Uptown is an exciting and booming area that consists of businesses young and old on every corner. No one is a better candidate to discuss the robust business side of Uptown than our very own Paolo Salamone. Paolo and a group of designers formed Paolo, A Modern Jeweler, on Ludlow Avenue in 1993. The jeweler specializes in custom, classic and modern jewelry designs, including platinum, gold, silver, diamond, and gemstone jewelry.
We sat down with longtime Cincinnati local to discuss his career as a jeweler, what he's doing now and his time in the Uptown community.
Why did you decide to get into the jewelry business?
Well, it's a fun story. I always collected stamps little rocks and stones when I was growing up and was always a collector of some sort. When my father sent me up to get a piece of jewelry fixed, I met the jeweler and enjoyed the store so much that I ended up working for him when I came home from college. Shortly after, Ezio Oliverio, a family friend and master jeweler, took me under his wing, and here we are 30 years later both enjoying great success. Ezio still comes in checks on everything.
Why did you decide to set up your business in the Clifton Gaslight area?
The Ludlow Garage at the time (about 30 years ago) actually consisted of just a couple of small shops, and it was a very Bohemian style. One of my friends said, "Why don't you open up a little shop here?" We opened shortly thereafter in 1993 and decided that Clifton Gaslight was perfect. I went to the University of Kentucky and then continued my education at the University of Cincinnati, so I was already living in the area. I like the Gaslight District simply because of its history, and the amount of foot traffic. It also made sense because the neighborhood needed a good local jeweler.
What made you stay in the area? What do you like most about having your shop located here?
I would say just being in Uptown Cincinnati, we love the area.
I realize Uptown is a relatively new term, but I just love the whole Gaslight District, Avondale, and Clifton itself. There are major universities surrounding us and major hospitals as well, most within almost walking distance of our studio, so it's a great area to make a name for yourself, as a jewelry designer.
Can you talk a little bit more about your jewelry specifically? What makes it unique?
We're Italian designers, with a classic and modern aesthetic. We offer very modern, clean designs, 90% of which we create ourselves. The rest of our collection is estate jewelry. We also have a collection of beautiful vintage jewelry and period pieces.
Our slogan is “Whatever you like.” So, when someone visits or shops our website, they may purchase a ready-to-wear piece, or they tell us exactly what they're looking for. When creating jewelry, we source the stones and use all recycled metal, which seems to interest people. When we design with a client in our studio, it’s a very relaxing, modern, and almost spa-like atmosphere. You may have a glass of tea, water with lemon, or a nice glass of white wine. Then we literally design right there with you.
What does that design process look like?
We generally start with a chat just over the phone to find out what someone's interested in. Sometimes we'll have a virtual chat to look at their old pieces for redesign or show them some designs in advance.
I visit with the client, and find out what they are interested in. The key distinction here is that we want to be their personal jeweler. We’d like to design jewelry with them, as well as let them shop our extensive ready-to-wear collections, all the while offering excellent client service. We have everything laid out, so when they visit the studio we're prepared, and the client understands the process.
Can you tell us more about the date night package that you offer?
The Paolo Date Night Experience includes a handmade yellow diamond necklace, dinner at Prime Cincinnati, and a $500 gift certificate for a Paolo jewelry makeover.
The guests sit and relax with a glass of wine, we give them a tour and complete their Paolo jewelry makeover. Then they head to dinner at Prime Cincinnati downtown. In the event that we host big charity events or VIP guests, we will include an evening at Hotel Covington. They check into the hotel, car service to and from the hotel is provided, they visit us and then enjoy a nice romantic dinner at Coppin’s before retiring to their suite.
Thinking about those custom pieces you've created; do you have any favorites that you helped design or redesign that are some of your favorites? And can you describe them?
The first that comes to my mind is the Misty ring, which is named after a friend. It's a beautiful modern design where we bar set a diamond or gemstone. It’s beautiful and extremely popular. We have our split bar pendant as well, which is two bars that can hold either a diamond or the top of a sentimental ring. We can actually set the top of the ring, intact into the pendant, which is really unique.
Our most popular design is called sleek and is extremely popular. It's a slender bar that can be shaped in several ways. It can be rounded, squared, or rectangular shaped. We then set a beautiful diamond or gemstone into the sleek pendant. These designs are highly customizable so, we have the client pick the design, width, depth, finish, metal, and the stone to create something just for them and their liking. Most of Paolo’s designs have matching sets, including rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.
With the holidays just around the corner, please contact Paolo directly 513-751-2171 or visit his website and see what he has to offer you or a loved one. He is available by appointment on Wednesday-Saturday at 278 Ludlow Ave. Gaslight Clifton.