Juan Acevedo was born in Puerto Rico in 1960 and moved to Florida in 1980. In 1983 he decided to open a small jewelry operation in a “Jewelry Exchange” (Jewelry Exchange is a large store with many different owners operating in small booth, all under one roof). The little experience that he had was passed down by his older sister and brother in-law. It was very scary for him, like “being surrounded by wolves”, in a sense, since all the other owners had years of experience in the jewelry business. But, it paid off. Years later all other owners moved out and Juan Acevedo remained in the same location for the next 24 years.