Paul Morelli

Artist Statement:
"A lot of jewelry designers manufacture their designs in Asia, but we make everything here in Philadelphia so the quality is controlled and second-to-none. We only use the very best raw materials, and we're often told that the color of our gold is different from everyone else's. We generally work in 18-karat yellow gold, and we make our own special alloy in-house - gold alloy is a mixture of pure gold, silver, copper, nickel and other elements, and depending on the mix the shade of the material changes.
All of our product development is also done in Philadelphia. I come up with new concepts on pencil and paper, and these are catalogued in chronological order. Eventually we review everything and choose one idea to develop, and our model-makers transform the drawings into an initial prototype. Sometimes we work by hand with wax or clay, and sometimes we use computer-aided design software and 3D printers or a five-axis milling machine - in the old days people were trained to carve by hand, but nowadays young artists use computer modeling as a new form of skilled craftsmanship. If we decide to move forward then a second prototype is made, and often a third too, and eventually we make a finished original piece and put it into production. It might last for only one season, or it might become a classic. Often a whole collection is built around one great piece. We've set up our design house in the tradition of the old European masters. Both of my parents are Italian, and there are a lot of Italian fashion companies that keep it all in the family - and we run a family business too, although this wasn't planned intentionally. My brother runs the production studio, my youngest daughter runs the public relations and advertising department, my eldest daughter's husband manages the office and my wife Anne Marie is the face of Paul Morelli in New York City. Most of us work together in a building that my dad owns. He worked here as a costume designer for 50 years. It's a Beaux Arts building, it's very ornate and it was built in 1901. There are lots of big windows and skylights, and it's perfect for what we do because we need a lot of light.
We employ about 30 people, most of whom are artisans. We've learned to train people out of art schools instead of the usual industry types. We have friends who are department heads at art schools in the Philadelphia area, and they send us the best jewelry and metalwork students. We pretty much train arts graduates how to do what I do, and that's great because I'm pretty much self-taught. I don't approach things as most people would; instead I've learnt how to make unique jewelry by trial and error. I always strive for the best and I've created all these little monsters that work for me, who have all become as particular as I am. We're making these little monuments, and it's probably no different from making a building or fashion garment, but when everything is smaller it all becomes very intricate and tricky." Paul Morelli