Jacob Arabo

Arabov was born in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR (today in Uzbekistan) as the youngest of five children and the only male, to a Bukharian Jewish family.{{cite magazine|author=Nancy Jo Sales|author-link=Nancy Jo Sales|date=November 2006|title=Is Hip-Hop's Jeweler on the Rocks?|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2006/11/jacob200611|magazine=Vanity Fair|accessdate=2019-12-24}}{{cite web|title=Jspace Sits Down with Jacob Arabo from Jacob & Co.|publisher=Jspace News|website=jspace.com|date=2014-08-09|url=http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jspace-sits-down-with-jacob-arabo-from-jacob-co/7945|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809185314/http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/jspace-sits-down-with-jacob-arabo-from-jacob-co/7945|archive-date=2014-08-09|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-10-20}} As a child, he helped his sisters repair their jewelry.{{cite web|title=Ten Minutes With Jacob Arabo: Discover The Man Behind Jacob & Co.|website=WorldTempus|url=https://en.worldtempus.com/article/industry-news/people-and-interviews/jacob-et-co-ten-minutes-with-jacob-arabo-discover-the-man-behind-jacob-et-co-29132.html|access-date=2021-10-20}} He credits taking a photography course at the time, which gave him an understanding of design principles.[https://jacobandco.com/about-jacob-and-co Jacob & Co]

His interest in watches began at the age of 13 when his father gave him a world time watch. 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."

In 1979, at the age of 14, he and his family immigrated to New York City. 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.{{cite web|last=Bergstein|first=Rachelle|title=The Founding Father of Bling. How Jacob Arabo became hip-hop's diamond king|website=Medium|date=2016-09-16|url=https://medium.com/cuepoint/the-founding-father-of-bling-6d31d01fe0de|access-date=2021-10-20}} He graduated four months later.{{cite web|title=Leaders in Luxury: Jacob Arabo of Jacob & Co|website=Elite Traveler|date=2020-02-14|url=https://www.elitetraveler.com/leaders-in-luxury/leaders-in-luxury-jacob-arabo|access-date=2021-10-20}} 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.

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.{{cite web|last1=Bruner|first1=Raisa|last2=Verrill|first2=Courtney|title=A day in the life of Jacob the Jeweler, the man behind the world's wildest jewels and watches|website=Business Insider|date=2016-05-20|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/an-afternoon-with-jacob-the-jeweler-2016-5|access-date=2021-10-26}}

In 1986,{{cite web|last=DeAcetis|first=Joseph|title=Why Jacob & Co Launched A Retail Store In The Heart Of New York City|website=Forbes|date=2018-05-16|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/josephdeacetis/2018/05/16/why-jacob-co-launched-a-retail-store-in-the-heart-of-nyc/|access-date=2021-10-26}} at the age of 21, Arabo founded the retail jewelry company Diamond Quasar,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/15/style/guru-jacob-arabo-quarry-of-choice-for-rappers-rocks.html|title=GURU: Jacob Arabo; Quarry of Choice for Rappers' Rocks|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 15, 1999|accessdate=February 13, 2019|last1=Century|first1=Douglas}} doing business under the Jacob & Co brand making his own designs for private clients.{{cite web |url=https://hauteliving.com/2011/11/one-on-one-a-sparkling-success/218527/|title=One on One: A Sparkling Success, Jacob Arabo |date=November 2, 2011 |work=Haute Living Magazine |accessdate=February 13, 2019}} 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.{{cite web|title=How Jacob the Jeweler's Diamonds Helped Define Pop Culture|website=Only Natural Diamonds|date=2021-03-29|url=https://www.naturaldiamonds.com/style-and-innovation/how-jacob-the-jewelers-diamonds-helped-define-pop-culture/|access-date=2021-10-26}} The moniker has also appeared in rap songs by Jay-Z, Nas and other rappers.

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.

Hip-hop artists who were Arabo's clients included Sean "Puffy" Combs, Biz Markie, Jay-Z, Drake, 50 Cent, and Big Sean.{{cite web|title=Hip-Hop's In-Demand Jewelers' Stories of Working With Rap Stars|website=XXL Mag|date=2021-07-27|url=https://www.xxlmag.com/hip-hop-jewelers-interviews/|access-date=2021-10-26}} 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.{{cite web|title=Jacob & Co - Jacob Arabo - People and interviews|website=WorldTempus|url=https://en.worldtempus.com/article/industry-news/people-and-interviews/jacob-et-co-jacob-arabo-14814.html|access-date=2021-10-26}}

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.{{cite web|last=DeStefano|first=Mike|title=Best Luxury Watch Brands in Hip-Hop: Rolex to Jacob & Co|website=Complex|date=2021-04-21|url=https://www.complex.com/style/best-watch-brands-hip-hop|access-date=2021-10-26}} Naomi Campbell, Bono, Angela Bassett, Derek Jeter, and other celebrities have worn watches from the collection.{{cite web|title=Fashion - Five Time Zone Watch, Jacob & Co.|website=Luxury Watches Online|date=2015-08-06|url=https://www.luxurywatchesonlinesuk.com/fashion-five-time-zone-watch-jacob-co/|access-date=2021-10-26|archive-date=26 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026202632/https://www.luxurywatchesonlinesuk.com/fashion-five-time-zone-watch-jacob-co/|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web|title=Customizing Time: The Art of the Personalized Watch|website=WatchTime - USA's No.1 Watch Magazine|date=2021-09-27|url=https://www.watchtime.com/featured/customizing-time-the-art-of-the-personalized-watch/|access-date=2021-10-26}}{{cite web|last=Li|first=Nicolaus|title=8 Drops You Don't Want to Miss This Week|website=HYPEBEAST|date=2020-10-22|url=https://hypebeast.com/2020/10/supreme-fall-winter-2020-week-9-release-list|access-date=2021-10-26}}{{cite web|title=Jacob & Co. - Luxury on 57th Street - Retail|website=WorldTempus|url=https://en.worldtempus.com/article/industry-news/retail/jacob-et-co-luxury-on-57th-street-17401.html|access-date=2021-10-26}}

Arabo moved from the Diamond District to a mine-inspired flagship boutique at 57th Street and Park Ave in 2004.{{cite web|title=Jacob & Co.|website=NYMag.com|date=2018-11-19|url=http://nymag.com/listings/stores/jacob-and-co/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119012107/http://nymag.com/listings/stores/jacob-and-co/|archive-date=2018-11-19|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-26}}{{cite web|last1=Ahern|first1=Kaitlin|date=|title=Jacob Arabo - The Style Interview|url=http://nyluxury.com/article/jacob-arabo-jeweler-interview#.VBV5OhY8MTu|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903113448/http://nyluxury.com/article/jacob-arabo-jeweler-interview#.VAb8_Pj7RhE|archive-date=3 Sep 2014|accessdate=14 September 2014|website=nyluxury.com|publisher=Davler Media Group LLC}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.hautetime.com/the-game-changer-jacob-co-quenttin-watch/1974/|title=The Game Changer: Jacob & Co. Quenttin Watch|first=Ariel|last=Adams|date=November 22, 2010|work=Haute Time}}{{Cite web|url=https://monochrome-watches.com/jacob-co/|title = Jacob & Co| date=10 October 2018 }}{{cite web|last=Forster|first=Jack|title=Jacob Arabo And Luca Soprana On The Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon, A Tiny, Glittering Cosmos For Your Wrist (video)|website=Hodinkee|date=2016-08-30|url=https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/jacob-and-co-astronomia-tourbillon-jacob-arabo-luca-soprana|access-date=2021-10-26}}{{cite web|title=Jacob The Jeweler Released From Prison, Sent To Halfway House|website=Ballerstatus.com|date=2010-04-06|url=https://www.ballerstatus.com/2010/04/06/jacob-the-jeweler-released-from-prison-sent-to-halfway-house/|access-date=2021-10-26}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

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.{{cite web|last=Markl|first=Xavier|title=Jacob & Co. Epic SF24 - A Different (and Spectacular) Take on the Traveller's Watch|website=Monochrome Watches|date=2018-09-06|url=https://monochrome-watches.com/jacob-co-epic-sf24-a-different-and-spectacular-take-on-the-travellers-watch/|access-date=2021-10-26}}

Arabo's company Jacob & Co. released the celestial-themed Astronomia Tourbillon in 2013, initially introduced at Baselworld 2013. By 2016, there were 99 iterations of the Astronomia Tourbillon.{{cite web|title=Jacob & Co. - 30 years of ground-breaking watches - Innovation and technology|website=WorldTempus|url=https://en.worldtempus.com/article/watches/innovation-and-technology/jacob-et-co-30-years-of-ground-breaking-watches-22607.html|access-date=2021-10-26}}

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.{{cite web|title=Miss World America 2019 Crown is Designed by Jacob & Co – Miss World America|website=Miss World America – Beauty with a purpose|date=2019-06-18|url=https://missworldamerica.com/miss-world-america-2019-crown-designed-by-jacob-and-co/|access-date=2021-10-26|archive-date=3 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503212050/https://missworldamerica.com/miss-world-america-2019-crown-designed-by-jacob-and-co/|url-status=dead}}

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.

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".{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/search?q=%22jacob%20the%20jeweler%22|publisher=Genius|title=Genius Lyrics: Jacob the Jeweler|accessdate=2019-12-24}}

Arabo was featured in a 2016 cover story in the watch magazine Revolution, titled "The Man Who Would be King."[https://jacobandco.com/news/revolution Revolution] He was also featured in the watch magazine GMT in a 2018 story titled "Jacob & Co.: Spectacular Horology."{{cite web|title=Jacob & Co: spectacular horlogy – Great Magazine of Timepieces|website=Great Magazine of Timepieces – Magazine of the 12th art|date=2021-10-26|url=https://www.gmtmag.com/en/nouveaute-en-n-en/xxl-2/jacob-co-spectacular-horlogy.html|access-date=2021-10-26}}

Arabo has also appeared in Explained - Diamonds, a 2019 Vox and Netflix documentary TV show.{{cite web|title="Explained" Diamonds (TV Episode 2019) - Full Cast & Crew|website=IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt11356968/fullcredits|access-date=2021-10-26}}

In 2020, Arabo made a cameo appearance in Drake's "When To Say When & Chicago Freestyle" music video.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jz0GAFNNIo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/0jz0GAFNNIo |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Drake - When To Say When & Chicago Freestyle |website=YouTube |date=29 February 2020 |accessdate=2020-04-07}}{{cbignore}}

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.{{Cite web |last=Smyth |first=Tom |date=2023-08-21 |title=The Real Housewives of New York City Recap: Cease Fire |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/real-housewives-of-new-york-city-recap-season-14-episode-6-anniversorry-not-sorry.html |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Vulture |language=en}}

Arabo married his wife, Angela – who is also Bukharian Jewish – when he was 24. They have three sons.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-21 |title=Jacob Arabo Net Worth, Age, Height, Family, Wiki, Biography & More |url=https://jipmer.org/jacob-arabo-net-worth/ |access-date=2023-09-22 |language=en-US |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030100303/https://jipmer.org/jacob-arabo-net-worth/ |url-status=dead }} The couple lives in Forest Hills, Queens.{{Cite web | title = Jacob The Jeweler And Where He Came From| url = http://www.loveandpieces.com/blogs/online-jewelry-boutique-blog/15515679-jacob-the-jeweler-and-where-he-came-from | publisher=Love & Pieces | accessdate= August 20, 2014 }}

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, Arabo 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."{{Cite web | title= "Jacob The Jeweler" Jailed | date = 24 June 2008 | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jacob-the-jeweler-jailed/ | publisher= CBS News | accessdate= September 13, 2024}}{{Cite web |last = Goodman | first=David | title= 'Jacob the Jeweler' gets 30 months in US prison | url = https://eu.recordonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2008/06/24/jacob-jeweler-gets-30/52366410007/ | publisher= Times Herald-Record | accessdate= September 13, 2024}}

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Wikiquote|Jacob Arabo}}

• [http://www.jacobandco.com Jacob & Co official website]
• {{IMDb name|1113289}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arabo, Jacob}}

Category:1965 births

Category:Living people

Category:Designers from New York City

Category:21st-century American jewellers

Category:American watchmakers (people)

Category:American people of Uzbekistani-Jewish descent

Category:Bukharan Jews

Category:Uzbekistani emigrants to the United States

Category:Uzbekistani Jews

Category:Soviet emigrants to the United States