A 140-year family tradition is something special. Over this long period, our family has developed a special bond with classically beautiful jewellery and valuable watches. Our wealth of experience has been passed down from generation to generation and forms today the basis of our comprehensive expertise, which enables us to advise our customers with a high level of competence.
In 1884, my great-great-grandfather, Josef Ranzi Snr, opened our shop in Bolzano. He had completed his apprenticeship as a goldsmith in 1877 by his aunt, Mrs. Katherina Leiss. It was not until 1903 that he had the three typical red marble arches added to his shop at Museumstraße 14B, which was still called „Fleischgasse” at the time. They still characterize our facade today. Back then, Josef Ranzi Snr. sold gold and silver jewellery, but also many ecclesiastical items, as can still be seen in old photos. For 52 years, he successfully led the business through difficult times. With his wife Anna Laner from Bruneck/Brunico, he had two sons - Johann and Josef..
In 1936, my great-grandfather Johann Ranzi took over the business after completing his apprenticeship in Germany. He ran it with the support of his wife Maria Stoffner until 1985, for a total of 49 years. In the post-war years, the demand for Italian-made gold jewellery boomed. Many people were able to buy higher quality jewellery and brand-name watches thanks to the newly created general prosperity. Johann had seven children; his eldest son was Josef.
My grandfather Josef, born in 1936, worked for several years as a goldsmith at the court jeweller Hämmerle in Munich, where he also met his wife, Luise. In 1985, he took over the business in Bolzano together with her, his son Hannes and his wife Hanni (my parents). After just a few years, he left the management to them.
From 1989 onwards, my parents constantly expanded the range in the luxury segment, adding exclusive brands such as Omega, IWC, Breitling, Hublot, Breguet, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Chopard, Piaget etc. to the assortment. In 2000, the interior was completely renovated and modernised, and brand-name watches and high-quality jewellery became increasingly important. Alongside my parents, Karl Pobitzer, my father's childhood friend, worked with us for 35 years, and we owe him a significant part of our success. Since 1997, Barbara Zen has been an important trusted member of our team.
After completing my studies, I worked for an international jeweller in Vienna for 2 years. I returned to Bolzano in 2008 and took over the business in 2010. In 2014 we carried out an extensive renovation, with an increase in space and a new interior design. For more than 10 years I have been working with Karl's son, Laurin Pobitzer, who now has an important role in our business. Marco Zandanel, currently our youngest employee, has completed our team since 2020.
