Īrabo created a quartz watch collection called the Five Time Zone in 2002, which combined bold primary colors with multiple time zone technology and was worn by both men and women. Other clients include various prominent entertainers and athletes, including Madonna, Rihanna, Pharrell, Elton John, David and Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek, Sofia Vergara, Michael Jordan, Mariah Carey and Canelo Álvarez. Hip-hop artists who were Arabo's clients included Sean "Puffy" Combs, Biz Markie, Jay-Z, Drake, 50 Cent, and Big Sean. In the 1990s, he was one of the first jewelers to create big diamond jewels for men, a trend that is mainstream today. Īrabo started collaborating with entertainers on custom designs. The moniker has also appeared in rap songs by Jay-Z, Nas and other rappers. His innovative pieces caught the attention of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., who gave him the moniker "Jacob the Jeweler," and introduced him to his entertainment friends. By the early 1990s, he had established his own kiosk in New York's Diamond District. In 1986, at the age of 21, Arabo founded the retail jewelry company Diamond Quasar, doing business under the Jacob & Co brand making his own designs for private clients. However, he was still working for clients within the jewelry industry by producing traditional jewels for distributors and retailers. At this point, Arabo specialized in gold jewelry, creating his own designs. Eventually, he moved his makeshift workshop to a permanent factory in the Diamond District. Career Īs a teenager, Jacob Arabo was working for a traditional jewelry manufacturer in the New York City Diamond District on 47th Street and making his own jewelry in his family's house at night. By the time he was 17 years old he was designing his own pieces at night in his bedroom while working at the factory during the day. He found work at a local wholesale jewelry factory that made mass-market pieces earning $125 a week. Because of family difficulties, at the age of 16, Arabo discontinued his formal education before completing high school and enrolled in a six-month jewelry-making course. His father worked several jobs but had difficulty earning enough to support his family. They lived in Forest Hills, Queens, and he attended Forest Hills High School. In 1979, at the age of 14, he and his family emigrated to New York City. According to Arabo, he "loved all the tiny parts and gears" and was "enthralled by his ability to breathe life into a movement, to assemble it and then have it actually tell time." A year later he had a part-time job assisting a watchmaker. His interest in watches began at the age of 13 when his father gave him a world time watch. He credits taking a photography course at the time, which gave him an understanding of design principles. As a youngster, he helped his sisters repair their jewelry. Early life Īrabo was born in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union as the youngest of five children and the only male. He began strictly as a jeweler with bold designs that appealed to celebrities who became regular customers. Jacob Arabo (born Yakov Arabov or Jacob Arabov on Jalso frequently known as " Jacob the Jeweler" ) is an American jewelry and watch designer who founded Jacob & Company in 1986 and grew it to become an international luxury brand.
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