August 1, 2023 • 28 mins
To watch the full video version of this episode on YouTube CLICK HERE
Dannunzio Jewelry is a renowned brand with a history spanning almost 70 years, originating in 1955 in New York City's diamond district. Founded by the Dannunzio family, third-generation Artie Dannunzio played a pivotal role in transforming the brand into a global jewelry business known for its exceptional quality and innovation.
The pinnacle of their innovation is the Mirror Collection, featuring an illusion diamond-set design with a technique that is so effective even experts cannot accurately visually determine the diamond carat weight. With more than 70 worldwide patents for construction and design, Artie Dannunzio is passionate about supporting and bringing the message forward that jewelry can be innovative.
As a disruptor in the industry, Artie continued to push innovation by patenting globally recognized icons and named the collection Yours Mine Ours. Artie's patented symbols include an intertwining heart, a single heart, and infinity symbols combined with birthstones. Whether it is an engagement ring or a mother's ring, any piece of jewelry can be personalized with the engraved symbols and birthstones of the customer's choosing.
Artie is now embarking on the next chapter of his journey, launching an innovative e-commerce website and expanding into new international and US markets with the Dannunzio brand experience. In this new era, Artie will reach a wider audience and directly connect with consumers who resonate with the Dannunzio brand, a distinct blend of elegance and innovation.
www.dannunziodesigned.com
--------------------------------------------
Unlock Your Invention's Potential with Inventor Smart! Inventor Smart Community - The Ultimate APP for Inventors to connect, collaborate, network, and drive invention ideas forward! Join social networking, participate in group chats, events, visit the library, and find the support you need! Download the Inventor Smart Community app here http://inventorsmartapp.com Join us today!
About Got Invention Show:
Welcome to the Got Invention Show!
Listen to inventors interviews sharing their invention story to the world!
Are you patent pending?
Do you have a prototype to show and demonstrate?
Are you looking to earn royalties from your invention?
Are you looking for a manufacturer?
Do you want to raise money or find an investor?
Do you want to sell your invention?
Learn from other inventors or let’s see and hear about your big invention idea!
Show & tell us about your invention, have your very own video interview to be proud of!
Your video can be used to: Post to your social media add on your website Send to bloggers & editors Pitch to licensees or investors
Listen to inventor interviews or sign up: https://gotinventionshow.com
Your Host of Got Invention Show, Brian Fried. Brian is the host of Got Invention Radio, with interviews of high profile guests including the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Lori Greiner from ABC's Shark Tank, & over 150 individual interviews. https://gotinvention.com Brian connects and guides inventors to earn royalties from their inventions to licensees and brand properties looking for new ideas and intellectual property to expand existing or add to new product lines.
Inventor Smart: https://inventorsmart.com Host Inventor Expert and Mentor Brian Fried: https://brianfried.com
Dannunzio Jewelry is a renowned brand with a history spanning almost 70 years, originating in 1955 in New York City's diamond district. Founded by the Dannunzio family, third-generation Artie Dannunzio played a pivotal role in transforming the brand into a global jewelry business known for its exceptional quality and innovation.
The pinnacle of their innovation is the Mirror Collection, featuring an illusion diamond-set design with a technique that is so effective even experts cannot accurately visually determine the diamond carat weight. With more than 70 worldwide patents for construction and design, Artie Dannunzio is passionate about supporting and bringing the message forward that jewelry can be innovative.
As a disruptor in the industry, Artie continued to push innovation by patenting globally recognized icons and named the collection Yours Mine Ours. Artie's patented symbols include an intertwining heart, a single heart, and infinity symbols combined with birthstones. Whether it is an engagement ring or a mother's ring, any piece of jewelry can be personalized with the engraved symbols and birthstones of the customer's choosing.
Artie is now embarking on the next chapter of his journey, launching an innovative e-commerce website and expanding into new international and US markets with the Dannunzio brand experience. In this new era, Artie will reach a wider audience and directly connect with consumers who resonate with the Dannunzio brand, a distinct blend of elegance and innovation.
www.dannunziodesigned.com
--------------------------------------------
Unlock Your Invention's Potential with Inventor Smart! Inventor Smart Community - The Ultimate APP for Inventors to connect, collaborate, network, and drive invention ideas forward! Join social networking, participate in group chats, events, visit the library, and find the support you need! Download the Inventor Smart Community app here http://inventorsmartapp.com Join us today!
About Got Invention Show:
Welcome to the Got Invention Show!
Listen to inventors interviews sharing their invention story to the world!
Are you patent pending?
Do you have a prototype to show and demonstrate?
Are you looking to earn royalties from your invention?
Are you looking for a manufacturer?
Do you want to raise money or find an investor?
Do you want to sell your invention?
Learn from other inventors or let’s see and hear about your big invention idea!
Show & tell us about your invention, have your very own video interview to be proud of!
Your video can be used to: Post to your social media add on your website Send to bloggers & editors Pitch to licensees or investors
Listen to inventor interviews or sign up: https://gotinventionshow.com
Your Host of Got Invention Show, Brian Fried. Brian is the host of Got Invention Radio, with interviews of high profile guests including the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Lori Greiner from ABC's Shark Tank, & over 150 individual interviews. https://gotinvention.com Brian connects and guides inventors to earn royalties from their inventions to licensees and brand properties looking for new ideas and intellectual property to expand existing or add to new product lines.
Inventor Smart: https://inventorsmart.com Host Inventor Expert and Mentor Brian Fried: https://brianfried.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:16):
Welcome to the Got Invention Show.I'm your host Brian Freed, and today
our guest is Artie de Nunzio.He's from Denuncio Designed. Welcome to the
show, Artie. Oh, thankyou Brian for having me. Are you
doing You're having a great day today? Yes, I am. How about
yourself, I'm doing great? Thankyou. I know that you're going to
be sharing your experience as an inventor, entrepreneur, as a business owner and
(00:44):
definitely in the trenches of the jewelryindustry. So welcome again to the show,
Artie. Thank you. So whydon't you start off? I did
a little bit of an intro,but why don't you tell us who you
are and where you're from? Tostart with? Absolutely, as you mentioned,
I'm Artie de Nunzio. I havebeen running my own company in the
jewelry sector for forty years now,first established in nineteen fifty five, and
(01:10):
we you know, we were ona journey of as a mom and pop
family owned business supplying very fine qualityjewelry and selling it to old levels of
our industry, and that was ourforte We were known as the guys who
made some of the top quality piecesbut never sold it under a brand persona.
(01:37):
Let's say, okay, and where'syour office located? One of my
offices in Staten Island, and wealso have a location in Manhattan itself.
Okay, So, Artie, you'reon the gott Invention Show. So somehow
or another, what you're doing inthe jewelry industry is related to innovation,
(02:02):
invention. I know the entrepreneurship side, but already, why don't you give
us a little bit of kind ofthe history of the Nuncio Jewelers and designed.
Absolutely, when I first came intothe business with my father, I
was young, I was fourteen yearsold, and he was doing what a
(02:25):
family business does, was servicing privateclientele. And also they were an assembly
shop for a lot of the luxurybrands, a lot of the different manufacturers
and suppliers to the directs of theretailer. And they were more in the
background because the quality that they alwaysdid were top notch. It was always
(02:47):
some of the best in the industry. And they they were true. My
grandfather and my father were true craftsmen. They were before the era we have
now where machine enery helps us achievethings overnight. I've watched I watched people,
my father and my grandfather and alsohis staff assemble an item, let's
(03:13):
say, an original model from metalor carving it from wax, and that's
a lost start, that that that'snever used anymore in this industry. Um,
so it was. I probably startedgoing with my father at age fourteen,
and I was the coffee runner,the post office guy, and swooping
(03:36):
up the shop and I would leanover and watch all the workers and I
just it just it just captivated me. I was I was brought in to
it, and I just loved,loved watching something be neat and we as
I progressed, I went fully intothe business at seventeen, and being old
(04:03):
school gentleman like my father was,you weren't going to be getting an office
with your name on it. Youhad to go through the journey and start
from the bottom and work through yourfactory, starting from the polishing department,
which is finishing at the end,all the way straight through till I got
(04:26):
to the model making department, whichthat's where I had I think my best
attributes in Now, you gave itaway a little bit by saying fourteen and
seventeen years old that you were,But when when did all this start already?
Maybe we're going to figure out howold you are, but what year
(04:46):
was this? Just kind of figureout full time? Was eighty nineteen eighty
four? Okay, very nice already. What at the time, when your
dad was building and running his businessand you were helping him, what made
him different than anybody else that wason the streets selling jewelry. I think
(05:08):
it was the attention to the qualityand the finish. And even if it
was available to them to as simpleas doing a twisted wire brooch they could
buy the twisted wire or pre twisted, they wouldn't do that. They would
want to do it by hand.They wanted it to be that extra step
(05:32):
above industry standards, industry practice,and it drove me to do the same
throughout my journey with them, andthen after where I never I always,
I never conformed to the situations inour industry where price thinning out of peace
(05:59):
change engineer diamond quality, doing presetsettings versus handwork. And I've kept that
for the forty years throughout my hosts band and my whole career. And
that kind of leads us to whyyou're on the gott Invention Show. Tell
(06:20):
us about your business then, sowe have some information and kind of the
history of how you got into thebusiness with your dad, and here you
are. You're in the driver's seatnow, so tell us about the way
that you're running your business at thispoint. Okay. Obviously expanded the business
(06:41):
from being just producing for other companies, started making our own designs and then
going direct and selling to the retailerswho then would send itself to the end
user. I did many different thingsthat for a good portion of beginning of
my career, participated with the beersand a lot of their advertising and promotion,
(07:04):
supplying the piece that would be inthere in the ad to joining different
mom and pop groups where they wouldhave shows, than attending shows selling to
the retailer, getting in my cardriving to all different retailers to sell my
products. But always trying to dosomething a little different. You know,
(07:30):
it was a little scary because youwanted to do something a little different because
our industry has filled a lot withimitation, and you know, it was
always about trying to be the price, trying to you know, capture a
sale. I always tried to makesomething a little different, but it was
(07:53):
more staying staying within those realms,but just stepping out a little bit as
I learned and started, you know, seeing as our industry is evolving,
that it's a very tough situation tobe in where you're true innovative, innovative
(08:13):
process and your true passion to makesomething different is really limited because you're trying
to conform to the norm now alreadyin the industry. Most of the time
people in any industry, there's kindof the commodity type products and items that
(08:35):
people look for and that companies putout there. But it seemed like from
the time that you kind of evolvedfrom working with your dad and for your
dad now running the company yourself,keeping that standard of always designing, it
seems like you're you're you're really intothe innovation, looking to take it to
(08:56):
the next level. Like you're saying, so, how urgent and important is
that in your business to have thatcompetitive edge? Well, it now it
is priority making this design that takinginnovation and crossing it over to the luxury
(09:18):
jury sector is one of the mountaindrives a climb. But then also being
recognized from what you have been forthe last forty years, which is still
staying in that norm, but youknow, doing better. I'm trying to
do better quality, a little bitdifferent of a design and transforming yourself from
that to be recognized also as aluxury jury brand versus what I was.
(09:48):
Now This and this innovation I havenow is now patent in over seventy countries
and it's probably one of the mostvery few patents in jewelry and in a
design. This mechanisms is class sizingmechanisms. There are patents for that,
(10:11):
but most of the patents and ourside of the industry are focused on watch
mechanisms and different things like that.So tell us about it already while we
while we're looking at this. Itis an assembly process that I have worked
on for over fifteen years. Itallows the piece to be assembled with an
(10:37):
inside mirror of gold that now withthe diamond set above it where they're suspended.
It brings the light and refracts itthrough off the back mirror through the
diamond and elevates the look. Butalso the distinctive look gives it's such a
(11:01):
captivating feel to the to the enduser that they become immersed into it.
And it again I now with evenindustry professionals because this even the setting,
and obviously the innovation, it's hardfor them to be able to determine the
(11:31):
diamond weight the diamond size of thediamond because it maximizes the brilliance and the
appearance of that natural diamond. Doyou have one of those? Do you
have the designs in front of you? I can show here, So let's
take a look. Nothing better thanthe real thing. Absolutely If you look
(11:52):
here, what I did was wherethe holes are where the diamonds are dropped
into it. You will see theway the back inside they're elevated. They're
floated above and suspended above that insidemirror. But then obviously I still paid
homage to the tradition with the pavediamonds on the opposite side. So it's
(12:18):
bringing the innovation but also paying respectto the tradition. And this is one
style, and then there's multiple looksand multiple styles. Even here where you
have I've also done some things withtextures with the gold. If you look
(12:39):
here, you could see the flashand the way that the stones make an
appearance that they don't in traditional jewelry. And learning the process and putting a
piece of this magnitude that I'm gonnabring out now a piece like this.
(13:01):
Here taking the piece like this,But I'm a stickler for even finishing,
So even in the back, I'mfinishing the piece because I have that that
thing ingrained in me from my fatherand my grandfather. You never finish,
you never not finishing complete a piece. But a piece like this, it
(13:30):
not only is a piece of jewelry, it's really a work of art,
because just to assemble something like thistakes about two and a half months to
put the entire piece together. Seeingthem looking into this piece of jewelry and
(13:52):
immersing themselves into it and not wantingto let it go, I I it
came at the time because of allthe other things that I've had to challenge
and deal with. And now we'reso we're fully immersed into this innovation bringing
(14:16):
it to the luxury sector. Andagain, it's not trying to challenge the
industry. It's only like I've donefor many years, support and bring the
message forward of how important we areas an industry that yes, innovation does
(14:37):
work here. We now need tostep up and show the world that we
can do things, step out ofthe box, challenge the challenge the norm,
and present something amazing, you know, what already. I didn't have
a chance to tell you before.But what you showed with the heart and
(15:01):
all the diamonds that are in therebeautiful, very very impressive. I didn't
I didn't want to interrupt you thatit was stunning. I appreciate that,
Thank you, and I teed upfor us. The other innovation that you
have within your industry and within thenew Zeo designed is what I have on
(15:22):
the screen here? Can you tellus about that? Absolutely? Um,
this here was You know, Iobviously made every type of pieces jewelry throughout
my career, because you when you'refamily business and you're out there selling,
you sell whatever you can. Soyou also made bridal jewelry, you mean
fashion jewelry, you mean everything youpossibly could to make the sale and to
(15:46):
go and write orders. And sowe would do bridal jewelry. But in
bridle I tried for years to figureout a way to make something different.
But you can twist, bend,curl, flip, use different shaped diamonds
to a certain point, there's onlyso much you can do and there's nothing
(16:11):
that's not replicated to a certain degree. So I thought and thought and thought,
how do I stand out? Howdo I get bridal jewelry and even
even across the board jewelry standardized itemsthat sell every day. How do I
make a personal How do I makeit different? So I thought of globally
(16:34):
recognized icons, which is the intertwiningheart symbol, infinity symbol, single hearts,
and also the usage of birthstones.So one of the patterns is the
use of the intertwining heart symbol,which we all know means two hearts to
become one, and then having theend users birth stones within the into twining
(17:00):
hearts, then a single heart nextto that with the gemstone of the month.
Let's say the couple gets engaged.So it's a it's an incredible personalization
for anybody who loves to personalize apiece of jewelry. Then if you look
(17:21):
at the wedding man using the infinitysymbol, which has the meaning of lifelong
journey together again, we can putthe end users birdstones within that and then
a heart next to it representing thegemstone of the month the wedding occurred.
Now we've then extended the patterns.Now the one I'm gonna give you a
(17:45):
fun story about this. When Idid this, I started this concept of
very long time applied patents so manyyears ago. At the time, the
patent attorney said, I don't thinkyou're yet this because these are globally recognized
icons. It's I don't really thinkit's going to happen. Um, So
I you know, I said,you know why it was at the time,
(18:07):
was an exhorbitant amount of money wasyou know, it was many many
years ago. You're looking at twentyfive thousand dollars because patents were very expensive
back then, and I took arisk, which was a big risk,
um, And you know, along time went by, didn't hear anything
about it, so you know,just pretty much gave up on it,
you know, and said, Okay, you know, it's not gonna happen.
(18:30):
And then one day the gentleman calledand said, I don't can't believe
that I I'm gonna be able totell you this, but you actually got
those patents. And I was shocked. I was. I was pretty much
in awe of it. And Ithen as that started to develop, I've
(18:51):
then expanded on the patents and expandedto where now a popular item has always
been what they always called years agomother's ring, where across the finger the
old different colorstones or an embrace andall different colorstones. You know, fashion
has changed and industry has evolved.Consumers have evolved. They're not they love
(19:14):
the concept, but they're not soappealing to the look of a piece of
jewelry like that, so are they. You've gone through these iterations and congratulations
between trademarks and patents that you've builtup to really make an impression within the
industry and also have the intellectual propertyrights to these pieces. So right now,
(19:41):
where is your company and what doesit look like for the future of
the Nunzio designed. Right now,we are launching many platforms direct consumer and
bringing the the visual impact act ofour innovation and crossing into the jury sector,
(20:03):
launching that as we speak. Westarted it. We started already.
We're going to be going into severalinternational markets. We're going to be partnering
with some very high end luxury globalretailers, luxury retailers domestically and international.
What I foresee for the future isI want to share this innovation with the
(20:32):
consumer because the one thing that Idid learn about it is it's not a
story you can tell, it's it'san experience. And when the consumer experiences
it. I see the joy itbrings to them, and so moving forward,
our mission is to share this withas many people as we can,
(20:57):
and even the end It doesn't meanthe end user has to own it,
but at least share it with thembecause it's such an incredible visual impact already.
Just to get an idea and howeveryou want to answer this, but
how can we get an understanding ofthe level of impact that you've had on
(21:21):
the industry. What sort of numbersdo you do, whether it's within the
industry, of how many retailers youwork with or how many pieces you sell.
I'm sure you're not going to tellus how much you make, but
you know what, how can weknow the size of your company to know
the impact that you've had over theyears. Between your father and you being
(21:41):
in the industry for this long,well, you know, over the years,
we always had a very solid familybusiness that grew to a nice size.
I mean we sold over the yearsand they get being when we were
doing the independent way, we soldup parts of one hundred and fifty to
(22:02):
two hundred different retails at a time. Our products are learning that within this
luxury sector and now bringing this luxuryinnovation. You are working differently with a
more a smaller group of windows,but a much more higher level of windows.
(22:26):
So our goal is to by thistime next year to be for I'll
just say for the United States togo to do all the international take too
long, but just for the USto have a solid one hundred and fifty
seventy five locations with our brand experiencein those locations, including our own flagship
(22:53):
location which should come and be launchedby mid next year. So you've been
running your business for a long time. How many employees you said you have
two offices? How many employees doyou manage? And well, we managed
at one point as high as inmy independence side, as high as thirty
(23:18):
five. We are now adding moreevery day as we go. So you
know, right now, at betweenthe assembly part that I have and the
office part, I have about sixteen, but we're moving on very quickly adding
(23:40):
and a weekly basis with this newventure. Well, I'm sure as you're
being the entrepreneur side of what youdo, I'm sure you're scaling to being
more efficient and at the same timeexpanding like you are. So command you
for that and your designs and justbeing well organized and being able to have
(24:03):
these type of designs that are exclusivelyyours and the yours mind, ours collection,
and the intellectual property that you havewith trademarks and the patents. You've
really taken your business within the industryof the jewelry industry to the next level.
So really congratulations and continued success withwhat you're doing already. So look,
(24:30):
there's inventors, entrepreneurs, innovators,people in the jewelry industry that are
listening and listening and hoping to hearyour words of wisdom for them. What
can you share with us to keepus all moving forward in obviously being successful.
Just like you, I will say, if you're going to when you
(24:57):
do an invention in any actor,you're going to be challenging the status quo.
You're gonna be challenging the norms,challenging tradition. You will get pushback.
You will whether it's from the insidethe industry, from your sector or
outside. It's a tough battle.But when you get to when you start
(25:22):
to get out of that fight,it is well worth all that you put
into that innovation to bring it tothe world because it really does change things
and it gives that gives the worldsomething new, something fresh, something that
(25:44):
they'll love and all of the thingsthat you face. Will you feel great
when it's done? And that's whatit takes. Oh, yes, it
does. It takes a lot offixed in So already we can find your
current designs on Denuncio design dot comjust like it shows right under your name
(26:11):
there. And what else can weexpect and how else can we keep in
touch with you and watch your innovationcome to continued success. Um, if
you you'll see that our denuns You'reDesigned website, we're going to be launching
a completely new and immersive experience onthe website which looks like it'll be scheduled
(26:37):
for late September. Um. Look, follow us v you can even go
right onto our website and follow uson Facebook, Instagram and all the different
social media venues because you'll be hearinga lot of new announcements. We see
new products coming through. Um.It's it's going to be I think an
(27:00):
amazing once the holidays come, Ithink you'll see a lot of exposure for
this and we just we want toshare it with you, We want to
share it with everybody. That's great. Well, Artie congratulations. I know
there's a lot more to come.I get a chance to speak to you
(27:23):
before and after the show, soI really commend what you're doing and where
you're going. So congratulations. Thankyou very much, Brandon, thank you
for having me. Thank you,Artie. So think about it. You're
in your industry. How is itthat you're going to innovate and be that
(27:44):
next level of your industry so peopleknow who you are and to get to
that point where people have the exclusivityof what you're doing in the industry,
whether it's trademarks, patents, copyrights. Really to build your industry and what
you're doing to the next level.Congratulations already. Denuncio from Denunzio Designed and
(28:07):
everybody else, keep doing that innovation, that little bit more of whatever it
is in your industry to make adifference. Thank you, And if you'd
like to be a guest on theGot Invention Show, you can go to
got Invention show dot com. Thankyou and keep on inventing.
Welcome to the Got Invention Show.I'm your host Brian Freed, and today
our guest is Artie de Nunzio.He's from Denuncio Designed. Welcome to the
show, Artie. Oh, thankyou Brian for having me. Are you
doing You're having a great day today? Yes, I am. How about
yourself, I'm doing great? Thankyou. I know that you're going to
be sharing your experience as an inventor, entrepreneur, as a business owner and
(00:44):
definitely in the trenches of the jewelryindustry. So welcome again to the show,
Artie. Thank you. So whydon't you start off? I did
a little bit of an intro,but why don't you tell us who you
are and where you're from? Tostart with? Absolutely, as you mentioned,
I'm Artie de Nunzio. I havebeen running my own company in the
jewelry sector for forty years now,first established in nineteen fifty five, and
(01:10):
we you know, we were ona journey of as a mom and pop
family owned business supplying very fine qualityjewelry and selling it to old levels of
our industry, and that was ourforte We were known as the guys who
made some of the top quality piecesbut never sold it under a brand persona.
(01:37):
Let's say, okay, and where'syour office located? One of my
offices in Staten Island, and wealso have a location in Manhattan itself.
Okay, So, Artie, you'reon the gott Invention Show. So somehow
or another, what you're doing inthe jewelry industry is related to innovation,
(02:02):
invention. I know the entrepreneurship side, but already, why don't you give
us a little bit of kind ofthe history of the Nuncio Jewelers and designed.
Absolutely, when I first came intothe business with my father, I
was young, I was fourteen yearsold, and he was doing what a
(02:25):
family business does, was servicing privateclientele. And also they were an assembly
shop for a lot of the luxurybrands, a lot of the different manufacturers
and suppliers to the directs of theretailer. And they were more in the
background because the quality that they alwaysdid were top notch. It was always
(02:47):
some of the best in the industry. And they they were true. My
grandfather and my father were true craftsmen. They were before the era we have
now where machine enery helps us achievethings overnight. I've watched I watched people,
my father and my grandfather and alsohis staff assemble an item, let's
(03:13):
say, an original model from metalor carving it from wax, and that's
a lost start, that that that'snever used anymore in this industry. Um,
so it was. I probably startedgoing with my father at age fourteen,
and I was the coffee runner,the post office guy, and swooping
(03:36):
up the shop and I would leanover and watch all the workers and I
just it just it just captivated me. I was I was brought in to
it, and I just loved,loved watching something be neat and we as
I progressed, I went fully intothe business at seventeen, and being old
(04:03):
school gentleman like my father was,you weren't going to be getting an office
with your name on it. Youhad to go through the journey and start
from the bottom and work through yourfactory, starting from the polishing department,
which is finishing at the end,all the way straight through till I got
(04:26):
to the model making department, whichthat's where I had I think my best
attributes in Now, you gave itaway a little bit by saying fourteen and
seventeen years old that you were,But when when did all this start already?
Maybe we're going to figure out howold you are, but what year
(04:46):
was this? Just kind of figureout full time? Was eighty nineteen eighty
four? Okay, very nice already. What at the time, when your
dad was building and running his businessand you were helping him, what made
him different than anybody else that wason the streets selling jewelry. I think
(05:08):
it was the attention to the qualityand the finish. And even if it
was available to them to as simpleas doing a twisted wire brooch they could
buy the twisted wire or pre twisted, they wouldn't do that. They would
want to do it by hand.They wanted it to be that extra step
(05:32):
above industry standards, industry practice,and it drove me to do the same
throughout my journey with them, andthen after where I never I always,
I never conformed to the situations inour industry where price thinning out of peace
(05:59):
change engineer diamond quality, doing presetsettings versus handwork. And I've kept that
for the forty years throughout my hosts band and my whole career. And
that kind of leads us to whyyou're on the gott Invention Show. Tell
(06:20):
us about your business then, sowe have some information and kind of the
history of how you got into thebusiness with your dad, and here you
are. You're in the driver's seatnow, so tell us about the way
that you're running your business at thispoint. Okay. Obviously expanded the business
(06:41):
from being just producing for other companies, started making our own designs and then
going direct and selling to the retailerswho then would send itself to the end
user. I did many different thingsthat for a good portion of beginning of
my career, participated with the beersand a lot of their advertising and promotion,
(07:04):
supplying the piece that would be inthere in the ad to joining different
mom and pop groups where they wouldhave shows, than attending shows selling to
the retailer, getting in my cardriving to all different retailers to sell my
products. But always trying to dosomething a little different. You know,
(07:30):
it was a little scary because youwanted to do something a little different because
our industry has filled a lot withimitation, and you know, it was
always about trying to be the price, trying to you know, capture a
sale. I always tried to makesomething a little different, but it was
(07:53):
more staying staying within those realms,but just stepping out a little bit as
I learned and started, you know, seeing as our industry is evolving,
that it's a very tough situation tobe in where you're true innovative, innovative
(08:13):
process and your true passion to makesomething different is really limited because you're trying
to conform to the norm now alreadyin the industry. Most of the time
people in any industry, there's kindof the commodity type products and items that
(08:35):
people look for and that companies putout there. But it seemed like from
the time that you kind of evolvedfrom working with your dad and for your
dad now running the company yourself,keeping that standard of always designing, it
seems like you're you're you're really intothe innovation, looking to take it to
(08:56):
the next level. Like you're saying, so, how urgent and important is
that in your business to have thatcompetitive edge? Well, it now it
is priority making this design that takinginnovation and crossing it over to the luxury
(09:18):
jury sector is one of the mountaindrives a climb. But then also being
recognized from what you have been forthe last forty years, which is still
staying in that norm, but youknow, doing better. I'm trying to
do better quality, a little bitdifferent of a design and transforming yourself from
that to be recognized also as aluxury jury brand versus what I was.
(09:48):
Now This and this innovation I havenow is now patent in over seventy countries
and it's probably one of the mostvery few patents in jewelry and in a
design. This mechanisms is class sizingmechanisms. There are patents for that,
(10:11):
but most of the patents and ourside of the industry are focused on watch
mechanisms and different things like that.So tell us about it already while we
while we're looking at this. Itis an assembly process that I have worked
on for over fifteen years. Itallows the piece to be assembled with an
(10:37):
inside mirror of gold that now withthe diamond set above it where they're suspended.
It brings the light and refracts itthrough off the back mirror through the
diamond and elevates the look. Butalso the distinctive look gives it's such a
(11:01):
captivating feel to the to the enduser that they become immersed into it.
And it again I now with evenindustry professionals because this even the setting,
and obviously the innovation, it's hardfor them to be able to determine the
(11:31):
diamond weight the diamond size of thediamond because it maximizes the brilliance and the
appearance of that natural diamond. Doyou have one of those? Do you
have the designs in front of you? I can show here, So let's
take a look. Nothing better thanthe real thing. Absolutely If you look
(11:52):
here, what I did was wherethe holes are where the diamonds are dropped
into it. You will see theway the back inside they're elevated. They're
floated above and suspended above that insidemirror. But then obviously I still paid
homage to the tradition with the pavediamonds on the opposite side. So it's
(12:18):
bringing the innovation but also paying respectto the tradition. And this is one
style, and then there's multiple looksand multiple styles. Even here where you
have I've also done some things withtextures with the gold. If you look
(12:39):
here, you could see the flashand the way that the stones make an
appearance that they don't in traditional jewelry. And learning the process and putting a
piece of this magnitude that I'm gonnabring out now a piece like this.
(13:01):
Here taking the piece like this,But I'm a stickler for even finishing,
So even in the back, I'mfinishing the piece because I have that that
thing ingrained in me from my fatherand my grandfather. You never finish,
you never not finishing complete a piece. But a piece like this, it
(13:30):
not only is a piece of jewelry, it's really a work of art,
because just to assemble something like thistakes about two and a half months to
put the entire piece together. Seeingthem looking into this piece of jewelry and
(13:52):
immersing themselves into it and not wantingto let it go, I I it
came at the time because of allthe other things that I've had to challenge
and deal with. And now we'reso we're fully immersed into this innovation bringing
(14:16):
it to the luxury sector. Andagain, it's not trying to challenge the
industry. It's only like I've donefor many years, support and bring the
message forward of how important we areas an industry that yes, innovation does
(14:37):
work here. We now need tostep up and show the world that we
can do things, step out ofthe box, challenge the challenge the norm,
and present something amazing, you know, what already. I didn't have
a chance to tell you before.But what you showed with the heart and
(15:01):
all the diamonds that are in therebeautiful, very very impressive. I didn't
I didn't want to interrupt you thatit was stunning. I appreciate that,
Thank you, and I teed upfor us. The other innovation that you
have within your industry and within thenew Zeo designed is what I have on
(15:22):
the screen here? Can you tellus about that? Absolutely? Um,
this here was You know, Iobviously made every type of pieces jewelry throughout
my career, because you when you'refamily business and you're out there selling,
you sell whatever you can. Soyou also made bridal jewelry, you mean
fashion jewelry, you mean everything youpossibly could to make the sale and to
(15:46):
go and write orders. And sowe would do bridal jewelry. But in
bridle I tried for years to figureout a way to make something different.
But you can twist, bend,curl, flip, use different shaped diamonds
to a certain point, there's onlyso much you can do and there's nothing
(16:11):
that's not replicated to a certain degree. So I thought and thought and thought,
how do I stand out? Howdo I get bridal jewelry and even
even across the board jewelry standardized itemsthat sell every day. How do I
make a personal How do I makeit different? So I thought of globally
(16:34):
recognized icons, which is the intertwiningheart symbol, infinity symbol, single hearts,
and also the usage of birthstones.So one of the patterns is the
use of the intertwining heart symbol,which we all know means two hearts to
become one, and then having theend users birth stones within the into twining
(17:00):
hearts, then a single heart nextto that with the gemstone of the month.
Let's say the couple gets engaged.So it's a it's an incredible personalization
for anybody who loves to personalize apiece of jewelry. Then if you look
(17:21):
at the wedding man using the infinitysymbol, which has the meaning of lifelong
journey together again, we can putthe end users birdstones within that and then
a heart next to it representing thegemstone of the month the wedding occurred.
Now we've then extended the patterns.Now the one I'm gonna give you a
(17:45):
fun story about this. When Idid this, I started this concept of
very long time applied patents so manyyears ago. At the time, the
patent attorney said, I don't thinkyou're yet this because these are globally recognized
icons. It's I don't really thinkit's going to happen. Um, So
I you know, I said,you know why it was at the time,
(18:07):
was an exhorbitant amount of money wasyou know, it was many many
years ago. You're looking at twentyfive thousand dollars because patents were very expensive
back then, and I took arisk, which was a big risk,
um, And you know, along time went by, didn't hear anything
about it, so you know,just pretty much gave up on it,
you know, and said, Okay, you know, it's not gonna happen.
(18:30):
And then one day the gentleman calledand said, I don't can't believe
that I I'm gonna be able totell you this, but you actually got
those patents. And I was shocked. I was. I was pretty much
in awe of it. And Ithen as that started to develop, I've
(18:51):
then expanded on the patents and expandedto where now a popular item has always
been what they always called years agomother's ring, where across the finger the
old different colorstones or an embrace andall different colorstones. You know, fashion
has changed and industry has evolved.Consumers have evolved. They're not they love
(19:14):
the concept, but they're not soappealing to the look of a piece of
jewelry like that, so are they. You've gone through these iterations and congratulations
between trademarks and patents that you've builtup to really make an impression within the
industry and also have the intellectual propertyrights to these pieces. So right now,
(19:41):
where is your company and what doesit look like for the future of
the Nunzio designed. Right now,we are launching many platforms direct consumer and
bringing the the visual impact act ofour innovation and crossing into the jury sector,
(20:03):
launching that as we speak. Westarted it. We started already.
We're going to be going into severalinternational markets. We're going to be partnering
with some very high end luxury globalretailers, luxury retailers domestically and international.
What I foresee for the future isI want to share this innovation with the
(20:32):
consumer because the one thing that Idid learn about it is it's not a
story you can tell, it's it'san experience. And when the consumer experiences
it. I see the joy itbrings to them, and so moving forward,
our mission is to share this withas many people as we can,
(20:57):
and even the end It doesn't meanthe end user has to own it,
but at least share it with thembecause it's such an incredible visual impact already.
Just to get an idea and howeveryou want to answer this, but
how can we get an understanding ofthe level of impact that you've had on
(21:21):
the industry. What sort of numbersdo you do, whether it's within the
industry, of how many retailers youwork with or how many pieces you sell.
I'm sure you're not going to tellus how much you make, but
you know what, how can weknow the size of your company to know
the impact that you've had over theyears. Between your father and you being
(21:41):
in the industry for this long,well, you know, over the years,
we always had a very solid familybusiness that grew to a nice size.
I mean we sold over the yearsand they get being when we were
doing the independent way, we soldup parts of one hundred and fifty to
(22:02):
two hundred different retails at a time. Our products are learning that within this
luxury sector and now bringing this luxuryinnovation. You are working differently with a
more a smaller group of windows,but a much more higher level of windows.
(22:26):
So our goal is to by thistime next year to be for I'll
just say for the United States togo to do all the international take too
long, but just for the USto have a solid one hundred and fifty
seventy five locations with our brand experiencein those locations, including our own flagship
(22:53):
location which should come and be launchedby mid next year. So you've been
running your business for a long time. How many employees you said you have
two offices? How many employees doyou manage? And well, we managed
at one point as high as inmy independence side, as high as thirty
(23:18):
five. We are now adding moreevery day as we go. So you
know, right now, at betweenthe assembly part that I have and the
office part, I have about sixteen, but we're moving on very quickly adding
(23:40):
and a weekly basis with this newventure. Well, I'm sure as you're
being the entrepreneur side of what youdo, I'm sure you're scaling to being
more efficient and at the same timeexpanding like you are. So command you
for that and your designs and justbeing well organized and being able to have
(24:03):
these type of designs that are exclusivelyyours and the yours mind, ours collection,
and the intellectual property that you havewith trademarks and the patents. You've
really taken your business within the industryof the jewelry industry to the next level.
So really congratulations and continued success withwhat you're doing already. So look,
(24:30):
there's inventors, entrepreneurs, innovators,people in the jewelry industry that are
listening and listening and hoping to hearyour words of wisdom for them. What
can you share with us to keepus all moving forward in obviously being successful.
Just like you, I will say, if you're going to when you
(24:57):
do an invention in any actor,you're going to be challenging the status quo.
You're gonna be challenging the norms,challenging tradition. You will get pushback.
You will whether it's from the insidethe industry, from your sector or
outside. It's a tough battle.But when you get to when you start
(25:22):
to get out of that fight,it is well worth all that you put
into that innovation to bring it tothe world because it really does change things
and it gives that gives the worldsomething new, something fresh, something that
(25:44):
they'll love and all of the thingsthat you face. Will you feel great
when it's done? And that's whatit takes. Oh, yes, it
does. It takes a lot offixed in So already we can find your
current designs on Denuncio design dot comjust like it shows right under your name
(26:11):
there. And what else can weexpect and how else can we keep in
touch with you and watch your innovationcome to continued success. Um, if
you you'll see that our denuns You'reDesigned website, we're going to be launching
a completely new and immersive experience onthe website which looks like it'll be scheduled
(26:37):
for late September. Um. Look, follow us v you can even go
right onto our website and follow uson Facebook, Instagram and all the different
social media venues because you'll be hearinga lot of new announcements. We see
new products coming through. Um.It's it's going to be I think an
(27:00):
amazing once the holidays come, Ithink you'll see a lot of exposure for
this and we just we want toshare it with you, We want to
share it with everybody. That's great. Well, Artie congratulations. I know
there's a lot more to come.I get a chance to speak to you
(27:23):
before and after the show, soI really commend what you're doing and where
you're going. So congratulations. Thankyou very much, Brandon, thank you
for having me. Thank you,Artie. So think about it. You're
in your industry. How is itthat you're going to innovate and be that
(27:44):
next level of your industry so peopleknow who you are and to get to
that point where people have the exclusivityof what you're doing in the industry,
whether it's trademarks, patents, copyrights. Really to build your industry and what
you're doing to the next level.Congratulations already. Denuncio from Denunzio Designed and
(28:07):
everybody else, keep doing that innovation, that little bit more of whatever it
is in your industry to make adifference. Thank you, And if you'd
like to be a guest on theGot Invention Show, you can go to
got Invention show dot com. Thankyou and keep on inventing.
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