In the Loupe
In the Loupe
One of a Kind Jewelry with Omi Privé ft. Niveet Nagpal
Omi was founded nearly 35 years ago by Omi Nagpal and his wife, Preeti, whose family were ruby miners dating back to 19th century Burma. Later, their son, Niveet, founded Omi Privé, their finished jewelry business that specializes in one of a kind finished colored stone jewelry.
From design processes to nurturing retailer relationships, Niveet sheds light on the strategic side of the jewelry vendor business. He shares insights on building meaningful partnerships with retailers who value understated luxury, as well as a deep dive on the business of colored stones.
Learn more about Omi Prive: https://omiprive.com/
Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe
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Welcome back everybody to In the Loop. What is up everybody? My name is Michael Burpo. Thanks again for listening to In the Loop this week. I'm joined by Navit Nagpal and he's with Omi Prive, and if you've never seen Omi Prive's work, they have the most incredible colored stone jewelry. Every piece is one of a kind and truly unique, and he talks a little bit about their origins, but also how they choose stones for pieces and sometimes how they have to hold on to certain stones because they haven't found the perfect design specifically for it, and also what comes first the setting or the stone. It's a really cool conversation about custom jewelry and about the creative process. I really enjoyed it and if you're interested in learning more about Omiprive, you can go to their website. It's O-M-I-P-R-I-V-Ecom. Thanks, enjoy the show.
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Speaker 1:And now back to the show. Welcome back everybody. I'm joined by Naveet Nagpal and he's with Omi Prive. How are you doing today, naveet? Pretty good. Michael, great to be here. Yeah, so exciting. I mean, this is kind of the continuation of my interview with Ray Lance from the Diamond Center. He mentioned that you're one of the vendors that he works with closest and that it's really cool how he's been able to build a little bit of a connection. You guys are based out of the same area. I was wondering if you could talk to me a little bit about Omi Prive and kind of what you're doing there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Omi Prive is a jewelry brand that we launched in 2012. My parents started a business called Omi Gems and Omi is my father's name, so Omi Gems. He built a great reputation, you know, in the colored gemstone community, providing colored gemstones to the trade. And, as you know, business evolved and things changed and we kind of organically grew into a space where we needed to create jewelry. So I launched Omi Fae in 2012. And so we still do quite a bit of loose colored gemstones and the main business now is Omi Preve, which is finished goods.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you had mentioned on your website, at least I was reading about. They started the business 35 years ago and they were based out of Burma and they were primarily rubies and you guys have since kind of made the decision to go to many different types of gemstones. Was that something that you had, that they made that decision, or was getting into loose gemstones? Is that sort of the natural progression for a business?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean I think the mining rubies in Burma was early 1900s. That was my mom's side of the family and so you know that naturally progressed and you know, went through world wars and changing countries and and making money and losing everything and starting over again, and so there was a lot of you know incarnations of that, of that business. But my father actually didn't know anything about gemstones until he was almost 40 years old and my mom knew more about gemstones being around the family business at some points in her life, so she had some knowledge of gemstones when they started in the industry and then in 1985, then they started Omi Gems, which was primarily colored gemstones, mainly focused on ruby, sapphire, but pretty quickly after that they introduced emeralds and a lot of the other birthstones and sold to a lot of different manufacturers and designers. And that's pretty much how they got their business started when a lot of manufacturing was still done domestically. Oh, interesting.
Speaker 1:And so they were Omi Gems, and now you're Omi Pruve. Can I ask, what does Pruve mean?
Speaker 3:Well, since we still have Omi Gems, it's still the head company. Oh, I didn't see. We went through and thought if we're going to have a jewelry brand, we wanted it to still represent our heritage and where we came from and the business my parents started. And so we just went through, you know, a bunch of different names and when we came back with the consulting companies, omi still came up to a name that just is a positive uh is a positive name and a positive word in a lot of different cultures and languages. So you know, we decided to stick with omi and stick with that heritage. And then prive means private in french, so it's more like exclusive a bit. So you know we wanted to create something that was higher end, manufactured in los angeles, you know, only available in specific places where they could really understand the craftsmanship and the quality of what we were doing. So we wanted to be a little bit more, a little bit more exclusive and a little bit more kind of like understated luxury. So that's kind of where where the Preve came in.
Speaker 1:Oh, very interesting. So I guess I'm always interested in the progression of the jewelry industry. I think that increasingly the jewelry industry is like picking up steam and what it is now is very different than what even I joined in, you know, about seven and a half years ago, and even you know 10, 20, 30, every single year they're having their own spin on what's going on. Are you able to kind of talk about how the industry and your business has changed since you started it in 2012 versus? I mean, now we're recording this in 2024, at the end of 2024. So that's about 12 years. And even in the past 35 years since Only Gems was started, how has kind of the business and the offering sort of progressed along the way?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean you know, I've been in the business, around the business at least since I was a little kid and I've been working, so I'm in the business since the late nineties. So I've been, I've been around the business, I've seen a lot of changes and I love the question because I really feel like there's two parts to it, right, there's one part where it's changed so much. There's another part where it's the same as it was, you know, 500 years ago or whatever. There's still that. You know the whole adornment and you know things that are coming from nature and wearing things to celebrate life or to celebrate your status or you know whatever jewelry means to you and it's one of the oldest professions in the world and, and you know some of those things are still there. And I think you know it's fascinating our business. A lot of it is still done on reputation and handshakes and trust and and I love that about, about our industry. That's one of the reasons that you know I came back into this industry after working in finance for for a couple of years, so there's all that. But then in terms of change, I mean there's been so much change since I started in the business with technology and softwares and inventory management, and then the advent of social media and everything else. So you have all the technology added into what we're already doing.
Speaker 3:I think our business the most important thing is it's a very emotional business. Absolutely. I think that you have the emotional side of it, then you have the technology side of it. You have the emotional side of it, then you have, like, the technology side of it and if you can merge those together, as we progress, as we get more technology and as we get social media, we're able to tell the stories. I think the stories that we tell about the pieces that we make, why we design them or why, why the stone is special or why it's rare, the more stories you can tell about how things are formed, you know, millions of years ago in the, the earth, and we're just like custodians of them. We're just finding them and then figuring out how to get them to the person they were meant to be with and how, how you know how to reflect that. So it's like we're we're playing a small part in it and technology is just helping us evolve and be able to tell the stories to a wider audience and make people appreciate what we do more.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. It's super cool to hear you say that, because you know, one of the things is like the effects of technology, like you were saying, in social media. I mean that is one of the best ways that a lot of our jewelers are selling their goods online is by trying to trigger that emotional connection. And one of the things that I've increasingly been hearing is like higher, what is it? Higher elevated centerstones for engagement rings are becoming more popular, in part because people like to be able to take photographs of them kind of protruding just a slightly, a bit more, and it's one of those things.
Speaker 1:Is that, does that make sense? It's like, well, when you draw the connections, it starts to make more sense in your mind. But you could maybe it's just fashion in the big kind of overall kind of arch, but hearing what is actually the cause behind something is always kind of one of those surprising and interesting kind of details that I've started to like. And as a jewelry designer and, you know, as a as a manufacturer yourself, are you kind of trying to get ahead of the curve? Are you chasing these trends or just doing your own thing, regardless of what the trends are? Is that something you have to kind of pay attention to as a as a jewelry designer?
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you always want to kind of see what's going on in the world and see the trends and, and you know, see what's going on, but I I really I really don't pay that much attention to it. I want to know what's going on, but in terms of what I'm doing I don't pay so much attention. I used to, I think, earlier in my career, try and predict things and try and move forward things and I realized that you can't really do that, especially in what we do with colored stones. You don't know what is going to be available. When it's going to be available, all of a sudden you'll be able and they'll hit a pocket and we'll see some supply and then it'll completely dry up. So you know you can't really plan around what stones are going to be available.
Speaker 3:Early in my career I used to take all this data. I thought I was like I did this big data class and watched like Iron man and then Tony Stark and all this data. You know, with all this data and it's like you know, I'm going to figure out exactly what I sell and what price points with what stones and what kind of designs, price points with what stones and what kind of designs. And I did all this data and then I followed it for the next couple of years and it was completely off because it completely changed. You know, we're not selling millions of pieces, we're selling one of a kind pieces and we're selling one of a kind things and and into, you know, in in smaller spaces.
Speaker 3:So I I kind of kind of went back to I just want to find the most beautiful gemstones. I can create designs around those gemstones and then the rest will just happen. So I don't try to think about it too much anymore. I just try to, I just try to be. You know, in my business of course I'm looking at trends and strategy overall, strategically. But when I'm designing I'm not thinking about any of that. I'm just trying to focus on that specific stone and acquiring the best gemstones that I'm designing around.
Speaker 1:You know, it's really quite interesting. In my conversation with conversation with Ray, I was asking are you a feels kind of guy or are you an analytics kind of guy? And he was like oh, you know, I like to think I'm a feels guy, but the analytics do kind of help with validating and allowing me to impact or act on those feelings a little bit more. I guess wholeheartedly. A little bit more, I guess wholeheartedly.
Speaker 1:So you had mentioned that a lot of times you go with a center stone or a stone in general, and then you'll build something off of that and you're working with, a lot of times, these one of a kind stones like you know, just to pick one in particular, opals. Opals are so different from stone to stone, I mean, they almost have their own personality. Are you typically starting with, you know, a really select, amazing stone and then building oh, this one feels like it should be in a ring, or this one feels like it should be in a pendant. Or do you do it in reverse, where you create a setting, you know, for a two and a half carat stone of some sort, and then you find the perfect thing to match it? What's that creative process like?
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, it's absolutely about the stone and you know we always talk about everything starts with stone. So it's almost like you know I'm a stylist or a you know some type of a architect or something, where you got to go in and you have to learn about, about the person and their personality and what you know what that is. So same thing with stones. Like, I want to see that stone's personality, whether it's very sparkly or whether it's got this really rich color, whether it needs more light or less light, whether it's better in a warmer tone, gold or a white metal, a platinum, cool, and things like that. So I'm always looking at what is going to bring the personality out of that stone and what's going to make that stone like really shine and live its purpose. So, yeah, everything is definitely like just all for that stone.
Speaker 1:Is, I guess. Do you ever buy a stone and then have to, like, I guess, sit on it or hold it for, I guess, a long time until you decide what to actually use it for? Like, do you have like a like a backlog of pieces Cause as a? As a painter, sometimes I do that with frames because I don't want to paint something and then have to find the frame later. A lot of times I'll buy these frames in bulk, but occasionally I buy a frame where I'm just like this thing is so fancy, so special that I'm going to hold onto it. And then I end up holding it for like a year, two years, three years, and it's like, okay, maybe I shouldn't have to move this another house. Like, let's actually use this thing. What's that like for? For precious stones?
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, I love that analogy. It's definitely true. There's stones that I'll buy that are really unique and interesting stones. I love things that are just more unique and interesting in colors that people haven't seen before in a sapphire or in any other stones, but just unique things. So sometimes I'll know within like a few minutes or a couple days exactly what I want to design. But sometimes when it's a really unique stone or something that is really special to me, then yeah, it's hard. Then I start designing and then I think I don't know if this is worthy and then you kind of kind of go in a different direction and you know, then I go with a different stone and then some. So sometimes, yeah, sometimes, there's certain stones that will sit with me for two, three, four years, um, before I actually do something with them, and other ones in 10 minutes, you know yeah.
Speaker 1:So, man, and working on I mean, like you said you're, everything you make is pretty much one of a kind and it's a, it's a one it's a piece of art. But you also are selling B2B and then having these stores then pass them on and they're hearing the results from the end consumer. I'm sure that occasionally you really have just a masterpiece on your hands. It's a hit. You go, you sell it to whoever, just to say Ray, and he goes and he sells it in one day.
Speaker 1:And then what is that conversation like then, from the retailer to the artist in this case you where he might say that was such a hit, I want two more, three more, ten more, just like it because it's so good, 10 more, just like it because it's so good. But I can see where you might want to be the artist and you might want to say like, nah, man, that was a one of a kind thing, I'm not doing it again. Like I want to make new creative things and stretch your creative talent. Is that like a push pull, or is I mean money's money? It's like, hey, I'll sell whatever's gonna, what's ever gonna make it out the door.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, most of the time I would say it's not that much of a challenge, because when we have a one of a kind piece and you sell it to that client and that was like something that was meant for that client, that client like that, you know design aesthetic, that like that specific stone, that specific color scheme, but if we see a trend of you know certain certain colors and certain metals and ways things are coming together, then we'll make other pieces similar to that. And you know, generally when I'm buying and looking at gemstones, sometimes I don't, sometimes I'll buy one stone here or there. But when I see a new production of something like cobalt spinel from Tanzania has been something last couple of years I've been, I've been hot on when I can find some, so I'll buy those and I'll have a whole collection of those. So so I'll buy those and I'll have a whole collection of those. So I'll build rings around a cobalt spinel you know beautiful, bright blue spinel, and they'll all be a little different but they will have some similarities to them. So it's kind of both.
Speaker 3:But usually we won't remake like exact rings and usually our price points are a little higher, like I said, and it's individual, you know it's made for that individual person. So we won't usually make the exact same exact same piece. But it, you know, it depends on. It, depends on the piece. If it's a, you know, two carat round Sapphire and a very simple ring, then yeah, then we can. Of course we can reproduce that or something similar to it. But if it's more of a ring that has more of a design element, to it, then we don't usually repeat exactly the same thing Interesting, wow.
Speaker 1:I Interesting, wow I can only imagine, because on the one hand, I can see how you figure out what the bread and butter is and it's like you know what I'm going to. I'm going to run this thing back as many times as it takes, and you know, if the retailers are happy, then that's great for you. But at the same time, if you are, you know, feeling like this is a one of a kind moment and like these are, you know, unique and special. I can only imagine how much of a pull that's probably is on you, because you do want to keep pushing forward and you don't want to stay stagnant just running it back, because where's the fun in?
Speaker 3:that Right, yeah, and also also one of the things that that, um, that we talk about is no compromise. We don't want to compromise on the quality of anything we do. And so sometimes you make, you have this beautiful stone and you make this ring, even if it's not, you know, a very expensive one, but it's something very unique and good quality. And then if you have to make another one, then you have to find that stone. And when you go out to find a stone it might not always be that special, it might not have that same quality. So I don't want to compromise on the quality just because we have to make another piece the same. So that's why we try not to do it in that way.
Speaker 3:If sometimes we'll get a parcel, we'll have, like, several stones that are similar or similar sizes, similar quality, then that can be different. But I don't like to. I don't like to drop the quality just to fill the order of finding a stone or finding something that fits specific things. That's probably my biggest challenge is I'm probably more picky on the quality than most of our clients would ever be. So sometimes we lose business or sales, or sometimes we don't make certain things or do certain things because I'm more picky on the quality than than I maybe need to be, but that's but.
Speaker 1:That's how I built a brand, so yeah, and I always wonder, though, because there are variations in these stones. There are there's so much variation between, just inside, even the same stone from one ruby to another, or even the place of origin, or different cuts are just slightly different. Is that something that you are looking at? Is that solved by buying, like you said, parcels and buying them in a bunch together, but inevitably you'll probably have one or two loose ones left? Is that something that you're kind of trying to solve ahead of time Like I'm going to buy this parcel of six emeralds and I'm going to make a piece with all six of the emeralds because they all come from the same point of origin or is that, like you know, you can get away with having a couple of different variations in there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, definitely, Because usually they're all going to be a little different.
Speaker 3:And I do like buying, if we can like more productions, but they don't always have to be the same size or shape, but just from the same area, the same mind, like the same character. And when I'm looking at the stones I'm really looking at the quality of how do you say it, Like its internal qualities, like the quality of the material itself. Because we can always repolish something, we can always recut it into a different shape or improve on the cutting. So the cutting wise we can always improve on and do whatever we need to do, but the original quality that it was born with has to be there so to be able to see that quality, even if it's in an estate piece, even if it's a piece that's, you know, comes back from the market, or whether it's a newly mined piece. But it needs to have that inherent quality. And once it has that inherent quality, then we can unlock that by recutting it into, like I said, recutting it to improve the quality of the cutting or even into a different shape.
Speaker 1:Super interesting, naveed, I really appreciate getting a chance to speak with you. We're going to take a quick break and we'll come back in just one minute, and then I want to ask you about your design process. So, everybody, stay with us.
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Speaker 1:And now back to the show. And now back to the show. All right, everybody still speaking with Naveed Nagpal, with Omiprive. Naveed, I wanted to ask you about your design process. It's something I'm very interested in. I work as a designer and hearing how people make things three-dimensionally is so fascinating to me, because I'm always working in 2d, whether it's for my job or working with watercolors. They're so um, there's a whole like another dimension to it when you're working in three dimension. Uh, can you talk to me about the design process that you guys use?
Speaker 3:yeah, um, I mean most, most of the time, most of the time, design process. I, I see some stones and I've been doing this long enough. For once in a while I'll see a stone and I know that, hey, we've made a piece similar to this before. Let's make hard to do it. Running a business day to day, I'm doing the buying, selling, I'm doing the strategy, I'm dealing with all of it. So sometimes it's hard to get that, you know, creative process solved.
Speaker 3:So for me it's when everybody goes home at the end of the day and I take a, you know, take a break and turn on some music and kind of get in a different mode. Then I'll sit on my, you know, go sit on our conference table and I'll bring out a bunch of gemstones and I'll, you know, sometimes pour myself a glass of tequila or something, or you know whatever. I feel like that day, depending on the music, depending on the you know what I'm drinking, and I'll just sit on the table and that's that's when I'll get creative and it's kind of getting into that mindset, you know, away from the day-to-day business into like a creative mode by doing that, and I'll have two or three different light sources and different color metal plates for the different metals and I'll have all the different stones spread out on the table. So one of the things we're really known for is how we mix different colors together that most people wouldn't think of or don't. You know, you don't really see too much in jewelry and that's really when that process happens.
Speaker 3:Sometimes there's colors that I know will go good together, and sometimes I just just kind of have them sitting on my desk and I start, you know, setting them next to each other on wow, this, this, this looks really good together. I would have never thought of that, but, you know, sometimes there's those inherent characteristics and unless you're, like, really in the mode and, you know, focused on that, on the creative aspect, you don't see those things. So so that's probably what I enjoy the most and that's where most of the magic happens, when in our design process, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:It's like a really adult expensive Legos. That's super, super cool to hear. Are you doing the and in running this gemstone business?
Speaker 3:And after that I just started designing some pieces and kind of got that from my experience and just from learning, and so my designs are really bad stick figures, if you want to compare it to something that most people don't understand. I'm sketching on paper, I'm writing on top of a plastic box with a Sharpie, just to get my ideas down of what I want to do. And then I'll sit down with Nikki and we'll discuss some things and I'll get with my master jeweler. If it's a more intricate or newer piece, I'll get with my master jeweler to kind of see more on the 3D side of things what's happening there. So we can use CAD as we go through to kind of adjust the design. But usually it's done in pieces and stages. So when it's an intricate piece, then I'll sit down with the master jewelers, sit down with Nikki and we'll kind of go through that process.
Speaker 1:I love it. That's super cool, really interesting to hear. I like hearing it from a lower tech standpoint. Like you said, like the equivalent of doing stick figures. That's actually. It's amazing how effective of a design tool they are not literally stick figures, but the fact. Just putting it onto a piece of paper it conveys the idea so much better than just, sometimes, words. I think you have to have something on the paper to be able to start editing from, but I guess I always wonder.
Speaker 1:So you mentioned these color contrasts and, like you know where the magic happens in creating these things, if it was me and I was sitting down, I would be designing what I call showstoppers every single time. You know a three carat center, um, and going up from there, you know these pieces that are I don't want to call them cocktail rings, but they are these more lavish pieces, whereas but we both know that that's not all rings and jewelry is there's more standard pieces as well. How, as a, as a business owner, how do you balance going for these showstoppers but also the pieces that are more filling out the catalog and are more you know they're still beautiful, but they are not leveraging massive?
Speaker 3:um, you know, care account yeah, um, I mean, I think it's a challenge definitely, because I mean we're talking about stones like peribot, germaline or alexandra, where even a one kick, you know, can get pretty pretty pricey and that that will come into like a you know one of a kind or a special piece for someone.
Speaker 3:And then there's some stones that can be really beautiful but just aren't as expensive, they aren't as rare, like, let's say, an aquamarine, or certain trimlines can still be beautiful, and so size sometimes is not the deciding factor, but it's overall. So I try and focus on different price points, different types of designs, to try to always do some more simple ones and some more intricate ones, but really just focusing on the stone and the range and enough over that range. But generally, generally it's tough for going underneath because of the quality of manufacturing and the quality of the materials that we use. It's always a challenge to, to to be in the lower price points and still make something. That, I think, is what our brand is absolutely. You know, there's a lot of jewelry in the lower price points that are that are manufactured differently than ours, so so I don't try to compete in that space.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that that ties in really nicely with. Um, if you don't mind me asking, how are you finding your retailers? Because, like you mentioned, uh, average price point 25 K, um, that is not a fit for most retailers, you know, or every retailer, and it can be. Maybe it's difficult or arduous to find that good fit because, at the same point, you know, or every retailer and it can be, maybe it's difficult or arduous to find that good fit because, at the same point, you are, uh, I think you said LA based, right, and being California, um, you know that does offer a certain type of clientele and folks that might be willing to look for it. Are you looking at jewelry, uh, jewelry stores in California specifically, or do you go to trade shows and then advertise as such? Um, what is that process of finding clients like for you?
Speaker 3:Um, I mean, I think I think today, with technology and social media, you're, you know, you're always going to be spread all over. Um, we do some business in LA and some in California, but I think we do just as much in the Midwest or the South, or interesting, interesting, I think it's more. You know, some stores have a certain aesthetic and a certain type of clientele that mix with ours. Usually they're the, you know, family owned, larger stores that have been around for a while, the guild type stores that have a great reputation in their community, and those tend to be stores that get along with our cultures and our values. So we seem to do well in those areas. So that's kind of what we look for. But then, you know, we really, when I'm creating jewelry, we're creating pieces that are one-of-a-kind, pieces, that are for, you know, people that want something that's different, people that want something special, people that can appreciate art and they're looking at it is like understated luxury, not necessarily a big, loud brand or, you know, with a big logo or people that are like that. So, and I think every store has that client, whether it's one or two or three or five, every store has a handful of those clients that like to own special things, that are collectors that like one of a kind pieces.
Speaker 3:So we still work with a lot of other stores more than what just carry our line. The ones that carry our line get first priority and get the attention and service first. But there's a lot of other stores that have a handful of clients that will have private appointments with or censor specific things out for them to see and we've developed those relationships over a while. So the collector client at the end of the day is our real client, is that consumer that wants to collect things. You never know what store it's going to be from. Sometimes it's a. It's a very large store that has a large clientele and sometimes it's a small store that has a few, a handful of great collectors and we can do the same business with both. You know the same volume with both of those types of stores. It just depends on their personality and their their clientele man.
Speaker 1:It's a fascinating kind of situation to be in. You know where you are, you know B2B, but you also have to keep an eye you know one eye on the on the road and see, you know what the consumer and consumers are going to be, and kind of balancing that act. That's definitely pretty difficult. So you it sounds like you have a mixture of retailers that carry this line, that carries your line, and are more of like a, a closer relationship, it sounds like, and something that you have to kind of develop, and there are some that are, um, I guess, carrying just maybe one or two or three pieces at the same time. Is that an accurate kind of summation?
Speaker 3:yeah, there's there's some stores that have multiple clientele or larger client base. So we support them with a lot of the marketing and a lot of the outreach and and and um the things I had to bring their clients in and doing private events and and bringing things in. So we're constantly trying to develop clientele for those stores. And then there's other stores that they just have there with two or three specific clientele and we'll just work directly with those. You know, two or three consumers that they have.
Speaker 1:Interesting. So I guess, finally, just kind of putting a bow on this, and if you want to talk about this, you definitely can for as long as you want, but I would love to hear what the effects as a as a vendor, of winning awards are. So, for example, there are in certain spaces, certain verticals, awards are the way to get to the top. You know, the weirdest one that I can think of is, for example, beer brewing is like the quickest way to make it to the top is you brew one beer and you win a gold medal or an award or something like that, and then suddenly become a household name and suddenly people trust you because you have been, I guess, given, given the the nod.
Speaker 1:Um, you guys recently won some, some awards for your jewelry and I wanted to ask what the effects are on your business. Is that something that like, hey, if it comes, it comes. You know, if we're going to win, keep what's more awards on our shelves. Um, is that something that you are like specifically targeting, like, oh, we want more now, or, um, are the effects more or less? Hey, we'll, we'll do the marketing ourselves anyways yeah, I think it's a great question.
Speaker 3:Um, I think winning winning jewelry awards depending on on how the awards are judged and what type of contest it is could definitely be helpful for a number of reasons. I'm more partial to the AGTA Spectrum Awards because I grew up AGTA is a colored stone organization, so with AGTA I grew up around that and I used to see when we only did stones. I used to see some great designers winning that award and when I started designing jewelry I thought to myself that would be amazing if I could ever win a Spectrum know, win a spectrum award with something I designed and then, several years ago, won a, won a first place and a best use of platinum, and that was that was really gratifying to be recognized by your peers because the judges are your peers and being recognized by your peers and coming from a place of loving the industry and loving color stones, but not really being a designer and learning about manufacturing, learning about designing and then being able to be awarded a spectrum award is great. And then now I think I think it was 27 awards or something like that in the last few years, not including this year, the Agile. So so it's pretty humbling and pretty amazing.
Speaker 3:And I think, just on a personal, from a personal standpoint, you know, that really validates all the hard work I put in and everything I've learned over time and gives me the confidence, gives me the confidence to push our jewelry line to new levels always and not be afraid to innovate and not be afraid to take chances in my design. So the validation definitely is one. And then when you show, you know, when the consumer sees a piece and they know it's won an award, I think that definitely adds, you know, definitely adds some value to it, knowing that you know they feel more confident, that that wow, this, you know this is a piece that was, that was supported by its peers, it's a piece that had certain quality. So I think that having that, you know, having that on there, is definitely helpful as well. Like you said, it kind of validates. It kind of validates who you are. They may not have heard of our brand, but if they see the awards that we've won, I think it does validate your brand a little bit.
Speaker 1:I think I think you're right. Yeah, especially with, like, I don't want to say that you were, you know, an outsider because obviously your, your family, had started the business, and that with only gems. But coming from what you had mentioned finance and then coming in and sort of putting your flag on the ground and saying you know, hey, we're not just here as like a, as a hobby, or just for dealing stones, we also make incredible jewelry. Um, I can only imagine what that must feel like. That sounds amazing. Yeah, yeah, it's been a great ride, Awesome, navit. Um, as we wrap this up, is there a place that people can go to if they want to learn more about Omiprive?
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. We have our website, which is omeprevecom, and we were very active on social media, so especially on Instagram again at omeprevecom, and you can jump on there and be part of our email list. We're always sending out emails of new pieces and, like I said, we'd love to tell the stories of where things came from and how we design things and about the stone, so we'd love to post a lot about that. So, yeah, we'd love to get everybody on there and get everyone's feedback.
Speaker 1:Amazing. Thank you so much. It's really interesting hearing about your jewelry line. I really am fascinated by the artistry of it and you have gorgeous, gorgeous pieces, so I think it was great getting a chance to speak with you. Thanks so much for listening everybody. We'll be back next week Tuesday with another episode. Cheers slash loop. That's L-O-U-P-E. Thanks. We'll be back next week, tuesday with another episode Cheers Bye, thank you.
