Merù Gioielli

Its founder, Francesco Mereu, had left Sardinia to attend the School of Art and Crafts in Milan, where he graduated with honors as a watchmaker; he possessed nothing but his great creativity and entrepreneurial skills that allowed him to achieve success.
In 1960, at the age of 26, Francesco decided to set up his own business, repairing watches and antique objects of various kinds; in Via Solferino, in the Brera district, a small shop had been opened in a small shop.
Palazzi Editori had a monthly magazine called Bellezza, which produced a photo shoot of the objects sold in the small shop; the article published called Francesco "il Merù" because the caretaker of the apartment building in Via Solferino, being a Milanese doc, could not pronounce the final diphthong of the surname Mereu, and pronounced Merù.
The thing was very funny, friends laughed. However "Merù" was an original name; so Francesco went to the patent and trademark office to file it and put the plate outside the shop.
He had already obtained a licence as a gold salesman, but at the time his main activity remained that of high-precision watchmaking. However, as customers also began to ask for precious stones, Francesco enrolled in an evening gemmology course. Over time, Francesco began to devote himself more and more to gold and precious and semi-precious materials that were mixed with poor materials to create original creations.
The shop in Via Solferino began to be set up with external windows and internal showcases.
Merù became increasingly famous and attracted the attention of the fashion press. The creations began to appear in fashion magazines (Grazia, Gioia, Anna Bella, Anna, Amica). During the 80s there was the real explosion of Merù's fame in Milan, "because we sold these original and absurd things that nobody had" says Francesco. Merù became a very successful local brand/teacher brand. During the Christmas period there is a queue outside the small shop in Via Solferino.