From Our Family to Yours My father was a talented and widely respected jeweler in Vietnam. In the old days, in my home country, it was considered a great privilege and honor to apprentice with him. One was more than willing to tolerate the six months or so spent cleaning the shop, polishing and making jump rings, only to "progress" to spending day after day making simple wedding bands--just to be asked to melt them down and start over because they weren't round enough! The great mystery of why he was so hard on us was finally revealed to me the day he said, "If you want to be a good jeweler, it takes skill and repetition. To be a 'great jeweler' also requires patience, dedication, courage, and a special love for your trade. Having these qualities makes you worthy to work in my shop." Today at Galatea, we have an Olympic team of jewelers all of whom share our philosophy and love for the trade. We create each piece of our jewelry as if it is to be worn by our own beloved.