At age 62, Al  Paramito is living his dream, doing every day what he always wanted to do.  His successful career in the jewelry business has come full circle and he finds himself designing the kind of unique, signature pieces he dreamed of when he first started the business forty years ago. "Now I have this little arty place.  People come from all over the tri-state area, from everywhere. I do a lot of design work, special one-of-a-kind type pieces for the individual who wants a fine piece of jewelry made just for them."

At the turn of his career, Al has rediscovered his passion for design. He is designing pieces for clients he has serviced for over forty years. He states that he can't wait to get to work each day at his retail shop. "I wake each day, I love what I do, it's wonderful," he said. Paramito Jewelers is located at 2110 East Route 70, Cherry Hill, NJ (856 652 9900)

All opened his own repair business on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. He serviced large department stores of the time including Lit Brothers, John Wannamakers, Gimbles and Bailey, Banks and Biddle. "We were one of the first to make jewelry repairs while you wait. We were the jewelers in the center of the corridor at John Wannamakers setting rings, remounts and repairs while people watched us," he explains.

In 1976, he was recognized by then Mayor John Rizzo and designed for the Bicentennial Medal, awarded to the winner of the Miss Bicentenial Pageant.  In 1995, he also designed a heart for Lennox. Al found success with IEI, based in Princeton, NJ, designing jewelry for the Japanese market. "Quite a few of my pieces flew of the shelves to Japan," he said.

Al described jewelry as a personal business based on trust and respect. Al has many customers who have become his friends. "In this business, people trust you. They respect you. They become your friend, All through my 40 years in this business, I have been worthy of their trust. People expect the best and I give them my best. I don't have big billboards, a lot of advertising. All I have is my face and I can face anybody. It's a great feeling at this point in my life," he adds.