MUSIC IS THE RHYTHM OF THE HEART

By Kathy Fox

What started many years ago as part of the family business has recently been rekindled when Ron Paliotta, aka the Bangle King, decided to make jewelry. Now a resident of Spring Hill, Tennessee, Paliotta and his wife, Cheryl, are manufacturing and making handmade jewelry for Music & Heart Jewelry.

For many years, Paliotta worked in the family jewelry business with his father and brother. He learned some of his tooling techniques from his father Mario, who emigrated to America during the Great Depression and ventured to America to pursue his American dream. During those tough times, Mario’s luck changed when he started the family jewelry-finding company in Rhode Island. To his credit, he became the first American to make a bangle bracelet out of steel on a power press machine by winding them by hand on the lathe. At that time, other makers used brass, but couldn’t figure out how to make them out of steel on a machine until Mario’s youngest son, Ron, succeeded. Hence, Ron’s nickname, the Bangle King.

As Paliotta explained, “We made lots of trendy jewelry including mood rings, bangles made out of steel, and scarf holders, in addition to the findings and components jewelry manufacturers used to make their jewelry pieces. When my father retired, my brother and I each owned half the company, but I eventually left the business after 40 years.” Paliotta, a United States Army veteran, then began working for Vinston U.S. Corporation selling Camless CNC machinery to manufacturing companies that make springs for doors, windows, and other items.

Time passed and Paliotta began to miss the jewelry business he knew so well and started thinking about how to get back in the business. “I never made finished jewelry before. The family business sold findings to over 400 jewelry manufacturer businesses that put it all together. I started looking at bracelets in stores and came up with the adjustable wire bracelet design,” he said. The Bangle King not only designed the adjustable wire bangle bracelet, but he holds the design patent for it which he received in 2017. Paliotta articulated, “Hey, I’m 75 years old and it’s never too late to start something new!”

With Ron acting as the operations manager and Cheryl the actual owner, Music & Heart Jewelry is aptly named for Nashville since it is known as Music City. “Music is the rhythm of the heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks or sings. Music speaks what the heart thinks,” said Cheryl. The collection includes the patented adjustable wire bangle bracelet, oval wire handmade bracelets, necklaces, and earrings made in the USA in Spring Hill. Paliotta also uses charms on the bracelets such as a guitar, music scale, piano, boot, cowboy, heart, and other charms related to the music and heart. The jewelry pieces are 22-karat gold-plated and platinum-plated and even come with a guaranteed replacement.

Music & Heart Jewelry makes great bridal party and special occasion gifts and is currently available at The Painted Tree Marketplace in Franklin or online at musicandheartjewelry.com. Paliotta’s jewelry can also be found at the Country Tonite in the Smoky Mountains, and he hopes to have the collection at BNA airport soon. Follow them on Facebook at Music & Heart Jewelry.