Grown up in a diamond family, Charlie not only has a sharp taste for Jewelry and master sophisticated technique for manufacture but also he knows the market. He produces ultra-luxury diamond chess set which reaches x million but he also understand consumers' needs affordable luxuries. In this concept, Charlie offered a large price range for his products. Price different in the material (such as stone size) but it is never different in the standards for top-level manufacturing.
Charlie established pursue for high-level technique since age of 18. This is the time when he learned how to line and cut raw diamond that determines what quality and size the diamonds would be. In other words, the technique could never be too sophisticated. With this concept, Charlie kept high quality of manufacturing during his lead for the company. For example, cost for US platting is several times more than that in China when general customers could not tell the difference. Charlie would still pay for the higher price at his cost because he knows US plating at is more shining and last for longer. That is also the reason why his established long relationship with his fine jewelry retailer clients from Japan, South Korea, USA and Canada in the 80’s. Even though the company offers accessory only at several dollars, the standards of manufacturing and quality control is kept high.
The Jewelry Path:
Starting with specialty only in one procedure, Charlie says, with 50 years dedicated in the industry, "the technology changed the industry that enables us to integrate the whole process with reduced cost. But the core of jewelry still remains in pursue of high quality."
The story of diamond manufacturer and his magnificent obsession
Charlie Hollander has been the diamond business for over fifty years; his grandfather started the family business in Belgium over a century ago. Charlie is a third generation diamond manufacturer. Currently he and his son, Nir Hollander, operate Gem Stone King, Inc., one of the largest online jewelers in the world. But Charlie is no ordinary jeweler. He has always been obsessed by the great power and dazzling beauty of diamonds. He has always wanted to make diamond creations that were totally new and unique.
That’s how Charlie became the inspiration for a collection of breathtaking diamond games and game-related works of art.
The first showcase creation was a diamond-encrusted chess set, which Charlie conceived in 1996. The chess pieces and the chessboard in this set took over 9,000 hours to create and were crafted from over 1 kilogram of gold and set with 9,900 black and white diamonds.
It didn’t take long before one of Charlie’s customers was enchanted by this creation and bought the set for $1 million!
As a result of that first success, Charlie began getting orders for other jeweled works of art, for example:
Because of the great popularity of the Charles Hollander Collection, Charlie created a number of small objects which he designed and which were manufactured in small lots for discriminating individuals. These items include:
The company is rooted back to 1903 when the first generation established the family owned business in Antwerp, Belgium. Antwerp was the largest diamond cutting and trading center for the whole world. It is also famous for Jewish excellent cutting. The factory was one of the best. (In the book “Diamond Stories” written by Charlie’s (the third generation owner) cousin, presents a picture taken in 1910 when Charlie’s uncle was still a young boy seated at the office.)
The company was expert at lining and cutting for raw diamonds at the beginning. It was a demanding job because it depends all on the craft’s technique when there is no computer analysis could be used. After computer is introduced in the industry, it enabled the factory to expand to other procedures such as polishing and trading finished diamonds. That is when Charlie (the third generation) moved to Israel, one of the world’s largest diamond trading markets. Since then, the company’s diamonds are sold all over to the world.
In 1990, the fourth generation Nir Hollander took over the company and set headquarter in Manhattan, New York. His business vision and passion lies in electronic commerce. As said in the book “The Ebay’s Billionaires’ club”, “he did have enough sense to recognize a good business opportunity when he saw it, and began efforts to move the family business online”. It turned out to be “a stroke of genius, both for Gem Stone King, Inc. and for its customers”. During 15 years on eBay, the company has grown into a Titanium Power Seller with annual sales of more than $8 million. Specially, thanks to its emphasis on honesty, transparency, and stellar customer service, the company received more than 241,000 positive feedbacks from customers.
For a family business, the business usually is a reflection of owner’s philosophy. So does Gem Stone King, Inc. The company provides a concrete example of how Charlie and Nir’s honesty, value orientation can pay off. Born in the blood of Jewish, they don’t play games but provides sustainable products and service. As Charlie put it “I would rather spend a dollar on the marketplace for benefits of consumers than in marketing”. Simple but always the truth, the success of Gem Stone King, Inc. lies in its honesty, quality and value orientation and thinks the most for consumers.
