Tuscan Treasures: Behind the Scenes of Italian Craftsmanship

Episode summary

In this episode of the Bella Italy podcast, hosts Brian and Anthony discuss the immersive experiences available in Italy, focusing on the treasures and obstacles travelers may encounter. They introduce guest Sebastian Del Brenna, a jeweler from Cortona, who shares the rich history of Tuscan jewelry and the unique techniques passed down through generations.

The conversation highlights the importance of storytelling in the jewelry business and the cultural significance of Tuscany as a hub for exquisite craftsmanship. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the rich history of Cortona, Italy, and its significance in the jewelry industry.

They discuss the creation of an immersive experience for customers, emphasizing the importance of ambiance and design in retail spaces. The conversation highlights the commitment to quality craftsmanship and authenticity in jewelry making, as well as innovative marketing strategies like the ‘Wine, Dine, Shine’ experience that invites customers to engage with the product in a unique way.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 3 (00:00.246)
Hey folks, welcome back around. You’re listening to the Bella Italy podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:19.97)
Hey guys, welcome back around. We are back around again in the studio and as we like to say, live recording. Yes. Whatever that means to you, Anthony Campopiano back with me again. We’re in the same room. Fortunately or I don’t know. It’s always fortunate.

We’re always fortunate to see you live and to be recording with you. I enjoy it So we don’t have a lot of video of us on our podcast. It’s always fascinating when Brian does his podcast. I am in a room with rugs and some kind of sound. Brian’s got cats and some kind of a fall on

We don’t.

Speaker 3 (01:02.35)
They don’t absorb so much of that. They make sound, but they don’t really absorb it.

appear this podcast or unprofessional podcast right sounds but well see you be here in nashville

I’m sure the audio quality is the highest it’s ever been or ever will be on this podcast.

Speaker 3 (01:30.926)
Welcome back around again folks. If you’re joining us for the first time, this is the Bella Italy podcast. I’m Brian. And of course, behind the curtains, dietro la quinta, we have Italy with Bella. And if you’re thinking, if you’re planning a trip to Italy, hey, do yourself a favor and check us out online anytime, ItalywithBella.com.

Also, you can sign up for a free consultation. like to say there’s no hidden strings, no ginsu knife, and no holiday in the cabin in the woods, timeshare type stuff going on. You’re just gonna get a consultation from Anthony and his expert wife, Denise.

Yes, and it’s something we love to do. We love Italy. We love helping people have a great experience in Italy. So we’d love to hear from you just to have a conversation and lead you down the right direction, the right path.

And that is our segue into the fact that that is what we’re about. know, again, in this season, season four, we’ve been talking about how to come over to Italy, relax and learn to understand and appreciate so you can absorb and enjoy the experience of Italy. Italy has so many obstacles, but so many treasures. And so learning to avoid.

those obstacles, the crowded, know, the everything is delayed or things don’t work and there’s strikes. There’s so many obstacles. There are so many treasures waiting for you to discover. We want to help you do that. And so we’ve been pausing in the middle of the season to talk about some of these immersive experiences that people can have when they come over. And Anthony, that is in your blood. That is, I mean, before…

Speaker 3 (03:23.148)
before Italy with Bella, before Bella Umbria. There was, there was Anthony sending people over to Italy because it just gave you joy. No money, no strings, no kickback, no whatever. It’s just to send friends and family over to have a great time. And that’s something that has continued today. That’s what this whole thing is about, whether the company or the podcast, that’s what we do, why we do it for the love and the joy of

bringing, you know, people over to Italy and having an experience, an incredible experience. And so that is what we’re talking about. And for the first time, it took us four and a half seasons to get here. We’re having some of our partners on the podcast because we want to, you know, as you like to say, open the kimono, draw back the curtains a little bit so that people can see what’s going on behind the scenes. I mean, behind, we,

we can say behind the scenes only because it’s not something we’ve really showcased before. But honestly, our value as a company is really built on the value of our partners. And so we’ve been highlighting a few of our partners recently, cooking classes, dinner experiences, tours, and then brings us to where we’re talking about today. So I’m going to let you.

introduce our guest today, maybe talk about, I mean, you’ve been going to Cortona for years, but tell us where did this friendship partnership emerge? And we’re going to interview our guest here today about the immersive experiences. And it may not be what you think. So here we go.

So long story short, owning a home in Umbria, we used to go to Cortona a lot because of, was mostly a major city because we lived in a city, a town called Paciano had one restaurant, not even a pharmacy.

Speaker 3 (05:23.032)
But two bars and the owners fought,

Across the Piazza. Yeah, so we used to go to Cortona a lot under the Tuscan sun, very popular, great food, just the beautiful, beautiful views. And I used to walk by Del Brenna jewelry all the time. And then, and I don’t buy jewelry, look at me. And so I ended up talking to a partner, my friend Deborah, and she used to tell us about this wonderful family.

that had this story to tell and they had this palazzo that was underground that you can go and see how they make it and learn the story. And I just decided, you know, it sounds like a great experience and a great story. And I ended up walking in one day to see Sebastian, who’s here today. Sebastian Del Brenna and his beautiful wife, Megan, who is sitting across the room listening. since we’ve started that partnership, I’ve only had glowing reviews from my customers.

Loving the story loving the product too because it’s so unique and You know over the last couple of years We’ve just you know gotten closer and closer and to say that it’s one of the best experiences I think when you go to Cortona because it is a local family that’s been around for years has a story to tell And what’s great about them? They’re happy to tell their story to talk about Cortona talk about their family and even to talk about Megan how they met

Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:49.81)
And it’s not about the it’s about the jury, but it’s not about selling jewelry. It’s about how passionate he is about the product, his father and the family. So I’m just happy to have him here today. Happy to be a partner.

All right. Yeah. Welcome, Sebastian.

Wow, ciao a tutti! This is an amazing introduction!

I’m to be here guys.

in Tennessee, which I’ve been. It’s amazing. Thank you. Thank you very much for having us here. And yes, thank you to even recommending our business in Cortona. Yes, we are in Cortona. Probably many of you know Cortona because the movie under the Toscan sun. But Cortona is not only that. Right. Cortona is a beautiful little magic town. We call it the Happy Island because it’s really

Speaker 1 (07:39.0)
There is this cloud of happiness and people and that is very live. Special little town that I’ve been lucky because I born five kilometer from there. So I grew up there and obviously when it was time we opened our retail business there because my family making jewelry forever.

It’s a special town.

Speaker 3 (08:03.103)
Let’s start there. Give us the… because you didn’t just wake up one morning and say, I want to be a Tuscan jeweler. I want to make jewelry. No, is in your blood. It back generations.

Speaker 1 (08:16.526)
Yes, exactly. This is going back generation. My grandpa started in 1947, just right after the war. He was looking for some job. Actually, he was looking for money. That was really his. He was. Yes, it’s like a very difficult time in Italy, as you heard. But, know, my grandpa was telling me always the story how.

goal. Yeah, what are doing right after?

Speaker 1 (08:43.982)
painful was to just to get money. so anyways, not too far in Arezzo, they were hiring for a goldsmith company because Arezzo it’s been famous for jewelry making forever. It’s really on the historical books of Arezzo since centuries. Anyway, so my grandpa start, that’s the way he start. And he did that and pass it to my dad, my father.

He’s little genius guy. We considering a really artist. He’s really the artist on the family with my mom as well. But so my dad, that’s the only job we have done. So for me growing up, you know, as a son, that’s it was normal for me to do something like that. I try to don’t work for as long I can.

Really? Like every time I… No, no, no, no. But, I was trying to have fun on my young age and move a few places around the world. And finally, I really realized how jewelry business could be interesting. And that’s what it was really convincing me. It was the…

wanting to do jewelry.

Speaker 1 (10:11.31)
Pardon my French. It was so boring, that business. I thought, come on, we can do a lot better than that. So I, you know, after schools, after my trip, I used to live in US a little bit, a little bit in England. Anyways, so when it was time for me to start working, I always had the desire to do something different. Really, I mean, I…

tried the different angles, different aspect, but at the end I ended up with my father. did all my learning curve, which is painful sometimes, but that gave me so much information to learn of what I want to do it. And I want to be in retail. I want to be on direct to consumer because

That was my way to showing off what we were doing. Mostly on the old time, at least jewelry business, it was only into making some jewelry, selling to someone who selling to somebody else, who selling to somebody else. It was a never ending story.

part of the industry, missing the human contact.

Exactly, exactly. So I met a few interesting people, but one time I met this guy, Paolo Romeo. I still remember his name. He’s not with us anymore, unfortunately. But he told me, Sebastian, if you meet the clients directly, if you learn how to communicate with them, we can sell them anything. Actually, you don’t sell. Just tell them the story.

Speaker 1 (11:58.53)
And that’s, was my, and still, it’s our only way to do business today is just try to creating an experience for our clients. We’re telling our history and story, which obviously I’m lucky to have that and to be in the right place because everything there, it’s pretty magical. And so that’s how I start our retail business and.

And one day I met also a beautiful girl from Kansas. So I met this girl, which was that was an American student. And I don’t know if we have time guys. In Casio and Fiorentino and Cortona, have the Cortona for sure. I think is the second oldest American university in Italy, Georgia State.

Yeah, tell us.

Speaker 1 (12:52.322)
They own building there and Casio in Fiorentino next door really. The Casio in Fiorentino, Cortona, yes, is Georgia. Casio in Fiorentino, Texas and IAM. Texas and IAM had also other programs from different universities. so, Kansas State University where my girlfriend come from, and she’s not my girlfriend, she’s my wife.

Georgia. Isn’t it Georgia?

That’s what it was.

Speaker 2 (13:17.368)
I like it.

She’s not your girlfriend anymore.

I to say that. So I grew up in the area where every summer be a teenager. We know it. All these American girls, they were coming in town. that’s it was hard.

It’s time.

Speaker 3 (13:41.887)
And you were in the perfect situation in the jewelry business. I’m gonna take care of everything. Don’t worry. Yes, yes.

against you Sebastian.

So anyways, combining those two stories and those amazing experiences later, mean many years later when we got married with Megan and we were thinking what we should do with our lives. We decided, okay, know, I was in the jewelry business but my dad never been directly to consumer. And so all the experience I…

I learned I really want to be in a direct to consumer business. So with Megan, which she just came out from an architecture school. So we said, you know, that’s open retail store. So that’s how we started. And so we quickly learned that from a very small little store in the main square of Cortona, that that’s what we want to do.

And so we start telling everyone our story. And because we really make everything, I mean, everything we sell in our store, it’s only made by us in our family studio. And the most powerful or one of the most power factor of our company is also this unique jewelry. The jewelry is unique because it’s built practically with one chain.

Speaker 1 (15:20.148)
one chain, style chain, know, it’s this chain we call the links. And of course there is a few little variants which are four technically, but the technique how to make it is only one. So we decided, okay, directly to consumer using only this chain because, you know, it can be very recognizable and you can say, wow, that’s the Brenna chain, you know, so that’s few components. They were very good.

characteristics that make you very unique.

Very unique, very unique. took a year. mean, it was the idea was there. But as you know, to build a business is not that easy. But I think we really hanging on, hang it on that kind of concept. And so we start developing, we start designing and developing all our jewelry only built with that chain. And that chain is handmade chain, every single link, link by link.

And we really have an average of 88 operation to make in one inch. One. Yes. Yes. Exactly. Wow. It’s an average, depend how the size of the chain, of course, but that’s really our true reality. I mean, it’s all handmade and it’s unique and also difficult to reproduce, knock on wood.

88 little steps.

Speaker 1 (16:50.022)
So far, nobody was able to do it. They tried. They tried to make something similar, but you can see the difference. So every single piece we make has that chain as a signature in.

So I have question, how, and I know how Italians are, how did dad feel about you going, changing the world?

Well, yes, that’s a very point, know, Italian family, no, my dad’s still on the seventies, even today, but it’s good. It’s supposed to be that way. In fact, when we started with Megan, all the family was involved and still today, but in a different way. on 2017, me and Megan, we decided to

Don’t like change.

Speaker 1 (17:39.298)
buy the company out from all my family, which was my dad, my mom, my brother, my sister-in-law. and because we really want to do it our way, because my father…

He doesn’t want to change. Why are you selling directly to people? Why are you talking so much with clients every day? Why are you spending so much time on the logo? Why are you printing business card? You don’t need business card. It’s that kind of style. Or I had my twin brother, which is amazing. He’s the head of the production today. But my brother is kind of like my father.

I mean, his main software skills are handwriting a price on the tag. That’s what he does. Yeah, so today, today we’re barcode, you know, we’re still a very small company and we like to be that way. But certainly it was a painful change. But today we’re very proud.

He liked his steak.

Speaker 1 (18:52.386)
because beside all this learning curve, beside the first retail store, beside we did so many experience with Megan going around and selling our jewelry, we were able to also develop in more and more our retail store experience. Because in Cortona, and you know guys, you came down to our stores, in Cortona,

It’s our, you know, headquarter practically. And so that’s where that is where we experiment and also what we want to do it.

And we’re going to come back around in a second to the experience and how immersive that is and how different it is than other, you know, walking into a typical jewelry shop. I want to put a pin in that and just zoom out for a second and just talk about Tuscany. What is Tuscan jewelry? What is the Tuscan market look like? The materials, where are they coming from?

All of that, how does that work into the story here? Just so if people have been to Italy or they’ve been to Tuscany before, so that they can get a framework around why would you want to buy jewelry in Tuscany?

Yeah, I mean, that’s a good question because if you think about even in the Pontifact, y’all, people buy gold and jewelry. Yes. Why? Why is Tuscany? Why Cortona?

Speaker 3 (20:25.683)
Give us the big picture here, then we’ll zoom in on the micro experience.

Yes, yes. I’m a big fan of Etruscan civilization. Etruscans are this incredible civilization before the Romans. those are the people who really develop and not invented, of course, Jorri has been around forever, but they really invented the modern technique. I mean, today we’re still using

Okay

Speaker 1 (21:00.014)
mostly of their invention. It’s amazing. Almost 3000 years after, we’re still using a lost wax process. mean, lost wax process. was invented in Etruria, which was practically Tuscany on the old.

And the Etruscans invented the lost wax technique where, I don’t know if you are familiar with, but you know, we do the model in wax. We carve in the wax and later we make in the mold of the wax. And because it’s the wax, once it’s the mold dry, we are able to melt out the wax to have the mold. Now we have the negative. So this technique without…

going too much on detail and getting boring for all of you guys. But this technique is still used today from any jewelers around the world. Doesn’t matter if today they, know, big production day, 3D printing wax, but to transform the wax into metal, there’s no any other option. They have to go through that. So if you think it started 3000 years ago, almost,

It really became very big in our area. You know, it really passed through generations.

feel like going back to the roots of this kind of jewelry making, I mean, we’re talking, like you said, 3000 years of history. So I think that’s a good tie in for why, especially Americans coming over to Italy, why would we be drawn to that region to buy jewelry from there? It’s kind of, in a sense, the birthplace of some of this process that you’re

Speaker 1 (22:41.646)
Absolutely, because this is a, you know, think about 3000 years of history that’s built skills in two people. I mean, we have some people working for us that I’m sometimes shocked that the skills of people are amazing. And in our area, they are specialized on jewelry.

You know, and people try to copy Italian jewelry all over the world, but you know, luckily so far, it’s just, it’s been always the number one because keep changing because doesn’t matter if somebody copy you, you can always invent something new. And when you have that kind of skill, the kind of experience, kind of technique development, because today’s jewelry is also technology stuff.

You know, that’s why people want to buy because the design of it. And also, I believe there is some kind of energy on it. Some kind of, you know, you go in Tuscany, you can find the best jewelry. mean, that is pretty.

It’s in the blood, but it’s probably in the soil too. It’s like,

It’s probably in the soil as well.

Speaker 2 (23:52.712)
I think you even have a ton of coins that are a trust game almost.

Absolutely. Almost. Yes. Well, later, but the Cortona coin is very interesting because Cortona has been always very important. It’s been always very beautiful. But in the year 1000, so we are in the Middle Age, they had their own money. It was called the Cortonese. And so it was the money just for the Cortona.

middle

Speaker 1 (24:24.68)
And so didn’t last too long. so there is one coin left on the museum. can still see it today. A few years ago, we got the permit to permission to make a mold of the original one. So this is still in our collection because obviously is one of the trademarks.

our area.

Speaker 3 (24:54.798)
Fascinating. Yes. Well, I love that. And that’s a great segue to come back around to your, you know, we did the big picture here. Zoom in again to what that means. Now that we have the context and people understand why it’s so special to buy jewelry, to have an experience in this area. You do more than just make jewelry. You do more than just sell jewelry. People come over and have an immersive experience. Tell us a little bit.

more about that.

So this is one of our proudest parts of the business because it involves all the angles of our industry, but also we believe it involves all the five cents. That is very unique. And so thinking about all of this, we thinking all the time how to offer an experience. And so we had to find the right location, magic location.

and we, you know, putting up nice chandelier to make it look nice.

And thankfully you had an architect. Yeah, that’s. She could be really helpful to the business. Yeah, let’s bring her in.

Speaker 1 (26:03.562)
And luckily in the… That’s the reason I married her.

Speaker 2 (26:11.83)
He was going through his Rolodex of all the college girls and he said, I need an architect.

No, no, I was very lucky because beside the beautiful American girl, which for me was a good target. It was a good target. She was beautiful and also studying architecture. it was a win-win situation. Today she’s taking care of the marketing and also every store. She’s obviously taking

That’s an incredible point that you guys really, designed a place, a space with the ambience that you wanted to bring people into an experience.

Correct, correct. So even if we’re still small, we’re always thinking, you know, where to open next, you know, and before we can even think about a city or, or I think we have always to have in mind what is our building, you know, what so later you can go, I would love to open in Rome, you know, but you know, before that, I really need to get the feeling of Rome.

I need to find the right building. I need to find the right building with the right ambience, high ceiling, very nice or interesting architecture on it. Otherwise, it’s worthless. It’s exactly, that’s it’s my nightmare. You’re perfectly right. So this is, we’re going back on my young age where I always taught

Speaker 2 (27:39.798)
It’s just a retail shop.

Speaker 1 (27:53.71)
please don’t take this bet. But I always thought how jewelry stores, especially in the US, they’re so boring. They were gray, boring jewelry store. And that’s my nightmare. So all our store, we think, obviously, is the subject, but we think we building the experience store. We want people come in and say, wow, that’s the…

The wow factor is what we go for. Because making the jewelry, you’re spending so much time on making jewelry and so much energy. And then you’re putting it on an ugly showcase. It’s the worst things you can do for your baby. This is really showing case on your beautiful product in the wrong place. It’s the worst. mean, you building this high.

and let it go down. No, no. So we really want to have a spectacular store. And so in Cortona, it was kind of easy because obviously it is a beautiful, it’s a beautiful location, a beautiful city. So we found that this beautiful palazzo where is this palazzo was built on the 1300 by the Alfieri family, which it was like a

we can say the Medici family of Grotona, how powerful they were at that time. And because they were so powerful, they were so mean, so greedy, they want the olive oil mill and the cellar under their palazzo, which usually, you know, olive oil mill are in the field. Nobody want to bring olive up in the, on the hill, on the top of the hill. Anyway, so they wanted everything under control.

They want to protect their value, their assets.

Speaker 1 (29:49.838)
So they built this amazing basement, which is not a basement. It’s so regal, so high ceiling, so incredible space. And the first time I saw that, I said, oh yeah, that’s where we want to do. And again, that is because the reason is showing off your jewelry on the right place. this all together really forming today what is the brand.

So I like what you said and you’re selling it short a little bit. It’s the experience of you, your wife, your team is fantastic. And what I love is it’s almost like, hey, this is my baby. Let me show you my family. Let me show you this chandelier. Here’s some Prosecco. Let’s walk around and talk.

You really pointed the right things because you come in our house. That’s what we think. Megan always say, you you’re coming in our house. So everything has to be clean. Your house is clean, you know, but in every sense. That’s mean a beautiful chandelier, the lights. We welcome everyone with prosecco and.

I mean, what’s interesting here is you created this house, let’s call it your house, but you created it for the guests experience. And that’s, mean, that’s not like what we create our houses that we think about and we bring people into that. And I mean, in a sense you’re doing that, but you created it with the user in mind, the guest who’s coming. How do we welcome them? How, what’s their experience when they’re coming in?

We created it for me.

Speaker 3 (31:28.755)
And all of that goes into that wow experience that you’re saying.

Absolutely again, it’s if you really making the jewelry if you really spend so much time to make it and to think about it that one You know you want to the right space and so today’s days our store are This no Traditionals. Mm-hmm. We don’t even have a real cash register, you know, which way to make it disappear that and We don’t sell. I mean we want to

showing the beautiful place and the beautiful place showing off our jewelry. We’re telling them the history and the story of my family, how we’re making the jewelry. That’s it.

Yep. It shows the wax molds, how they do it. It’s really no pressure. It’s just, wow, this place, and you have a Roman cistern too, don’t you have a- Yeah, a Truscan.

They’re under, yeah, you know how we do in Italy, we build in…

Speaker 2 (32:29.28)
On top of each other,

I mean, it sounds like part, you know, historical site, you’re looking at history, you’re getting, you know, an in-depth view or immersive experience in the history, but also the making the process. It’s kind of like when you go do wine tasting or we took one of our team members, because we’re here in middle Tennessee, we took them to go to a whiskey tasting.

And they go through the whole process. And for him, that’s a wow experience because it’s so outside of, he’s how many times has he been to a wine tasting, right? But to come and do it’s totally different. so to go into actually see, you know, it’s not something normal for me to be around jewelry making to go and have that experience is a wow experience. And so you’ve got these different layers. It sounds like the history, the artisan.

you know, the craftsmanship, all of that going into it. so it’s, and you’re welcoming them into your house, your place that you’ve created to share that experience. Yes.

I also want to point out it’s the quality of the product. So give you an example. You just hit on that a little bit. I’ve been on wine tastings. Where there’s the family, there’s the history, right? The experience, the Americans love experiences, but the wines, But they still buy the wine. They’ll buy it because they remember the experience. But you’re offering different is you have the quality of the product too. So it’s not just the experience, you’re offering the product.

Speaker 2 (34:04.942)
Sometimes you go on a wine tasting, oh my god, the memory, and get home and you’re drinking the wine, like it’s terrible. It’s not good wine, right? You know what I right? Because you’re drinking the wine, I love the family, I laugh, and I feel like get, that winery, I don’t even remember the person’s name, but they thought they were close to them, but with the product. But you have that story from beginning to end, plus you bring the product home, that’s excellence.

It’s terrible.

Speaker 1 (34:28.558)
Thank you very, very much. Yeah, we try our best really. you know, in some way we try to preserve what my grandpa started. So, you know, even that you feel is a kind of mission. It’s a responsibility. Also, it’s not only for us. I feel we are in time of age where, you know, all this kind of

You have responsibility too.

Speaker 1 (34:58.282)
artisanal, handcrafted, they need to come back. They need to be defended, protected. so I feel also I have to

That’s hard to find. To protect that. Right, yeah. Thank you for doing that. And hopefully we’re doing our part. We have several partners similar, not like you, but similar in the fact that we look for people that are authentic, they’re doing it by hand, they’re doing it for the passion, the love, they create an experience. Even if we send our clients there, know, guests there, they don’t buy anything, it’s still…

great for the shop, it’s great for us, it’s great for the client. They have an awesome experience that the time passed there is not wasted at all. But that on the other side, let’s just say that there is another side to this here in Italy because of the tourism. There’s some tourist traps, there’s places where, you know, if you’re in Florence, you’re going to think about leather. There’s places that you would go and not go.

Except.

Speaker 3 (36:06.208)
you would stay away from you. And so if you were to say, know, just trying to give our listeners a little peek behind the scenes and some cues, what to look for, what to stay away from. I mean, we talk about it all the time with restaurants. Here are the top 10 sins of going in and you don’t eat at a restaurant that has this, that and the other and you stay away and you stay away and you’re looking for it. And we give them a list, you know.

Is there something like that for jewelry making or craftsmanship?

Yeah, yeah, unfortunately, you know, there is that kind of problem in every industry, but, know, thank you to recommending the right people things, because I believe it’s very important. I believe it’s very important for many reasons, but also for what I mentioned before, kind of protecting that kind of old art of cooking, old art of wherever.

You know, it’s very, very important. You can see some different, obviously. It’s not that clear, but what is good about the jewelry in a restaurant, you figure out that only after the dinner.

That’s a great point.

Speaker 1 (37:26.026)
business maybe from the window yeah you can tell a little bit and that’s good so yes there is some some chain obviously you can see there are machine-made chain and and not necessarily a bad chain absolutely you know italian very good also for technique so they built sometimes a beautiful machine that can make

Okay.

Speaker 1 (37:55.106)
beautiful chain. So it is not that bad things. I will say I will stay far from the same chain you see everywhere in a massive quantity. Like if you see that style target in US or Walmart and even if say made in Italy, I will not buy that. That’s certainly is not the right.

Because it’s machine made probably and it’s not the craftsmanship of

of a quality.

Yeah, okay, unfortunately Italy went through a very bad time on jewelry making in early 2000s. So many of those machines or also skills of people, they’ve been sold to other countries, Turkey and China, mostly of those. So even if they still making pretty much good looking chain, you know, they are really massive.

produce it, which is that what bringing the value down of jewelry. Otherwise, if you, you know, going to small shops and you can see the intricate work that’s this.

Speaker 3 (39:09.304)
you

you

Speaker 2 (39:20.44)
So the good thing about you guys is you just said it. got a patent, uniqueness. Americans love the story, but they also love that there’s only one place you can get this. You know what mean? It’s like going to, you know, I used to say Fabrizio, what’s his name? It makes the sera with the… Dionisio. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So he, so… Fabrizio, where?

uniqueness.

Speaker 1 (39:44.684)
Dover,

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, he’s unique, you know, and no one you can’t buy that bottle in the States, right? But you know, it’s good wine. Yes, and you can’t buy it same thing when I come home and I have a del Brennan chain ring. Yeah, it’s it’s handmade by you. That’s a story Americans love that. They know you’re not going to you know, a Target or even a high end jewelry store. They can’t buy that right?

Yeah, no, no. Our production is very small. Although we are a growing company, but you know, if you keep on mind that what you sell have to be made, and that is our must in our studio, you know, even if you’re growing, you still have a very limited quantity and is only made by us. So that is very, very important. So when you bring home

piece of jewelry, it’s that one. And every time, because our handmade are one of a kind.

I have one more question and being Italian, Brian obviously being Italian too is we can be a little closed minded like your father was maybe. Well it’s fascinating to me, I don’t know if you’re still doing this, what’s fascinating to me is the way, and it might be Megan’s idea, not yours, but shine and die. Wine and die, wine and die. Is that still going on? How do the people of Cortona like it? And that idea is something

Speaker 1 (41:05.159)
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (41:14.892)
I don’t think Brian’s ever heard of, I’ve never heard it until I met him, but explain that what you do.

This is, yeah, we developed with Megan, but it’s very interesting. So our problem, at the beginning especially, it was how we were convincing people to wearing our jewelry, because jewelry is very subjective. Until you don’t put it on, eh, you don’t know really, or most of the time, you underestimating how the…

how good can look on your neck, on your wrist. So our goal is how we convince people to, you know, wearing that jewelry. So long, long story. We invented the jewelry testing at the beginning and later been developing to wine, dine, shine, because we had a friend who was making, organizing a wine dinner. So we thought,

with.

Speaker 3 (42:15.16)
put it all together.

Why we don’t loan the jewelry to every lady, like a red carpet treatment, like Hollywood, you know Hollywood, red carpet. So the idea today is very simple. We’re helping to organize a wine dinner. And to all the ladies who come in at the event, they can come into our store, sign a little form, nothing crazy.

just for liability. And they can choose any piece of jewelry in the store and they walk into dinner and they’re all elegant. And there’s the right time because when you come to Italy, and probably you are the expert guys, is more and more, think, especially in the past 10 years, Italy is kind of coming back a little bit more in a sophisticated way than…

ever before. So the people used to traveling with short and you know that now they still doing it but some of the night they love to be elegant. They love to dress up. They love to buy time and clothes. They love. So jewelry is part of it. So we created this dinner which happening every Thursday in Cortona and you can you see those ladies where they come in.

I it’s good.

Speaker 1 (43:40.902)
also dress up and they come into the store, know, with the open neck kind of dress and, you know, they’re wearing it. It’s beautiful. It’s a beautiful event. The jewelry is not for sale. Obviously, if they want to buy it, can. The jewelry is not But that’s not the point. Exactly. So for us is the best way to convincing people of wearing our jewelry and experiencing that because maybe

They will never go inside the store and ask how much that cost. This is really making everything easy and again is an experience.

That’s brilliant.

Yeah, it’s probably something that most people have never considered when going to Italy is an immersive experience like that. I mean, it’s more common nowadays that you go to a cooking class or some kind of a group dinner. Maybe you make your own pasta. And there’s certainly a difference when it’s handmade. You can taste the difference. This is as close as we can get.

To a handmade experience and you can tell the difference when you put it on, when you see it, you know, you know, just like a bank teller being able to tell this was made in somebody’s basement and this is, and this is real money. You know, you can tell with jewelry, the process, the time, the artisanship that goes into it. And we appreciate you being one of our partners.

Speaker 3 (45:16.588)
bringing that to the table for our guests that we send to Italy. And if you’re listening, you know, to the Bella Italy podcast, no doubt you have a passion for finding those kinds of experiences as well. And so again, if you’re planning and if you’re thinking about going to Italy, do yourself a favor and go to ItalywithBella.com, check out, you know, a free consultation.

with Italy expert, Anthony and his wife, Denise, we’re going to find the right experience that matches what it is that you’re looking for. And sometimes just finding that, you don’t know what you don’t know and finding jewels, if I can use that word, do you like that? See what I did there? Finding jewels, hidden gems, that. For one deal, but finding that is-

is part of our passion and what we love to do. And we get to showcase somebody that has a true, not just a passion for it, but a gift for what he, you the artisanship and the experience that he’s creating. So thank you, Sebastian, for being with us today.

Thank you, Sebastian. Thank you, Megan.

to promoting us obviously but also to promote Italy on the right way because that’s very very important and make big

Speaker 3 (46:44.93)
No, I think it’s good for us, it’s good for you, it’s good for the people that we send with the right expectations, looking in the right places for the right things.

I love it. Thank you very, very much.

It’s special. All right. We will talk to you next time until then. Arrivederci. Arrivederci.

Ciao!