Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Pinto.
Hi Jacqueline, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
First off, thank you so much for having me. Im excited to tell you how I got here. I have to begin with the truth. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed with the jewelry I saw in all the high-end stores in my local Miami. I would go to the stores thinking that it would be easy to create something special or personal and instead, I found nothing special. Nothing, that really jumped out at me. I always had this idea that jewelry should be a personal art piece. Instead, I found stones that didn’t have any life, I found settings in gold that I thought were poor quality. So, I walked out of those jewelry stores realizing that I had to create something different. But, I had no idea how I was going to do this. I started making costume jewelry. I went to our Miami Downtown area and bought a whole bunch of beads worth $250 and started to create pieces. Little by little, I started selling them to people. I took a class on how to assemble jewelry and then I started growing. I started creating jewelry pieces that I started putting in boutiques and in spas, such as the Mandarin Oriental and I started learning the business side of jewelry. I always dreamed of creating fine jewelry pieces, but I knew it would be a rough road. I didn’t come from a lineage of fine jewelry makers. I didn’t come from a family jewelry business, so I saw it very difficult to even think that I would be allowed into this world. But, I kept sketching out different jewelry pieces that I wanted to create. One of the first pieces I sketched, was this vintage looking medal that you could engrave your initials on. I drew it and took it to a jeweler in downtown. I started working with him on some other pieces and I guess he saw that I had such a passion and determination to grow that he offered to show me how to make these pieces. I spent one whole summer working side-by-side, right next to him. One thing lead to another and he started introducing me to a whole bunch of people in the industry. I later found out that he was actually a professor at the art school in downtown Miami that taught jewelry designing. This man opened the door for me to become Jacqueline Pinto, Fine Jewelry. I have gone growing and have taken some classes with Van Cleef and Arpels In NYC to further my knowledge of history through jewelry. I always have a great want to continue learning about jewelry pieces because to me, they represent a person’s story. Jewelry represents history that can be handed down from one generation to the next.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has it been a smooth road? When you think of something, such as an idea in your head of what you think something should be, it never really works out so easy as you plan. The reality is you never know until you actually do it. It’s not about it being a smooth road, but it’s about knowing that there will be bumps along the way because the world is not the idea that you make it to be. The world is. And it’s our job to adjust to the circumstances that life throws our way if we want to survive and become successful at something. I started my career when I was pregnant with my third baby. Right off the bat, starting anything after your third baby is difficult. But it takes great determination, and a great support system, like my husband, who has been my cheerleader in my darkest days. There have been times that I have wanted to quit but I always go back to the day that he told me if you start this, you cannot quit. And it’s still one of the most motivating factors that pushes me through those dry spells. It’s hard to say that it’s rough because in reality, when you love what you do, you figure out that these obstacles make you love what you do even more. It’s a complex puzzle that keeps shifting and you have to keep figuring it out your next move and be quick on your feel if want to succeed. You want to reach the next client, you want to make that other engagement ring, you want your jewelry to be able to tell the story in so many people’s lives.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m happy to say that when clients have walked out of my office they look at me bewildered, sometimes even puzzled. And I’m always scared to ask, but I do. I ask what they’re thinking when we’re done and I just finished turning in the piece that we’ve been designing. It’s funny, because at first I was scared to know the answer, but it amazes me to hear it. More often than not, they tell me that they can’t believe that they’ve been looking everywhere to be able to do what they’ve done with me and they can’t find it anywhere in Miami. Not even in the highest national stores or even in the highest local stores. I can’t believe that Im able to offer my client’s that special service that I couldn’t find anywhere else. That personalized experience in custom jewelry, Im the little hidden gem that keeps giving. I’ll make it easy to design your own custom jewelry. Not only do I provide the type of service that not too many people provide, but I make it easy for so many people that think it can’t be done. I feel really proud when compared to top jewelry brands, and providing a service that others have not been able to fulfill. It sets me apart.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The biggest lesson that I’ve learned during Covid was being able to adjust to all circumstances. During Covid, at its very beginning in March 2020 to April 2020 there was a question of what would happen once the world stood still. I think there was about a week that I was still working and talking to my team figuring out how we were going to continue the jobs we had, but also to continue with my dream of making new items because we had so many of our clients who still had a want for new items. Everybody was working out of their houses and I had a decision to make at that point: do I stop everything or do I figure out a way to get these pieces done? I pushed through, all while being very careful. I would drive all over Miami to ensure that our pieces were being done correctly, all while spraying down packages before we even opened them. We had two of our jewelers set up shop at their houses and our CAD artist and castor were still working out of downtown. They could go in time schedules so it became very apparent to me that adjustment was the most important factor to learn from COVID-19. Once we learned how to adjust, it was one of our fastest-growing years.
Pricing:
- Right now, the market is crazy. Diamonds have increased in cost about 15% just since last quarter.
- Gold continues to increase. We are about to hit the level that were back in 2006 when gold was at its peak of $2,000.
- For our concierge pieces, we start at $2,500 with the current prices of gold. Then we have our line pieces that can be found on our website.
Contact Info:
- Email: Info@jacquelinepinto.
com - Website: Www.Jacquelinepinto.
com - Instagram: @jacquelinepintoinc
Image Credits
Cocomichele
