Dmitry Gindin is an expert on Stradivari violins, sometimes even hunting them down. Why all violins look the same to a layman, how he discovers valuable instruments, and why they are a good investment.
For part of the year, Dmitry Gindin, 57, resides in a 13th-century stately home in the hills of Florence. Gindin is a dealer, appraiser and expert in high quality Italian stringed instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries. Whenever a Stradivarius, Guarneri or Bergonzi changes hands for many millions anywhere in the world, the native Russian very often has his fingers in the pie.