INTERVIEW WITH A YOUNG JEWELLER

If you come to this part of Sicily and want something really special to take home with you, you may like to visit I Monili Aprile in Modica and by the sea in Pozzallo.  Both are run by my friends the Aprile family and elder son Salvatore has recently created the website I Monili Aprile. Today I talked to Salvo about the shops, his life and jewellery in general:

Salvo, when did you decide that you wanted to be a jeweller?

I decided to be a jeweller when my parents and I had the idea of opening a second jewellery shop in a seaside town called Pozzallo but I had always felt like a "little jeweller" because I grew up in my parents' jewellery shop.

The Aprile family:
Salvatore, Gaspare, Concetta and Gabriele

Did you help in the shop as a child?

Sometimes. I was very happy to help and I enjoyed discovering the world of jewellery.

Tell me about your studies.

I remember when I chose to study business at Pisa University and after that at Catania University, it was very important for my family and for me because it enabled me to grow personally and culturally.

When did you graduate?

I graduated in November 2011.

And later you studied gemology?

I studied gemology in November 2015 at the Istituto Gemmologico Italiano [IGI] in Milan because it was time to get to know the world of diamonds and now I'm going to learn about all kinds of gemstones.

What’s your favourite stone?

My favorite stone is the diamond because it has a long history, like the history of the world. The diamond is generally formed inside the earth and its birth dates back to the origin of the earth.

Describe a typical day for a gemology student.

The Modica store

First you meet your lecturers and you can talk about different subjects such as natural science, geophysics and the history of gemstones. It’s very important to study different topics from those that you studied before. You can look at gems with a microscope to identify their types and their properties.

Inside the Pozzallo store

When did your family open the shop in Pozzallo?

My family decided to open the shop in Pozzallo in July 2013 because it is a small, young town and it is a tourist attraction, especially in the summer.

Do you have any help in the Pozzallo shop?

Yes, I have some help in the Pozzallo shop. In our team we are fortunate because my brother Gabriele is a qualified watchmaker. He works in Modica but he likes coming to work in Pozzallo in the summer.

In your shop, can people buy any souvenirs of Sicily?

Yes.  I’ve met a lot of tourists who like ceramic jewellery and Italian jewellery in general.  

One final question, Salvo:  Do you think Britain should give back the Koh-i-Noor Diamond?

Yes, I think you should!

I Monili Aprile:

Via Resistenza Partigiana 25,

Modica [RG]

Tel:  +39 0932 763308  

C.so Vittorio Veneto 69,

Pozzallo [RG]

  Tel:  +39 0932 957512