Meet Mannin's Master Craftsman
Where and how did you get your start in the jewelry business?
I was born in Santiago, Chile. When I was 16, I took on an apprenticeship with my uncle, who made jewelry for customers in Paris and custom orders for the wealthy in Santiago. I learned to make all pieces completely by hand, from the rolling and cutting of the gold sheets to designing the gallery and shank of the ring. The art of creating the gallery of the ring is a dying craft, it is quite specialized and not often done today.
Why did you come to the United States?
I left Santiago because there was no money for craftsmen. I came to the US in 1964 in hopes of utilizing my craft and saving up enough to move back. My sister was in Los Angeles with her husband, who was working for GM. I had always intended on going back to my country but I ended up becoming an American citizen and making Los Angeles my home and livelihood. It has been a good place to keep my craft alive.
How did you get your beginnings here and what was the jewelry business like at the time?
I first worked for a store on 7th and Olive called Donovan Simmons. Back then, there was no jewelry district downtown, rather it was more high-end jewelry stores that produced custom handmade pieces in the back of the shop. I then went to work at the Donnovan Simmons store on Fairfax and Wilshire, another area in LA that was populated by high-end jewelry stores, and again I made all the handmade pieces on site. My third job before I opened my own business was on S. Beverly Drive (where I currently have my office and workshop) at a store called Raymond & Co. This time marks a change in the jewelry industry; people were ordering less handmade pieces and stores started a shift to stocked jewelry. It was about volume and fast turn around versus quality.
When did you open your own shop and what were the changes you saw at this time?
In 1972, I opened my current business on S. Beverly Dr in Beverly Hills. At the time I had a partner, a fellow bench jeweler by the name of Louis Mederos. I had been trained to produce handcrafted jewelry, while Louis was more skilled in casting and stock jewelry. Our first customers were big distributors who supplied stock jewelry to stores like, Neiman Marcus, Saks and Gumps. By the mid 80s we had a thriving business and employed 18 bench jewelers. But with that much work, though, a lot of details were lost. The industry had become less worried about design, and more concerned with producing and selling cheap. All the while, I maintained the high quality hand made custom orders.
When did you see a shift in the Los Angeles jewelry industry to what it is today?
At this time Beverly Hills was known as the best place in LA for quality jewelry. Besides the well-known stores on Rodeo, such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, there were a handful of jewelry stores on Beverly Dr., which made it quite a competitive business. There was also the jewelers building at 9441 Wilshire Blvd., where many other artisans for the trade had workspace, ie. polishers, stone setters, engravers. The shift to the downtown Jewelry District as we know it today started to happen in the late 70s and early 80s. By the 90s, a lot of the jewelers and tradesmen at the 9441 building had moved downtown. Today, in general, downtown is known for less expensive and lower quality jewelry.
What are some trends you've seen throughout your years as a jeweler?
In Chile, it was more about traditional, high-end pieces made in platinum, that were less about the fashion. Dainty, traditional yellow gold pieces were popular in the 60s. In the 1970s nugget and florentine finishes were in, along with lots of colored stones, especially rubies and opals. In the 80s I saw a lot of gold, big chunky bold pieces, and in the 90s it was back to platinum and diamonds, a bit more fancy and traditional. The demand for 18k gold returned in the 2000s and has continued to gain popularity.
What is your favorite part about the trade?
There is always a challenge in the creation. I love the problem solving. It keeps my mind busy.
