Meet Corey Jones | Private Jeweler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Corey Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Corey, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
If you have a goal. Every decision you make leading up to that goal should be a progression towards achieving the goal in mind. I believe in living life with little regret as possible. I would rather try and fail miserably at something than to continuously wonder if I could have done it or not. Risks have been major factors in my life. When I started working as an apprentice in the Jewelry district in downtown Los Angeles. The owner told me explicitly “if this is not what you really want to do, you should quit and go do something else, because you are not going to make that much money starting off.” I was naïve and full of confidence that I could start creating 3-D design at a very high level sooner than the given time frame he had given me… It took me 6 months to become fully versed with the software I was using. I was concerned about the money, learning the skill was more important than money at that time, I could have walked away to go earn more money, but the opportunity for the apprenticeship would not be there when I decided to give it another shot,

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being a fine jewelry designer is no easy task there are numerous amounts of barriers to entry. From having enough startup capital to get started to finding suppliers. What sets me apart from others is that I truly do care about the art form of fine jewelry. I utilize 18kt gold when the standard in America is only 14k, I select gems that have excellent proportions and clarity, I do not compromise on my designs. It would have been a lot easier to just do fashion jewelry but that’s not what I want to do. Fashion Industry insiders who I went to for advice and validation suggested I start with costume jewelry and build up from there, it would have been economical, but I did not want to waste my designs on something that would burn out quickly. I want to build a a legacy and that lasts. One of the lessons I have learned is that you have to go through the trails and make mistakes in order to refine your supply chain to find out what bests works for you. There is no cheating the learning curve.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a native Angeleno who loves this city! Some of my favorite things to do art with in the art and culinary scenes. I am very big on finding events with cool experiences. From going to art exhibitions or art walks. One of my favorite art walks is the one in DTLA. Some of my favorite restaurants are Otium, Laurel Hardware and Bottega Louie. I always take friends form out of town to Salt and Straw I love ice cream! Highlight room, Mama shelter, hightop lounge, and Ace hotel are my favorite rooftop bars. If they are up for would do a hike at Runyon Canyon to see a full view of the city. For nightlife, I would take them to Poppy, Delilah’s or Nightingale. If there is a festival, farmers market, or event when they are in town I would take them to that. One of my favorite events that I look forward to each year is the LA art show!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Yes, of course ,y student advisor at Clark Atlanta University who introduced me to my diamond dealer, Stacey Boyd, who was my mentor at Reebok and helped me secure my internship with the company. Louis Benowitz who gave me the opportunity to work as an apprentice which helps propel my skillet within the industry. Countless others with in the jewelry Industry who help bring my creative visions to life.

Website: Coreyanthonyjones.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreyanthonyjones/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe_C8m5QAT89iRN-t-cEaJg