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Jacob Arabo

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Jacob Arabo
Arabo in 2022
Born
Yakov Arabov

(1965-06-03) June 3, 1965 (age 59)
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Soviet Union
NationalityAmerican
Other namesJacob the Jeweler[1][2]
Occupation(s)Jewelry and watch designer
Known forJacob & Co

Jacob Arabo (born Yakov Arabov; June 3, 1965) is an American jewelry, watch designer, and convicted criminal who founded Jacob & Company in 1986 and grew it to become an international luxury brand.[3] He began strictly as a jeweler with bold designs that appealed to celebrities who became regular customers.[4]

Early life

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Arabov was born in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union as the youngest of five children and the only male, to a Bukharian Jewish family.[5][6] As a youngster, he helped his sisters repair their jewelry.[7] He credits taking a photography course at the time, which gave him an understanding of design principles.[8]

His interest in watches began at the age of 13 when his father gave him a world time watch.[8] A year later he had a part-time job assisting a watchmaker. According to Arabo, he "loved all the tiny parts and gears" and was "enthralled by his [father's] ability to breathe life into a movement, to assemble it and then have it actually tell time."[7]

In 1979, at the age of 14, he and his family emigrated to New York City.[9] They lived in Forest Hills, Queens, and he attended Forest Hills High School.

His father worked several jobs but had difficulty earning enough to support his family. 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.[10][11] He graduated four months later.[12] He found work at a local wholesale jewelry factory that made mass-market pieces earning $125 a week. 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.[8][6]

Career

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As 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. Eventually, he moved his makeshift workshop to a permanent factory in the Diamond District. At this point, Arabo specialized in gold jewelry, creating his own designs. However, he was still working for clients within the jewelry industry by producing traditional jewels for distributors and retailers.[9]

In 1986,[13] at the age of 21, Arabo founded the retail jewelry company Diamond Quasar,[14] doing business under the Jacob & Co brand making his own designs for private clients.[10] By the early 1990s, he had established his own kiosk in New York's Diamond District. 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.[2] The moniker has also appeared in rap songs by Jay-Z, Nas and other rappers.[6]

Arabo started collaborating with entertainers on custom designs. In the 1990s, he was one of the first jewelers to create big diamond jewels for men, a trend that is mainstream today.[2]

Hip-hop artists who were Arabo's clients included Sean "Puffy" Combs, Biz Markie, Jay-Z, Drake, 50 Cent, and Big Sean.[15] 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.[16]

Arabo 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.[17] Naomi Campbell, Bono, Angela Bassett, Derek Jeter, and other celebrities have worn watches from the collection.[18] One of the features of the Five Time Zone Watch was its interchangeable bezel, in which a stainless steel bezel can be replaced with a bezel paved with diamonds. The watch was highly customizable, and Arabo made several versions of the watch for his clients, including Leonardo DiCaprio for his charity and designer Virgil Abloh.[19][20][21]

Arabo moved from the Diamond District to a mine-inspired flagship boutique at 57th Street and Park Ave in 2004.[22][23]

In 2007, Arabo founded Jacob & Co. SA in Geneva, Switzerland, and introduced his first high-watchmaking timepiece, the Quenttin. It was the first watch to have a vertical tourbillon and a 31-day power reserve, at the time the world's longest power reserve.[24][25][26][27]

In 2013, Arabo created the Epic SF24, a two-time zone watch that uses a patented fully mechanical split-flap system to display the time in 24 cities around the world. Inspired by the old split-flap board at airport and train terminals, it was the first time a system like this was used in a mechanical watch.[28]

Arabo's company Jacob & Co. released the celestial-themed Astronomia Tourbillon in 2013, initially introduced at Baselworld 2013.[7] By 2016, there were 99 iterations of the Astronomia Tourbillon.[29]

In 2019, Arabo was invited to create the crown and serve as a judge for the Miss World America 2019 pageant. The crown was crafted of 18k white gold and adorned with 164 carats of Colombian emeralds and 95 carats of diamonds.[30]

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Arabo was featured in the 2004 video game Def Jam: Fight For NY, in which the players' hip-hop characters compete to earn cash with which they can buy jewelry from Jacob the Jeweler.[6]

He is also well known in the entertainment industry for his unique jewelry designs and is mentioned in several hip-hop songs as "Jacob the Jeweler" or just "Jacob".[1][31]

Arabo was featured in a 2016 cover story in the watch magazine Revolution, titled "The Man Who Would be King."[32] He was also featured in the watch magazine GMT in a 2018 story titled "Jacob & Co.: Spectacular Horology."[33]

Arabo has also appeared in Explained - Diamonds, a 2019 Vox and Netflix documentary TV show.[34]

In 2020, Arabo made a cameo appearance in Drake's "When To Say When & Chicago Freestyle" music video.[35]

In 2023, Arabo made an appearance during episode 6 of the 14th season of the reality show The Real Housewives of New York City, where Arabo was seen consulting cast member Erin Lichy on her jewelry.[36]

Personal life

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Arabo married his wife, Angela – who is also Bukharian Jewish – when he was 24.[5] They have three sons.[37] The couple lives in Forest Hills, Queens.[1]

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Arabo was arrested in 2006 on accusations that he and others conspired to launder about $270 million in drug profits for the Black Mafia Family. These charges were eventually dropped and in June 2008 Arabo pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of falsifying records and giving false statements as part of a deal he struck with federal prosecutors. The judge sentenced Arabo to a 2.5-year sentence in federal prison and ordered him to pay a $50,000 fine and an additional $2,000,000 as forfeiture to the US government. In a statement to the presiding judge, Jacob expressed that he felt shame for what he did, stating "I feel ashamed that I broke the laws of this country, a country that has been so good for me."[38][39]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Jacob The Jeweler And Where He Came From". Love & Pieces. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "How Jacob the Jeweler's Diamonds Helped Define Pop Culture". Only Natural Diamonds. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  3. ^ says, Gil (10 October 2018). "Jacob & Co – The Method Behind the Madness". Monochrome Watches. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  4. ^ Brookins, Laurie (27 April 2018). "Jacob & Co. Shows Off Its Newest Treasure". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b Nancy Jo Sales (November 2006). "Is Hip-Hop's Jeweler on the Rocks?". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d "Jspace Sits Down with Jacob Arabo from Jacob & Co". jspace.com. Jspace News. 9 August 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  7. ^ a b c "Ten Minutes With Jacob Arabo: Discover The Man Behind Jacob & Co". WorldTempus. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Jacob & Co
  9. ^ a b Bruner, Raisa; Verrill, Courtney (20 May 2016). "A day in the life of Jacob the Jeweler, the man behind the world's wildest jewels and watches". Business Insider. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  10. ^ a b "One on One: A Sparkling Success, Jacob Arabo". Haute Living Magazine. 2 November 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  11. ^ Bergstein, Rachelle (16 September 2016). "The Founding Father of Bling. How Jacob Arabo became hip-hop's diamond king". Medium. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Leaders in Luxury: Jacob Arabo of Jacob & Co". Elite Traveler. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  13. ^ DeAcetis, Joseph (16 May 2018). "Why Jacob & Co Launched A Retail Store In The Heart Of New York City". Forbes. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  14. ^ Century, Douglas (15 August 1999). "GURU: Jacob Arabo; Quarry of Choice for Rappers' Rocks". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  15. ^ "Hip-Hop's In-Demand Jewelers' Stories of Working With Rap Stars". XXL Mag. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  16. ^ "Jacob & Co - Jacob Arabo - People and interviews". WorldTempus. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  17. ^ DeStefano, Mike (21 April 2021). "Best Luxury Watch Brands in Hip-Hop: Rolex to Jacob & Co". Complex. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  18. ^ "Fashion - Five Time Zone Watch, Jacob & Co". Luxury Watches Online. 6 August 2015. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  19. ^ "Customizing Time: The Art of the Personalized Watch". WatchTime - USA's No.1 Watch Magazine. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  20. ^ Li, Nicolaus (22 October 2020). "8 Drops You Don't Want to Miss This Week". HYPEBEAST. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  21. ^ "Jacob & Co. - Luxury on 57th Street - Retail". WorldTempus. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  22. ^ "Jacob & Co". NYMag.com. 19 November 2018. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  23. ^ Ahern, Kaitlin. "Jacob Arabo - The Style Interview". nyluxury.com. Davler Media Group LLC. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  24. ^ Adams, Ariel (22 November 2010). "The Game Changer: Jacob & Co. Quenttin Watch". Haute Time.
  25. ^ "Jacob & Co". 10 October 2018.
  26. ^ Forster, Jack (30 August 2016). "Jacob Arabo And Luca Soprana On The Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon, A Tiny, Glittering Cosmos For Your Wrist (video)". Hodinkee. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  27. ^ "Jacob The Jeweler Released From Prison, Sent To Halfway House". Ballerstatus.com. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2021.[permanent dead link]
  28. ^ Markl, Xavier (6 September 2018). "Jacob & Co. Epic SF24 - A Different (and Spectacular) Take on the Traveller's Watch". Monochrome Watches. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  29. ^ "Jacob & Co. - 30 years of ground-breaking watches - Innovation and technology". WorldTempus. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Miss World America 2019 Crown is Designed by Jacob & Co – Miss World America". Miss World America – Beauty with a purpose. 18 June 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  31. ^ "Genius Lyrics: Jacob the Jeweler". Genius. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  32. ^ Revolution
  33. ^ "Jacob & Co: spectacular horlogy – Great Magazine of Timepieces". Great Magazine of Timepieces – Magazine of the 12th art. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  34. ^ ""Explained" Diamonds (TV Episode 2019) - Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  35. ^ "Drake - When To Say When & Chicago Freestyle". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  36. ^ Smyth, Tom (21 August 2023). "The Real Housewives of New York City Recap: Cease Fire". Vulture. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  37. ^ "Jacob Arabo Net Worth, Age, Height, Family, Wiki, Biography & More". 21 September 2023. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  38. ^ ""Jacob The Jeweler" Jailed". CBS News. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  39. ^ Goodman, David. "'Jacob the Jeweler' gets 30 months in US prison". Times Herald-Record. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
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