A Century of Luxury & Legacy
Cold Metal, Hard Rocks, and the Stories That Give Jewelry Meaning
Published: Jun 28, 2026
How Italy Became Part of Our Family’s Jewelry Story
This week, I found myself in Venice, Italy, surrounded by canals, old buildings, beautiful architecture, and centuries of history.
It felt like the perfect place to record another episode of A Century of Luxury and Legacy.
As we celebrate 100 years of our family in the jewelry business, I have been reflecting on the places, people, and experiences that have shaped our story. Italy may not be where our family business began, but in a unique way, it has become part of our journey.
Italy is known around the world for its jewelry, craftsmanship, design, and manufacturing. For generations, skilled Italian artisans have worked with gold, gemstones, and precious metals, passing their knowledge from one generation to the next.
That idea has always fascinated me.
A Dream of Learning From the Masters
When I was younger and finding my way in the jewelry industry, I used to dream about coming to Italy and spending a month with a master craftsman.
I imagined sitting beside someone who had spent a lifetime making jewelry and learning how they approached the trade. I wanted to see their tools, observe their techniques, and understand the traditions behind their work.
Our family came into the jewelry industry through a somewhat different path.
My grandfather, my dad, and my uncles worked primarily in what the jewelry industry calls a trade shop. A trade shop performs repair and service work for other jewelers.
Many retail jewelry stores did not have a jeweler working on-site. They would send their work to people like my grandfather and my dad. Our family would size the rings, set the diamonds, solder the chains, complete the repairs, and then send the finished pieces back to the retailer.
That kind of work requires a tremendous amount of skill, but it is different from manufacturing jewelry.
Manufacturing involves producing pieces in larger quantities. A manufacturer may create 20, 50, or even 100 of the same design. Some companies produce limited collections, while others specialize in particular types of jewelry, such as earrings, bracelets, or gold chains.
As I learned more about the industry, I began to appreciate how many different worlds exist within it.
There are repair jewelers, bench jewelers, designers, stone setters, custom jewelers, manufacturers, gemstone cutters, wholesalers, and retailers. Each one contributes something important to the finished piece.
At David Douglas Diamonds, we are fortunate to bring several of those worlds together. We provide jewelry service and repair in our store, and we also create custom jewelry for our clients.
Not every retail jewelry store does those things on-site, and I am grateful that our family’s background gave us those skills.
A Jewelry Adventure With My Brother
In 2019, my brother and I traveled to Italy for a jewelry trade show in Vicenza.
Vicenza is one of Italy’s best-known jewelry manufacturing centers. It sits west of Venice and is home to manufacturers, designers, equipment suppliers, and craftspeople from across the industry.
We decided to stay in Venice and travel to the show from there.
It was January, so it was cold, but we had a wonderful time.
The show reminded me of the JCK jewelry show in Las Vegas. There were halls filled with manufacturers displaying finished jewelry, new designs, equipment, tools, and technology.
One hall was devoted almost entirely to machinery and manufacturing equipment.
My brother and I were like two kids in a candy store.
We saw tools designed and manufactured in another country. Some of the equipment could have been useful in a retail or custom jewelry shop like ours. Other machines were built for companies producing large quantities of jewelry.
Some of those machines represented a significant investment. A manufacturer would need to produce a tremendous amount of jewelry to receive a return on that equipment.
Still, it was fascinating to see.
The trip was short. I believe we were only there for about three days before returning home. But it became one of those cherished memories I will always carry with me.
We were not simply attending a jewelry show. I was spending time with my brother, exploring another country, learning about our industry, and sharing an experience connected to the trade our family has practiced for generations.
Returning to Italy With My Daughter
A couple of years later, in 2021, I returned to Italy with my daughter, Emma.
This time, we flew into Florence and took a train south to Arezzo.
Arezzo is another important jewelry manufacturing area in Italy, especially for gold jewelry and chain production.
We visited one of the manufacturers we worked with and received a tour of the facility. We were able to see how the jewelry was produced and learn more about the process behind the pieces.
It was educational, but it was also personal.
I was sharing another part of the jewelry business with my daughter.
After visiting the manufacturer, we rented a car and explored Tuscany. We drove through the countryside, traveled toward the western coast of Italy, visited beautiful towns, and made memories that had very little to do with business.
That is one of the unexpected gifts this industry has given me.
Jewelry has provided opportunities to travel, meet people, visit workshops, purchase gemstones, discover new designs, and see how jewelry is made in different parts of the world.
But the most meaningful part has often been the people beside me.
The trip with my brother was special because I was with my brother.
The trip with Emma was special because I was with my daughter.
The jewelry may have provided the reason for the journey, but the relationships gave the journey its meaning.
Every Gemstone Has Its Own Story
One of the things I love about jewelry is that no two gemstones are exactly alike.
Some stones are cut into standard shapes and sizes. Others are shaped according to the natural rough material, the availability of the stone, and its value.
Opal is a good example.
Some opals are cut into fairly standard shapes. However, with rare and valuable stones such as Australian black opal, the cutter may work carefully around the natural shape of the material.
Because the stone is valuable and sold by weight, the goal is often to preserve as much of it as possible.
That may result in an unusual shape, but it also gives the finished piece its own identity.
In many ways, our lives are like that.
We may begin with an idea of what our journey should look like, but life often takes us in unexpected directions. The irregular parts are sometimes the very things that make the story beautiful.
More Than Cold Metal and Hard Rocks
As I have traveled around the world and looked at jewelry from different cultures and manufacturers, one thought keeps returning to me.
At its most basic level, jewelry is cold metal and hard rocks.
But that is never really what people are buying.
They are buying a way to celebrate an engagement, a marriage, an anniversary, a new baby, a graduation, or a personal accomplishment.
They are remembering someone they loved.
They are creating an heirloom.
They are marking a moment they never want to forget.
The gold and gemstones give the piece its physical form, but the story gives it meaning.
A ring is not valuable simply because of its metal or its diamonds. It becomes valuable because of who gave it, why it was given, and the memories connected to it.
That is what has kept me fascinated with this industry for so many years.
We are not simply making or selling jewelry. We are helping people carry their stories.
Grateful for the Journey
As I traveled through Venice, Verona, the Dolomites, Rome, and Florence, I found myself feeling deeply grateful.
I am grateful for my grandfather, who began our family’s journey in the jewelry business.
I am grateful for my dad and my uncles, who carried the trade forward.
I am grateful for the skills they passed down and for the opportunities those skills have given me.
I am grateful for the trips with my brother and my daughter.
And I am grateful that, after all these years, I can still walk into a jewelry workshop or trade show and feel curious about what I might learn.
I never did spend an entire month sitting beside an Italian master craftsman like I once imagined.
But in a way, that dream still influenced my life.
It encouraged me to travel, stay curious, appreciate craftsmanship, and look beyond the jewelry to the people and traditions behind it.
God has blessed me with opportunities I never could have planned on my own. This industry has taken me to places around the world, introduced me to wonderful people, and allowed our family to become part of countless celebrations and stories.
After 100 years in the jewelry business, I am reminded that our legacy is not simply measured by how many rings we have repaired or how many pieces of jewelry we have created.
It is measured by the relationships, memories, lessons, and stories that have been passed from one generation to the next.
Italy is now part of that story.
And I am very grateful it is.
This week, I found myself in Venice, Italy, surrounded by canals, old buildings, beautiful architecture, and centuries of history.
It felt like the perfect place to record another episode of A Century of Luxury and Legacy.
As we celebrate 100 years of our family in the jewelry business, I have been reflecting on the places, people, and experiences that have shaped our story. Italy may not be where our family business began, but in a unique way, it has become part of our journey.
Italy is known around the world for its jewelry, craftsmanship, design, and manufacturing. For generations, skilled Italian artisans have worked with gold, gemstones, and precious metals, passing their knowledge from one generation to the next.
That idea has always fascinated me.
A Dream of Learning From the Masters
When I was younger and finding my way in the jewelry industry, I used to dream about coming to Italy and spending a month with a master craftsman.
I imagined sitting beside someone who had spent a lifetime making jewelry and learning how they approached the trade. I wanted to see their tools, observe their techniques, and understand the traditions behind their work.
Our family came into the jewelry industry through a somewhat different path.
My grandfather, my dad, and my uncles worked primarily in what the jewelry industry calls a trade shop. A trade shop performs repair and service work for other jewelers.
Many retail jewelry stores did not have a jeweler working on-site. They would send their work to people like my grandfather and my dad. Our family would size the rings, set the diamonds, solder the chains, complete the repairs, and then send the finished pieces back to the retailer.
That kind of work requires a tremendous amount of skill, but it is different from manufacturing jewelry.
Manufacturing involves producing pieces in larger quantities. A manufacturer may create 20, 50, or even 100 of the same design. Some companies produce limited collections, while others specialize in particular types of jewelry, such as earrings, bracelets, or gold chains.
As I learned more about the industry, I began to appreciate how many different worlds exist within it.
There are repair jewelers, bench jewelers, designers, stone setters, custom jewelers, manufacturers, gemstone cutters, wholesalers, and retailers. Each one contributes something important to the finished piece.
At David Douglas Diamonds, we are fortunate to bring several of those worlds together. We provide jewelry service and repair in our store, and we also create custom jewelry for our clients.
Not every retail jewelry store does those things on-site, and I am grateful that our family’s background gave us those skills.
A Jewelry Adventure With My Brother
In 2019, my brother and I traveled to Italy for a jewelry trade show in Vicenza.
Vicenza is one of Italy’s best-known jewelry manufacturing centers. It sits west of Venice and is home to manufacturers, designers, equipment suppliers, and craftspeople from across the industry.
We decided to stay in Venice and travel to the show from there.
It was January, so it was cold, but we had a wonderful time.
The show reminded me of the JCK jewelry show in Las Vegas. There were halls filled with manufacturers displaying finished jewelry, new designs, equipment, tools, and technology.
One hall was devoted almost entirely to machinery and manufacturing equipment.
My brother and I were like two kids in a candy store.
We saw tools designed and manufactured in another country. Some of the equipment could have been useful in a retail or custom jewelry shop like ours. Other machines were built for companies producing large quantities of jewelry.
Some of those machines represented a significant investment. A manufacturer would need to produce a tremendous amount of jewelry to receive a return on that equipment.
Still, it was fascinating to see.
The trip was short. I believe we were only there for about three days before returning home. But it became one of those cherished memories I will always carry with me.
We were not simply attending a jewelry show. I was spending time with my brother, exploring another country, learning about our industry, and sharing an experience connected to the trade our family has practiced for generations.
Returning to Italy With My Daughter
A couple of years later, in 2021, I returned to Italy with my daughter, Emma.
This time, we flew into Florence and took a train south to Arezzo.
Arezzo is another important jewelry manufacturing area in Italy, especially for gold jewelry and chain production.
We visited one of the manufacturers we worked with and received a tour of the facility. We were able to see how the jewelry was produced and learn more about the process behind the pieces.
It was educational, but it was also personal.
I was sharing another part of the jewelry business with my daughter.
After visiting the manufacturer, we rented a car and explored Tuscany. We drove through the countryside, traveled toward the western coast of Italy, visited beautiful towns, and made memories that had very little to do with business.
That is one of the unexpected gifts this industry has given me.
Jewelry has provided opportunities to travel, meet people, visit workshops, purchase gemstones, discover new designs, and see how jewelry is made in different parts of the world.
But the most meaningful part has often been the people beside me.
The trip with my brother was special because I was with my brother.
The trip with Emma was special because I was with my daughter.
The jewelry may have provided the reason for the journey, but the relationships gave the journey its meaning.
Every Gemstone Has Its Own Story
One of the things I love about jewelry is that no two gemstones are exactly alike.
Some stones are cut into standard shapes and sizes. Others are shaped according to the natural rough material, the availability of the stone, and its value.
Opal is a good example.
Some opals are cut into fairly standard shapes. However, with rare and valuable stones such as Australian black opal, the cutter may work carefully around the natural shape of the material.
Because the stone is valuable and sold by weight, the goal is often to preserve as much of it as possible.
That may result in an unusual shape, but it also gives the finished piece its own identity.
In many ways, our lives are like that.
We may begin with an idea of what our journey should look like, but life often takes us in unexpected directions. The irregular parts are sometimes the very things that make the story beautiful.
More Than Cold Metal and Hard Rocks
As I have traveled around the world and looked at jewelry from different cultures and manufacturers, one thought keeps returning to me.
At its most basic level, jewelry is cold metal and hard rocks.
But that is never really what people are buying.
They are buying a way to celebrate an engagement, a marriage, an anniversary, a new baby, a graduation, or a personal accomplishment.
They are remembering someone they loved.
They are creating an heirloom.
They are marking a moment they never want to forget.
The gold and gemstones give the piece its physical form, but the story gives it meaning.
A ring is not valuable simply because of its metal or its diamonds. It becomes valuable because of who gave it, why it was given, and the memories connected to it.
That is what has kept me fascinated with this industry for so many years.
We are not simply making or selling jewelry. We are helping people carry their stories.
Grateful for the Journey
As I traveled through Venice, Verona, the Dolomites, Rome, and Florence, I found myself feeling deeply grateful.
I am grateful for my grandfather, who began our family’s journey in the jewelry business.
I am grateful for my dad and my uncles, who carried the trade forward.
I am grateful for the skills they passed down and for the opportunities those skills have given me.
I am grateful for the trips with my brother and my daughter.
And I am grateful that, after all these years, I can still walk into a jewelry workshop or trade show and feel curious about what I might learn.
I never did spend an entire month sitting beside an Italian master craftsman like I once imagined.
But in a way, that dream still influenced my life.
It encouraged me to travel, stay curious, appreciate craftsmanship, and look beyond the jewelry to the people and traditions behind it.
God has blessed me with opportunities I never could have planned on my own. This industry has taken me to places around the world, introduced me to wonderful people, and allowed our family to become part of countless celebrations and stories.
After 100 years in the jewelry business, I am reminded that our legacy is not simply measured by how many rings we have repaired or how many pieces of jewelry we have created.
It is measured by the relationships, memories, lessons, and stories that have been passed from one generation to the next.
Italy is now part of that story.
And I am very grateful it is.