ANTHONY CURRIE: Boston's Fine Jewelry
Up until now, African-Americans haven't been generally associated with the business of fine jewelry other than for the well to do who purchase it. Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Anthony Currie, who has chosen to put himself on the other side of the register, joining the ever-exclusive club of fine jewelry designers. I’ll let Mr. Currie tell you his story and how he plans to take over the market. Move over Jacob…
Where are you from?
I’m from Memphis Tennessee
What was it like for you growing up there as a young man?
Well…I don’t know, I guess I was born with a silver spoon to a degree, but I grew up in a pretty affluent area and my parents were both working class people. I don’t know what you want me to say…I don’t want to sound like I’m trying to be braggadocious at all…
…Oh, no, no, not at all. The main thing about us is integrity and honesty. One of the reasons that I put this(magazine) together is to show people that there are all different types of black men all over the world, to breakdown stereotypes. And I think that more brothers like you who came up in a more affluent area need to be exposed, because there’s nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately with black people in particular, there seems to be a certain sense of guilt that we feel sometimes when we’re successful. I think more brothers might be inspired to know that there are people such as yourself out here, so please feel free to tell us how it was for you…
Well both of my parents, who are deceased now, were certainly there in the house with me. We (one brother, one sister) grew up in a pretty well to do neighborhood that some might call affluent. My dad was the first black federal probation officer in the south, and my mom was in management for South Central Bell. We lived a normal childhood, from what I understood, and we were exposed to things like travel and some of the finer things in life.
Does your educational background consist of fine jewelry?
Actually it doesn’t. I went to a private black school here called Lemoyne-Owan College.
What was it like there?
It was pretty good. I went to school at 22(years of age), because after high school I joined the Marine Corp. for a couple of years. So I was there for about for years and did 2 years in the reserves so it was a total of six years. While I was in the reserves, I started attending Lemoyne. I went to Lemoyne on a track scholarship, got a chance to further my social skills if you will, by joining a fraternity. So I got a chance to enjoy the college experience, but I was a little bit older when I went.
What fraternity did you pledge with?
Kappa.
Did you see many African-American procurers of fine jewelry growing up?
No, not at all. I don’t know if I would use the term procurer. I mean, what I basically do is I work with some of the premier jewelers throughout the country. They have actually just given me an opportunity because of my background and extensive contact list.
What type of clients do you service?
Many of them are professionals such as physicians, attorneys, and some that play professional sports.
What’s BFJ an acronym for?
It actually stands for Boston’s Fine Jewelry. Well, it’s Boston’s Fine Jewelry and Accessories… because at some point I’ll be offering other items like furs and things of that nature.
So would you say that you offer products that accentuate a more affluent lifestyle in general?
Yes, because I really want to master the jewelry and cater to my clientele and then later on that’s something that I plan to add.
Is there one particular group that you’re trying to target first?
You know, it really doesn’t matter to me because people that desire nice things, I don’t think there’s a category that you can put them in whether Black, White, Asian or whatever. It’s just people that like nice things and they’re willing to pay for them.
What separates you from someone like lets say, Jacob the Jeweler in New York City to whom a lot of entertainers go to for customized jewelry?
I think what separates me from most people is the fact that one, I’m going to provide a great product. I’m going to get to know their kids and their family, because I believe that it’s more than just a purchase. I believe in building relationships. I’m not trying to buy a house off of one piece of jewelry that I sell to somebody. I think that people ought to be able to get a great product, without having to pay some of the exuberant prices. You know, African-Americans have always overpaid for everything, and so now what I want to be able to do is offer them a service, offer them a product that they can get at fair market value.
Even though you’re marketing your products to everyone, you seem to have a certain sensitivity to the African-American market…
Well, yes because I think that we have this notion that when you pay more sometimes means you have a better product, and that’s a myth. I think that many times when we’re buying diamonds and high-end pieces…and with my clientele it’s a little bit different because they’re already accustomed to the quality and service that they get. But to be able to get it at the prices that they’re getting it at is really what distinguishes me from my competition.
In this day and age many people are more impressed with the ‘bling’, rather than the actual value of the piece of metal. Where would you say that people can go to educate themselves on fine jewelry?
One thing that they can do is go on the internet to my web site(www.bostonsfinejewelry.com). It will show them what to look for when purchasing a stone. It will show them that if they’re spending an x amount of dollars for a stone, that they need to get an appraisal on that particular stone and then to pass it on to the insurance company. It will also speak to the fact that diamonds are investments. It will speak to those types of things.
Do you plan on expanding to any other major cities?
I do. Los Angeles is one place that I’d like to expand to at some point, and Dallas is another place that I plan to expand to.
Let’s talk about Real Estate. How long have you been involved in Real Estate?
Actually, I’ve been in the Real Estate business now for about five years, and I’ve had my license now for the last three. One of the reasons that I do Real Estate is again, because I like to cater to people. I really like to see them smile, and I tell people I sell two of the highest ticket items out there right now, that people are ever going to purchase. One is Real Estate, which is a home, a building or what have you, and the next thing is a diamond. So integrity means everything as it relates to both of those because people trust you. They don’t really know what to do or how to do it, so they trust you as being the authority on those particular things.
How do you feel about the New York market in your industry?
You know, I really don’t know much about that particular market. What I do know is that if you were asking me categorically in terms of price, I think that I’m going to be very competitive, even in a major city like New York.
Do you speak any other languages?
No. I plan to though, but not at this point, not fluently.
What language would you learn first?
French.
Is the market in France really strong in your industry?
Well, the Europeans really tend to dictate or determine what the prices are as far as diamonds are concerned. And I think that on a personal note that one of the reasons that I would want to speak French is because I’m just intrigued by France, Paris itself, Florence, Tuskany and all those places.
I totally understand man because you know…I just want to impress girls!(laughter)
And you know the amazing thing is that if a person were to do some reading or just travel to those areas, they’ll find that they have a real appreciation for the arts and I believe that diamonds and jewelry are like art. You’re wearing art, basically.
Would you consider also selling high- end art like oil paintings?
Well when I mentioned earlier that I sell two of the highest ticketed items that people are typically going to buy, I preface that by saying for right now. My ultimate goal is to be able to provide…if someone wanted to buy a leer jet, I want to be able to provide it for them. If someone want to buy a yacht, I want to be able to provide it for them. So I want to be the go to person for those particular goods and services.
Where’s Anthony Currie in five years?
Retired hopefully!(laughter) In five years I’d ultimately like be on the speaking circuit, just sharing some of my experiences with folks letting them know that you can do anything you put your mind to. If you dream you just have to get out there and really go after that dream one day at a time. If it’s your dream, you control the people who are in the dream. If it’s your dream, you also control the outcome of the dream. So in five years, I’d like to be on the speaking circuit, living abroad some place.