Today we’d like to introduce you to Alain and Alyssa Dargham.
Alain and Alyssa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began my journey in the diamond industry. I’ve always had a passion for this incredible material, how it’s formed over millions, if not billions of years under extreme heat and pressure. I’m fascinated by the way a diamond’s facets are cut and angled just right to create that beautiful sparkle; and the unique inclusions that add individuality to every one. In 2013, Alyssa and I got married. She has always had a passion for fashion and had a great eye for design. At this point we were living in Spain, and one day she decided to design a few simple and delicate pieces of jewelry for herself. At that time we didn’t know much about the process involved in actually creating the pieces. So for our anniversary, I decided to surprise her. I had a friend, who has been in the business for decades handle the process for me. I watched the whole process and really learned a lot from him and became even more fascinated with not only diamonds, but also jewelry making. After moving back to San Diego, the jewelry Alyssa designed gained some attention from our friends and family, who then wanted their own rings made. So we got to work to learn everything we could. This wasn’t an easy process. Unfortunately, we worked with a few jewelers who turned out to be quite dishonest, attempting to take advantage of us and cheat us. This taught us some valuable lessons. Through those difficulties, we realized that there are a lot of shortcuts one COULD take when it comes to diamonds and jewelry-making. And what a gem (pun intended) it would be to be able to provide quality pieces and honest interaction. We took matters into our own hands and searched for casters, setters, and jewelers that cared about quality and honesty as much as we do. We assembled our dream team and the rest is history. We are so proud of the jewelry we create, and others seem to be, too. . We have created amazing jewelry for music artists and athletes, and have had customers from Canada, Portugal, and Spain. We keep our overhead as low as possible, to be able to give the best prices to our customers. Our entire business has been afloat solely through word of mouth, and that’s so special to us. We hope to continue to make beautiful, quality jewelry that will last through generations.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’m sure it’s similar for anyone starting out in a new business; there are many learning curves to navigate through. At the start, of course we hit road blocks and had to overcome obstacles. Not only was that a big disappointment, but we took financial hits, too .The first project we made was a disaster. I remember it had to be redone 2 or 3 times, it took almost 2 months to finish, and in the end, we lost money on it. We had put so much work into this ring, tirelessly working on it for 2 months. Then for it to end up actually COSTING us money, that was a blow. At times, it felt like we kept losing, and all we wanted was a win.
We dialed in the process over time, but another big obstacle starting out was finding people in the industry we could trust. In the beginning, we trusted people that turned out to be dishonest. In a business where you have customers paying a lot of money for an item they do not know much about creates a breeding ground for dishonesty and greed on the jeweler’s side. We always tell our customers that the most important part of working with a jeweler is working with someone who you can trust, and who will take the time to give you that basic education necessary in making an informed decision.
Amar Diamonds & Fine Jewelry – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Simply, we are a fine jewelry company. We design and make engagement rings, diamond rings, earrings, necklaces, pendants…you name it, we can make it. Most of our work is custom-designed, but we do have some ready to wear every-day pieces as well, and we are looking forward to adding some more items to our collection in the future.
In an industry that many people know little about, our favourite part of the process is educating our clients so they can feel confident in the diamond and ring they are choosing. We take such pride in the quality of our pieces, too. We oversee every single part of the process for each piece, while scrutinizing every little detail. We hope our clients see that in the level of care we provide.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for us is watching someone put our ring on their finger and in turn, that puts a smile on their face. That’s it. There is nothing better than watching someone’s face light up with they wear our jewelry. That is the best feeling. Well that and sushi.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amardiamondsandjewelry.com
- Phone: 7608034564
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @amardiamonds
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amardiamondsandfinejewelry/
- Other: Amar Diamonds
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