GROWING A LEGACY

from Diamond Cellar: Spring/Summer 2021

THE ART OF THE DREAM

As a kid, Alex Johnson relished walking into Diamond Cellar with a tiny suit and clipon tie to match his dad. Now, the musician and arts lover marks the third generation in the business his grandfather founded almost 75 years ago. And much like the father he loves, idling isn’t in his DNA. In 2020, Alex spearheaded the opening of a Diamond Cellar and Rolex shop in Nashville. Next, he’s helping his father expand the company’s portfolio to eight stores by introducing Diamond Cellar to the Tulsa market and opening luxury accessories resale brand Store 5a in Nashville with his brother, Jesse. His ultimate dream? To turn what started as a jewelry repair shop in Downtown Columbus, Ohio into a billion-dollar business. Here, meet the husband, father and bourbon aficionado on the move.

WHAT ARE YOUR EARLIEST MEMORIES OF THE FAMILY BUSINESS?

I remember going to work with my dad, and back then, he used to always wear a suit. Not wanting to be out of place, I would wear a tiny suit and a clip-on tie to be like him. His assistant would give me a typewriter and a stack of papers. I loved going at it on the typewriter.

DID YOU ALWAYS DREAM OF GOING INTO THE FAMILY BUSINESS?

I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, because that’s what I saw my dad do. I just wasn’t sure I wanted to do it in this industry. I thought I wanted to be a musician. I was fortunate enough to go to school in New York (The King’s College). I also was fortunate enough to have a dad who made me work. I had multiple jobs, including one with jeweler Fred Leighton. We were dressing royalty and celebrities and dealing with some of the rarest stones in the world, and I thought, “Who wouldn’t want to do this?” YOU LATER GRADUATED FROM THE GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA TOO. WHAT INTERESTS YOU ABOUT JEWELRY?

When someone gives you jewelry, it has this magical ability to supersede reality. In these really crazy times, people are searching for ways to share love and show significance. Jewelry’s always been a way of doing that.

AND WHAT INTERESTS YOU ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF JEWELRY?

I like building. I have a passion for growth— personal and otherwise.

IN A THROW-AWAY, FASTFASHION WORLD, WHY IS FINE JEWELRY STILL RELEVANT?

Fast fashion will always have a place. But fine jewelry exists for the same reason fine dining and other fine things exist: You want something exceptional. WHAT DOES JEWELRY MEAN TO PEOPLE?

To some, it’s a capstone on an achievement—an external realization of an internal feeling. For others, it’s self-care. This notion that you have to wait for someone else to buy you jewelry no longer exists; you can gift yourself what you want. For some—like avid watch collectors—it’s a competitive thing. For others, it’s an aesthetic thing. For many, it’s a reminder of love— something gifted or passed down. It means so much.

YOU EMPLOY SOME OF THE MOST HIGHLY SKILLED DESIGNERS IN THE WORLD. WHAT ARE THEY LIKE?

We’re not an assembly line. These are artisans using their hands to craft unique pieces from unique materials. It takes so many years to understand heat, polishing, setting and all the technical aspects. The pieces we make have to last for generations. We have designers who have been here 36, 37 years, and they’ll tell you they’re still honing their craft. They’ve devoted their lives to it. They are the best.

STEPHEN WEBSTER IS DESIGNING A ONE-OF-A-KIND BAR FOR THE DIAMOND CELLAR STORE IN NASHVILLE. HOW DID THAT COME TO BE?

We love hanging out. He once asked, “How do I spend more time in Nashville?” At the same time, he had been working on some homeware and barware and was showing them in a pop-up he called No Regrets Lounge. Dad and I were eating one night and said, “What if Steven made his No Regrets Lounge a permanent thing in our Nashville store?” That’s usually how all of our good or bad ideas start—on a bar napkin or at a meal.

SPEAKING OF BARS, YOU ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT BOURBON. LET’S DISCUSS.

I grew up around parents who loved the notes of wine. They can tell you what is French, Italian, Californian. It’s the closest thing to a hobby my dad has. Wanting to find something of my own— and during a time in life when I was watching “Mad Men”—I fell in love with bourbon. To commemorate the opening of our Nashville store, I wanted to procure a really special bourbon. I was able to source the entire output of a nine-year single barrel Willett bourbon. I got to give it to my friends at Rolex who totally changed my life and career with our partnership—and to some of our very first Nashville customers too. It was pretty great.

YOUR GRANDFATHER AND FATHER BOTH PRIDE THEMSELVES ON INTEGRITY ABOVE ALL ELSE. HOW DOES IT TRANSLATE TO HOW YOU RUN THE BUSINESS?

There are so many ways that buying a diamond is confusing. Intentionally. So I think a lot of people take advantage of their customers. They’re worried about your buck today and not your happiness tomorrow. We’ve always taken a very transparent approach. I also don’t think a lot of jewelry stores take it upon themselves to do charity work and be a good member of the community. We have. We’ve also always prioritized our ability to take the high road. We’ve never had to make a decision out of financial desperation. We’ve never had to rip off anyone or go back on a contract. We keep our word. Our brands trust us to do the right thing, and our customers trust us to do the right thing—even when nobody is looking.

YOUR FIRST BIG MOVE AS A COMPANY LEADER WAS EXPANDING TO NASHVILLE. WHY THERE?

Growing up as a musician, Nashville was the place to be. I visited as much as I could for the music scene, the creativity, the energy. My wife was dancing some with a company there, and she loved it too for all the reasons I did. So we personally liked the city already. If we were going to have a second home somewhere, Nashville was going to be our spot. From a business standpoint, the corporate landscape was compelling, and the economic landscape was compelling too. Plus, I had good contacts in Nashville who understood the real-estate market enough to help me scout and secure a great location and great construction partners. I want to make this a billion-dollar business. Nashville was the next best move for growth. WHERE DO YOU ENVISION TAKING THE BUSINESS?

Turning this into a billion-dollar company is going to be tough. That’s a big number. But I think the middle of America is overlooked by most luxury companies. They focus on the coasts. But having grown up here and seen what my dad has done in Columbus, I know firsthand that there is an audience here that appreciates luxury and is hungry for it. There is massive potential. But I don’t think it makes sense for brand partners like Rolex, Chanel and Cartier to build their own stores. So if we can build the stores, staff the stores, and then bring all these luxury brands together for people, everybody wins.

YOU LOVE INTERACTING WITH CUSTOMERS. ANY GREAT MOMENTS YOU CAN SHARE?

An elderly gentleman once walked in for a watch appraisal. The appraiser brought me the watch and said he wasn’t confident putting a value on it. I noticed immediately that it was a vintage Rolex Daytona. I then looked at the case back, which was engraved December 25, 1965. We called the customer and asked if he was the only owner. “Yeah,” he said. “My wife bought it for me for Christmas in 1965.” She had paid a couple hundred dollars, he noted. Needless to say, I had the pleasure of telling the customer that his watch was worth way more than a couple hundred dollars now.

FAVORITE PIECE OF JEWELRY YOU’VE PERSONALLY GIFTED?

My wife’s engagement ring, which was my grandmother’s ring that I had a Forevermark diamond put into. There is an inexplicable amount of joy involved in giving a ring to the person you love and having her accept that token.

YOU HAVE TWO VERY YOUNG CHILDREN. HOW DO THEY AFFECT HOW YOU SEE THE WORLD?

They’ve really impacted how I look at time— that’s the biggest change. I try to be more intentional about how I use mine now. And they’ve given me a level of contentment.

WATCHES ARE YOUR JAM. HAVE YOU BOUGHT ANY FOR YOUR BOYS YET THAT YOU’LL SOMEDAY PASS ON?

A Rolex Pepsi that I wear now that will someday be Levi’s. And I’ll buy a Patek for Wyatt. I’m working on it.