Paolo’s tale continues. “The result of all this fellowship and of these words is that we could move and negotiate with dealers any stone, synchronizing our actions without even exchanging a word, sometimes without even exchanging looks, because we knew what the other was thinking and wanted. The greatest satisfaction is that still today, these people, these places, these colours, not only make up my world, but increasingly that of Andrea and Brigida- my children, who in the past few years travel with me, following the same path in both work and life.
My father said “As soon as you finish school you must come with me, your university will be travelling the world. These things are not taught in schools or gemmological labs; it is an awareness acquired only through visual experience.
My school was indeed that of meeting stone cutters, goldsmiths, great jewellers, masters in life and in their sector.”
But work is not Paolo’s only strength. His past and his passion for beauty leads him to meet some of the most important modern artists and art critics, thanks to whom he develops a personal collection of both abstract and figurative art. This leads to a heightened awareness that in turn results in understanding the sense of harmony and proportions found in areas of his life and in his work, for example in the jewellery created for Valadier, founded by him. Today Valadier is a perfect manifestation of the harmonious feeling of his cultural and formative evolution. Meeting so many artists, the constant effort to capture their sensitivity and idioms took him beyond the simple creation of a “beautiful” art collection, inspiring original languages for a modern and creative Jeweller’s art.
Brigida and Andrea: Contemporaneity
Brigida Paolillo (1987) is an architect, born and raised and then she studied design. With her specialization, she attained a mental framework that allows her to create an architectural work, a piece of furniture or even a jewel, revealing a talent acquired through the ability to mediate design and its concrete realization. Today her chromatic capability, her sense of harmony and beauty allow her to bring all her creativity to the work she favours: designing jewels using the most beautiful and unusual stones, creating an ideal nexus with the client in order to share with them ideas and passions. Her chosen role is undoubtedly that of creative director, a perfect pearl in the family saga.
“Observing in the stone a universe enclosed within a few millimetres…is the most beautiful thing one can see in Nature; what inspires me to create jewellery is the attempt to celebrate this wonder, to create unique objects that can become faithful companions in the life of those who chose them”.
Andrea Paolillo (1993) like Paolo , from a young age, has chosen to take up the challenge of a job that cannot be taught but is learned. In love with this profession, to which he brings all his sensitivity and modernity, he began following his father in his many trips devoted to finding rare and precious stones. With him a philosophy that characterizes the company, continues and can be summed up with the motto “ from the mines to the finger”.
His is an extraordinary capacity for empathetic relationships, enriched by contacts at all levels, both personal as well as work related, a result of his interest in everything he discovers and encounters.
Andrea is a precious stone: he was carefully cut, polished until he shines with his own light.
“ I love precious stones because I consider them attractive, energetic and almost invincible. Moreover, to encounter the oldest material that exists, to see something that can surprise you, everyday, to try to copy this in the creation of jewels. All this becomes a total experience, that involves every moment of my day. I find myself amazed by every new stone, by every new jewel created, like a child who has turned his favourite game into a serious profession, In this, the higher superiority of precious coloured stones over diamonds is undeniable. Years can pass before you discover the ruby you have always dreamed of just as you can discover stones you never knew existed. Practically speaking, mine is a profession that envelops you and takes you into the immense genius of human creativity. Finally I like to listen to and interact with clients, passing on our traditions and our expertise, accompanying them and creating a fascinating and unique experience in the choice of a precious stone to create a jewel.
Brigida and Andrea are all encompassing entrepreneurs; their present and their preparation is the most important guarantee for the future of the business.