Beverly Hills-based jeweller JASON ARASHEBEN has crafted 19 championship rings for some of the biggest sports leagues in America. In North America, winning teams of professional sports leagues are given customised victory rings. One of the most recent creations by Arasheben was the NBA championship ring for Boston Celtics, released earlier this autumn. The ring carries layers of storytelling. Inside are two hidden elements visible only when the ring-top is removed. It also has a piece of the parquet floor with the date and score of the team’s championship game on one side, and the championship banner and the jersey number of each player, on the other side. Pretty much all of Arasheben’s rings tell a story like a book with layers of information. He likes to make his jewellery functional. What’s even more fascinating? He’s not a professionally trained jeweller! In an email interview with SHILPA DHAMIJA, Arasheben unfolds his journey to success in the highly competitive custom jewellery world.
What sparked your passion for creating functional jewellery? Which was your first such notable piece?
I wanted to build a jewellery house that allowed our clients to create with us, free of any limitations. Our reputation is based on our bespoke diamond pieces that push the limits of conventional fine jewellery standards. Our clients were willing to embrace this vision and shared a passion for pieces that break the mould.
The first truly functional piece of jewellery we created was a diamond pendant for the rapper, Soulja Boy. We made a Lamborghini pendant that was operational and could be driven with a remote control. Our core competency is making diamond jewellery, but we needed to learn the electronics to make the piece work. Our dedication to executing such pieces is what differentiates us from our competition. Most jewellers would have just put diamonds on the car, but we made sure it could be driven.
There is an expectation now of a certain level of creativity and innovation from us; it is what drives us to continue pushing boundaries.
How long did it take to craft the Boston Celtics ring and what inspired its design?
Designing the Celtics’ NBA ring was an honour, and we went back and forth with ownership before landing on the final design. The 18 emerald-cut diamonds on the outer bezel represent the 18 championships the Celtics have won, while the 84 diamonds on the side bezel symbolise the team’s playoff winning percentage during their championship season.
The word “champions” has 80 white diamonds in it to honour the team’s 80 combined wins during the regular season and playoffs. You only have so much real estate on a ring, so we expanded the design to the inside of the ring with three hidden features: the parquet floor, championship banner. For the first time in history, an NFC chip has been inserted in each ring. Placing a phone against the wood parquet on the inside of the ring reveals a video of each person’s ring and how it was made.
How did you begin your journey as a jeweller?
I started selling silver trinkets in college and by the time I was a senior I was selling in six college campuses at the same time. I was supposed to go to law school but decided against it and chose to pursue a jewellery business instead. Being in Los Angeles, it was easier than it would be in other cities to get myself in front of high-net worth consumers. I was persistent and our service and quality is what kept clients coming back. We quickly expanded into the high jewellery market and grew the brand by opening retail boutiques.
Former New York Knicks player, Anthony Mason, was my first client ever. Back then I used to outsource manufacturing. Little by little I eliminated the outsourcing process and brought everything in-house. In just 4-5 years, we evolved into a fully vertical operation.
We started with an appointment-only facility and eventually grew into our worldwide retail stores. The reason we did that was because I only have two hands. There’s only 24 hours in a day, so I can’t possibly be in Vegas and Los Angeles at the same time. We needed to develop a more scalable approach, something that is a little bit more owner absentee and the only way to do that was to open our own retail outlets.
While men in the US embraced the allure of natural diamonds decades ago, do you observe any evolution in their purchasing habits? Are they making more informed and educated choices today?
Buyers are better educated now about diamonds than ever before. Lab-grown diamonds have no long-term value, so their allure is short-lived. The information and education of natural vs lab will take its course, and people are already understanding the true value of natural diamonds.
Diamonds are like any other piece of fashion; certain shapes are popular at certain times. Right now, you are seeing a lot of fancy shapes like emerald, radiant, and Asscher. Currently, they are more popular than a traditional round shape.
How do your clients’ tastes vary across the different markets where you have stores – Beverly Hills, Miami, Las Vegas, and Tokyo?
In Vegas clients are more eccentric and lean towards the gothic pieces like skulls and snakes. Beverly Hills is over-the-top traditional; think more red-carpet styles and large bracelets and big stone rings. Tokyo is our most conservative market. I think that is because the culture is more understated, so they go for smaller size pieces. For all their differences, the thing that unifies our clientele is their desire for jewellery that is unlike what they find at regular stores.
How would you best describe your team of craftsmen and women?
We are proud to be one of the few jewellery houses still producing in the United States. The craftsmen who work for us have a combined experience of over 100 years. In total, my team worldwide is about 70 people. A lot of our process is still done by hand. Of course we use machines for certain things, but I still hand draw designs, and our stones are all still set by hand.
Everyone in my team believes that jewellery can do more and be more. We’ve incorporated basketballs, parquet floor and even grass in our pieces. It takes skill to be able to do that and we make it work as well as meet high standards.
Where do you source raw material for your jewellery? Do you utilise the expertise of fine diamond and gem craftsmen and women in India?
We have high standards and are transparent with our clients about where their stones are coming from. We track every diamond to its origin to ensure it comes from a verifiably ethical and environmentally sound source. When I’m designing a piece, every material and every stone can mean something. For example, with a championship ring, I source diamonds from all over the world to find precise colours and qualities that align with each team.
India is a valuable resource, and I know my contacts there prioritise quality and craftsmanship like my team does here. The most successful craftsmen that I’ve worked with in India understand that they need to educate customers about the level of care that goes into cutting the diamonds and the overall craftsmanship. That is something universally important and it really goes a long way in today’s market.