JCK Asks…Designer Michael Hezar

Michael John Jewelry’s towering force

If you’ve been searching for the perfect diamond-covered souvenir for the Francophile in your life, look no further: You won’t find anything more magnificent than Michael John Jewelry’s Eiffel Tower drop earrings, magnificent structures rendered in 18k black gold with 2.42 cts. t.w. of round brilliant-cut diamonds and 2.51 cts. t.w. of rose-cut diamonds. They’re not only a stellar statement piece, but they couldn’t be more representative of Michael Hezar’s aesthetic. “Most of my signature collections are inspired by organic elements of nature, combined with the geometric shapes of architecture using rose-cut diamonds,” he explains. Read on to learn more about the goal-oriented designer.

Eiffel Tower earrings

Age: 47

Number of years in the biz: 20+

Number of employees you oversee: 15

Family: Two sons plus my lovely wife.

Describe your personal style: Casual and dapper by day, sporty and chic by night.

First piece you ever designed: My first design was a gold ring that featured a 4 carat blue star sapphire cabochon. It sold a week later—28 years ago!

Déjá Vu 18k rose gold double finger ring

The single piece of jewelry you’re most proud of: The Eiffel Tower earrings.

Best piece of advice you ever received: The Golden Rule: “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”

Worst piece of advice: “What people don’t know can’t hurt them.”

First job ever: I worked on an assembly line for the technology company Seagate. I was only 16 years old, and it was a summer job. We were building 10 megabyte hard drives—the largest hard drives on the market at that time.

Hezar, the would-be soccer star

How did you get started designing jewelry? During college, I had a part-time job at a small jewelry store in Los Angeles. I started in sales and eventually started dabbling with design and began learning how to create the pieces on my own.

If you weren’t designing jewelry, what would you be doing? Playing professional soccer, for sure! I’ve been in love with the sport since I was a kid. My sons play as well.

Jewelry you’re wearing right now: A Michael John watch and my Déjà Vu collection cufflinks—so maybe my style is not that casual!

Déjà Vu cufflinks

Five items on your desk right now: Tools, a laptop, my favorite coffee mug, a framed family photo, and an assorted candy jar.

Five songs on your playlist: Too many to count! The song I have on repeat is “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.

Exercise regimen: Swimming and yoga. I had a sports injury, followed by a surgery not too long ago, which prohibits me from playing my favorite sport—soccer!

The pro soccer team you root for: Manchester City. I’m a huge fan of David Silva!

Déjá Vu 18k gold dragonfly ring

What did you have for breakfast? Coffee, a PowerBar, and five vitamins.

Guilty pleasure: Italian ice cream.

Drink (daytime/evening): I don’t typically drink during the day, but if I do, it’s a Blue Moon beer while watching sports with my buddies.

First website you check every day (not your own!): First SoccerNews.com, then ESPN.com.

Scent: I love the smell of grass. It reminds me of soccer fields and my youth!

(photo: Devonyu/Thinkstock)

How do you unwind? Playing Xbox with my sons after work.

Superstitious? Not really…I have too much faith to be superstitious, I guess.

Book you’re reading: I was a horrible student and usually don’t like reading books! However, I do enjoy sports magazines and JCK’s daily newsletters. ?

Book you’ve been meaning to get to: The Hunger Games series.

Pacino (photo: Brian Cahn/Zuma Press/Alamy)