I’m a third generation jeweler and my grandfather had a jewelry store in Cuba.  My family fled communism in 1965 to the United States and were relocated to Chicago.  They realized the American dream and opened a store, “La Perlaita”.  The store was successful as a retail and manufacturing space with accounts including Sears and Roebuck.  Later my father would move to Miami and open “Dos Perlas”. Here he would teach me and my older brothers how to be jewelers.  I spent my childhood polishing, shooting waxes, drawing, and learning sitting next to my father at his bench.  After Sept 11th I decided to serve my country and joined the United States Marine Corps. Eight years and three deployments later, I left the Marines in 2011.  I then enrolled at the Gemological Institute of America.  GIA is the foremost authority on diamonds, colored stones, and pearls.  Attending GIA was an opportunity of a lifetime.  Not only did I receive a great education but, I made lifelong friends and colleagues throughout the jewelry industry.