Jacob Arabo began strictly as a jeweler with designs that appealed to celebrities who became regular customers.
15 Facts About Jacob Arabo
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Jacob Arabo credits taking a photography course at the time, which gave him an understanding of design principles.
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Jacob Arabo's father worked several jobs but had difficulty earning enough to support his family.
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Jacob Arabo found work at a local wholesale jewelry factory that made mass-market pieces earning $125 a week.
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At this point, Jacob Arabo specialized in gold jewelry, creating his own designs.
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Hip-hop artists who were Jacob Arabo's clients included Sean "Puffy" Combs, Biz Markie, Jay-Z, Drake, 50 Cent, and Big Sean.
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Jacob 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.
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The watch was highly customizable, and Jacob Arabo made several versions of the watch for his clients, including Leonardo DiCaprio for his charity and designer Virgil Abloh.
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Jacob Arabo moved from the Diamond District to a mine-inspired flagship boutique at 57th Street and Park Ave in 2004.
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In 2013, Jacob 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.
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In 2019, Jacob Arabo was invited to create the crown and serve as a judge for the Miss World America 2019 pageant.
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Jacob Arabo is 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".
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Jacob Arabo has appeared in Explained - Diamonds, a 2019 Vox and Netflix documentary TV show.
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In 2023, Jacob Arabo made an appearance during episode 6 of the 14th season of the reality show The Real Housewives of New York City, where Jacob Arabo was seen consulting cast member Erin Lichy on her jewelry.
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Jacob 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.