A Brand Built Around Its Elite Clientele Alex Arabov, owner of custom jewelry company, VOBARA, is one jeweler who recognizes the importance of each customer, and the quality of care he gives to each client has transformed his brand

In the jewelry industry, connections with clients and word of mouth are the keys to company growth. According to an article written by Jovana Kentic for Capital Counselor, "There are currently 52,331 jewelry store businesses in the US," and Florida is home to 1,881 of these businesses. With so much competition every client a company works with makes an impact on business. Alex Arabov, owner of custom jewelry company, VOBARA, is one jeweler who recognizes the importance of each customer, and the quality of care he gives to each client has transformed his brand into what it is today.

VOBARA was started with just $50 and a dream. "Watching my father and uncle [Jacob the jeweler] hustle when I was younger is the reason I came into the jewelry game," says Arabov, and when he did he chose a fitting brand name, VOBARA, his last name spelled backwards, paying tribute to his father, his biggest inspiration, who passed when Arabov was only eight years old.

VOBARA began when Arabov was still in high school, where he sold shamballa bracelets to other high school students, not just at his school, but across Miami, and from there, it grew into the full-time jewelry business it is today. VOBARA, located in Downtown Miami, now focuses on custom-made pendants tailored toward the hip-hop community. Almost all of the company's sales are made over Instagram, where the company has over 80,000 followers. VOBARA has one of the biggest national followings in Miami and is one of very few in this niche providing customers with quality, fair pricing, and top notch customer service; VOBARA has built up such a large following because of these three things that he provides, this has caught the attention of big names in the hip-hop community.

Jewelers in the hip-hop jewelry niche are constantly competing to work with artists or other influencers in the industry, this has been known to open numerous doors for companies and grow their sales exponentially.

VOBARA has been catching eyes and turning more and more heads since the official conception of the company in 2016. VOBARA has created all the team pendants for Quincy and King Combs, the sons of Sean Combs (P. Diddy). The pendants were made as celebrity swag for fans instead of the usual t-shirts or hats that other fans receive. VOBARA has also created Soulja Boy's DRACO pendant for his "Make It Clap" TikTok challenge and has developed a business relationship with Rick Ross, working with some of his most recognizable and trendsetting pieces, like his CEO pendant.

Arabov explains that the jewelry industry is "all about who you know, so a lot of people are grandfathered in". Since Arabov wasn't grandfathered into the industry, he had to "deal with a lot of rejection and people laughing at the idea of starting a business myself." With many other brands across industries who potentially face the hardships of lack of connections, Arabov emphasizes that one should "never take no for an answer, and let the "nos' be your motivation to keep going instead of letting them get you down."

Arabov has many plans for the future of VOBARA and is looking forward to sharing his creative talents with new clients in 2021. He says, "The fact I was able to build VOBARA up without the help of anyone else and now working with people like Rick Ross shows that my vision is coming together." He believes a specific key to success within this industry is "making everyone believe in you the same way you believe in yourself," a piece of motivation any new business owner can use.