The Diamond District of New York City is known as the hidden gem of the city. Meet Izzy A., the managing partner of the luxury connoisseur jewelry store NYC Luxury Co in NYC’s Diamond District. NYC Luxury jeweler Izzy hopes to become the leading hub for pristine pendants and customized pieces. Outside of the NYC urban scene, Izzy most recently provided R & B sensation “Jacquees” a new custom Cartier watch on February 18th, 2020. Izzy plans on continuing his success in the diamond industry by being the leader in the urban scene through his creative pieces.
Recently, Terrell Thomas caught up with Izzy A to learn more about the jewelry business and his secrets to success. Check out the interview below. Much love to Follow @eldorado2452 on Twitter and Instagram for all your music and entertainment news.
Much love to Avery MsArtistry
1.) Do you believe customer service is key to for your relationships with clients ?
I like to have an open and honest relationship with my clients. I treat everyone that shops with me like extended family. That’s how I’ve been able to maintain the continued success that I’ve had in the business since I’ve been in it. I don’t like treating anyone like a customer. Whether or not someone has spent $5,000 with me or $50,000 I treat them with respect and show that I actually care about them. I take the time to learn about my guys. When their birthdays come around or to congratulate them when they have a new child. Give them a call when they do something amazing in their field of profession i.e.: celebrate a new house sold if their in the business of flipping homes, or post a crazy highlight if they are a professional athlete who has a great game, or show my merchandise with new music playing from an artist that happens to be my client. Whatever it takes to show genuine love for my people that extends beyond them JUST spending money with me.
2.) The Diamond District is a very competitive strip in NYC how do you stand out?
First and foremost, everything I do, I do with God and my family in mind first. I’m always humbled and thankful for whatever success I’ve been able to experience because I know nothing in life is promised, and I’m blessed to be doing this for the ones I love and myself. Beyond that, the drive and vision to continue to think outside the box and grow my brand and my company with my partner has always been a motivation for me. We started from nothing and to have grown our company by looking for outside the box solutions and ways to work smarter not harder. While taking everything into consideration, it’s important to reflect on yourself. I always strive to be better tomorrow than I am today. Thinking about how I can make my merchandise with a higher execution of craftsmanship, using better- and better-quality materials to make better jewelry. I’ve seen so many trends come and go within this industry, I want to be able to make sure regardless of the ways others within this industry cut corners, I refuse to do so out of integrity and respect for my clients. I know that by doing things the right way and being open and honest, God will take me, my business and partners where we’re supposed to be.
3.) Who do you service and who are your clients ?
Generally speaking, my clients tend to be professional athletes, entertainers, business owners and hardworking everyday people that want to accent one of the major events in their lives with something special. Having such a wide array of clients with different budgets means that regardless of budget, people coming to shop with me expect that their hard earned money will be respected and that they will be purchasing something of value that they can trust I put together with their needs in mind, and it will be something that they can be proud to own knowing it was made well and with quality goods. I don’t allow someone having a smaller budget affect the quality of service and attention to detail I give to their jewelry or the attention to detail I give the client themselves. It’s just the best way to do business. You’ll be surprised to learn, some of the biggest spenders I’ve ever had as clients started out making a $1,500 purchase with me. By doing right by people and being honest I’ve been blessed to have clients that show me a great deal of loyalty because of the trust I’ve built with them over the years.
4.) How did you get started in the jewelry business?
I got started in the fall of 2009. I was 18, had just graduated High School, and I was looking for a part time job. Ironically enough I came to the diamond district to look for a job. I went up and down the block, (even to some of the very well-known jewelers) and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find anything. Summer came and went, and my father had a family friend who was in the jewelry business and had just opened a new shop. They were looking for a runner (which in the jewelry industry is someone who “runs” small errands back and taking care of all the various small steps that are involved in jewelry manufacturing). I thank God every day for the opportunity that gave me. Not only because I was happy to have a job, but because of how much I was able to learn so much about the quality of diamonds and what it takes to make QUALITY jewelry construction. I was there for several years working almost exclusively on women’s jewelry, then slowly transitioned more into high end men’s jewelry.
5.) What are some misconceptions when buying jewelry?
One of the most important things that I tell my clients every day is, whether you’re shopping with me or not; it’s important to shop with your eyes instead of your ears. Often times people are so quick to shop with someone based on whether or not the price is cheaper. Unlike with other expensive purchases, the cheapest price isn’t indicative of the best deal. Sadly, many jewelers are comfortable cutting corners by claiming they’re selling you diamonds of a much higher clarity than they actually are, or they will take a shortcut with the manufacturing via the quality of gold or using inferior labor for diamond setting. I like to educate my clients to make the best decision for their money, whether or not that means they shop with me. I have no problem being honest and telling someone of theirs a better deal in value for their purchase, that they should make that purchase with whomever is offering it. but what’s most important is that people take the time to study the details of what it is they want to purchase. Buying jewelry isn’t something that you do every day, its usually a trophy to commemorate an achievement or accomplishment, or a gift for themselves or someone important in their lives. When making important decisions like that its important you get the input of an expert to help you make the best decision for you, and one that will retain value. I try every day to be that expert for my clients, and thankfully more often than not because of that pure honesty, they chose to do business with me. Any one of my clients can vouch for that, and it’s something that I’m very proud of.
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