"We're the Torres Dellapina Family. Together, we've been creating beautiful jewelry art to accompany our shoppers on all occasions for 50 years." <br><br>
Alfonso's sons, Gino and Gary, tell us about the project their great grandfather started in 1943 and how their father, Alfonso, was able to keep this family legacy going. <br><br>
"At the age of 18, <i>don</i> Alfonso decided it was time to start working for himself. He had worked with his father, Jose Torres Salcedo, a well-known jewelry craftsman and president of Peru's Federacion de Artesanos de la Sociedad Nacional de Industrias. <br><br>
"It wasn't easy. He set up a work area on the roof of his grandmother's house and crafted his first designs with the help of his younger brother and some neighborhood friends. Finding a place to set up a workshop was complicated, although it would give them more freedom to create. But the project was so small, they couldn't join the Federacion de Artesanos. This didn't stop my great grandfather. He had set his mind to working on a larger scale. <br><br>
"Don Alfonso and other colleagues established the Comite de la Pequena Industria de la SIN, and he was elected secretary. He took advantage of the position to teach other young entrepreneurs to never give up their dreams. 'Failure is also a kind of success,' he always said. It's something we face every day. The idea is to always look toward the future with optimism despite our mistakes, because this makes us stronger. <br><br>
"From that moment, <i>don</i> Alfonso was recognized as an entrepreneur in his own right. In addition, he became a counselor for others who sought support to make their workshops grow." <br><br>
Gino talks about how his father and his family are a great source of inspiration. They maintain the family traditions so important in working together. <br><br>
"We consider ourselves dynamic and creative, traditional and very hardworking," he says. "For us, quality is always what's most important. <br><br>
"Our dreams are always present and we want our name to reach across borders in the world. We want to offer our designs to many other shoppers and continue sharing our traditions, our culture and our work. <br><br>
"Thanks to his experience working with his father, Alfonso Junior has taught courses on small businesses, marketing and international commerce. Today, he is planning to create a web page to teach young entrepreneurs how to establish and administer a small or micro business. <br><br>
"Together, we want to continue achieving our goals and sharing our designs with others. We also want to continue teaching our courses and workshops, which are always open to everyone who wants to become a part of the wonderful world of jewelry. <br><br>
"We're happy to be a part of the Novica family. Now we're members of a worldwide community and we love it."
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