In 1983, the Gemmological Shop Astucci opened its doors in Valenza. The idea, from Mario and Antonina, was to create a go-to shop for anyone who needed tailor-made solutions in the world of jewelry. Little by little, customers came to understand that presenting a fine piece of jewelry well meant giving it packaging of the same quality.
It was the first half of the 1990s, and Made in Italy production was typically carried out right there in the Valenza area; it was almost a given that no Chinese or foreign companies were producing it. For years my parents relied on local artisans, growing together and building a business that still exists today.
Toward the end of the 1990s, thanks to globalization, the jewelry world changed, and with it the world of packaging. Jewelry production, once exclusively Italian, was now being outsourced to China, where costs were lower and output higher.
In 1996 I, Luca, son of Antonina and Mario, joined the company. At first we followed the trend of the Chinese market and imported cases directly, both for our shop and for customers who wanted a customized line in shape, color, interior and materials. What we always kept making in Italy, in our own workshop, were counter trays, safe boxes, window displays and display cases — we had our own carpenter who prepared the shells for us, and we would cover or finish them if they were painted.
After 2010 the business changed again: many Chinese case wholesalers began selling directly in Italy, to our own customers, so little by little we decided to leave imported items behind and make what our customers wanted ourselves, with our own quantities and our own know-how.
After the Covid period, many companies stopped wanting imported items and started looking for Italian manufacturers instead. Over the last two years we have become 100% self-sufficient: we buy the raw materials and make our boxes, trays, displays and display cases in-house. We have expanded our range of cases, adding, alongside our high-jewelry line, other intermediate models to meet our customers' needs. Quantities remain flexible: our minimum order starts from a single piece, upward.
What we want our customers to take away is that turnover isn't what matters — what matters is building a relationship of trust and respect, through which we create, together, a product that they love and that satisfies them.
More recently we have added the possibility of 3D-printed products, for projects that cannot be made by hand; we work with skilled lacquerers to give plastic cases or wooden display cases a glossy or matte finish, and we are partnering with other companies to create jewelry cases in plexiglass.
Over the years we have worked with a number of luxury brands, from Valenza and beyond, but we generally prefer not to use our clients' names for publicity — we would rather let our quality, our service and our products speak for themselves.
— Luca Pasero