“It is Good for Our Soul to Create with our Hands.” -Unknown Author
The hands of any man tell a story. It’s almost as if they exist on their own, taking care of daily chores in a routine world. The hands of a jeweler are no different. Each callous accounts for a thousand movements over the course of the day with a heightened focus on detail.
Several months ago, Tony Mazzarese shared with his physician that the pain in his hand was not the normal pain he knew. After some discussion, the physician shrugged his shoulders then shared his expert advice “maybe it’s time for you to get a new job, do something different.”
Insulted by his comment, Tony, smiling slightly, looked to his physician “maybe it’s time for you to do the same.”
As a young boy, Tony spent the summer months working with his father and grandfather. Most of his friends were outside, playing, swimming, running away from girls or maybe to them, he, however, was not. From a young age, he understood that being part of the Mazzarese family meant loving the craft. It was a love that moved through his entire soul, just like nourishment from food or air.
He understood this, watching as his grandfather created one of a kind piece for the royal family of Tunisia. Taking pride in every movement from hammering out gold so it could be molded into the most intricate ring, to placing gemstones intricately in their place. Spending days or even weeks to complete pieces for the ones who waited anxiously to either give or receive them.
Jewelers are artists, using not only their hands but their minds and imaginations. Listening to each client is essential to carve the perfect individual piece they so desire. Being able to hear a vision, see it within his imagination then make it a reality truly is a gift, one that was passed down from father to son not once but twice. Seeing inside of others, what they can only dream of wearing as a bride, father, mother, woman or man is not for the faint of heart. It takes a special intuition, one that the Mazzarese family has been blessed to not only possess but nurture.
Over the course of this blog series, Gems of Wisdom, we will share with you the foundation of our family business. The learning from one generation to another, the pride we have in our craft, our work and our team. Within each family is love, the love for one another but also the love for what we have dedicated our lives towards, creating exquisite jewelry for our clientele so that they can not only share it with their loved ones but pass it down to generations of their family.