Before judging John Apel jewels, you need to know the true passions of the founder of the American brand, John Apelian: oil painting and gardening. It is not a very common aspect among jewelry designers. But John Apelian has a different story from the others: he was born in Istanbul, Turkey, learning the family business: leather tanning. And his unique combination of chemical expertise and innate creative talent allowed him to introduce new colors into the leather tanning process. Then, he taught in a technical school, but he also worked with a small jewelry company. There, the spark for jewelry struck.
In 1976, John and his wife Hilda emigrated to the United States, where the designer opened a small jewelry repair shop and, in 1991, founded his own manufacturing and design company under the Italian name DiLaro. Fortunately, in 2006, Apelian chose to change the name of the brand with one closer to him. For his jewels he uses platinum or 18 karat gold, together with gems, while for his creations he is inspired by nature. Among the features there is also a line with rose-cut diamonds, a traditional shape widely used in the East, because the origins, after all, are never forgotten.
