How Jeweler Lorraine Schwartz Became The Person Celebrities Trust With Their Most Precious Assets

Good timing always helps, as was the case with those emerald earrings at President Obama’s inauguration. While Schwartz had originally wanted Beyoncé to wear them to the 2013 Super Bowl, they ended up having their shining moment weeks earlier. “The next day, everywhere was like, “Who stole the limelight from the inauguration? Beyoncé’s emerald earrings.’ So it was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s crazy.'”

While there are plenty of career highlights she reflects on with pride today, the challenges are equally unforgettable. “It was really hard for me in the beginning. I had to go to Philadelphia and New Jersey and go from store to store and try to sell diamonds. I mean, people don’t even know that story,” she recalled. “Being the granddaughter of one of the biggest diamond dealers in the world…it wasn’t easier for me. If anything, it was harder for me and being a woman was crazy difficult. It’s just that you don’t let that hold you back. If anything, you make that give you the strength to be better.”

She channeled her own strength to stand her ground through tough diamond negotiation and earn respect within her male-dominated industry. “I learned to hold my own because this is my motto: If you want to play with the big boys,” she told E! News, “you got to be that way. You can’t complain. You got to do whatever it takes.”

“And that would be my advice for women,” Schwartz noted. “In this world, don’t take s–t, but also, understand that if you want to be in that world, you got to be able to carry the responsibility that comes with it. So be strong enough to say no, be strong enough to stick to your guns and work as hard as you can to achieve what you want.”

Adding in a smile—say, after a successful diamond deal—can help, according to Schwartz. “I always tell them ‘Thank you.’ I always say, ‘Oh, let’s do a little charity,'” she said. “It’s very important to make the person you’re working with also feel comfortable.”

source: eonline.com