Raekwon is my big brother from another mother. I met him back in 2014 or 2015, and we talked about custom jewelry for a while before either of us was ready to pull the trigger. I was still in my learning phase as a bench jeweler at the time, still finding my footing in the craft. Eventually we worked on his Buddha pendant, which he still wears to this day. Since then, we've done numerous projects together, ranging all the way up to a quarter-million dollars.
When Rae calls, everything else stops. Any project with him gets 100% of my attention. There's no room for other client work when I'm working with Rae. He knows exactly what he wants. He designs everything from start to finish, and if he wakes up wanting a modification, that's exactly what happens. That's star power: knowing who you are and knowing the power you possess, and not accepting anything less. He's truly an inspiration. Rae taught me how to know what I want and stand on it.
Rae was in New York with Wu-Tang Clan during the 2026 NBA Finals between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, when the group performed at halftime of Game 4 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks pulled off the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, erasing a 29-point deficit to win 107-106, and Wu-Tang was right there in the middle of it. Raekwon himself later reflected on that night, saying: "It's a game, so you pray your team comes through." He added that the group wanted to bring the right energy to lift up both the Knicks and the crowd at halftime.
The Knicks went on to win the series and take home their first championship since 1973. When I found out Rae was performing, I told him: let me clean your jewelry. I have this new product called Diamond Dazzler, and it's the best formula for making diamonds sparkle, especially under stadium lights.
I caught up with Rae while he was in town. He told me he'd support me regardless, out of love. But once I actually cleaned his jewelry, he said, "No, this is the real thing." It takes a lot to impress Rae. The very next day, he called and said: bring me a set for my brothers, we're all going to use it. We're going on the Jimmy Fallon show tonight.
That night, Wu-Tang Clan joined the newly crowned champion Knicks for a special episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a celebration Fallon himself called a booking over 50 years in the making. The group performed a medley of classics on stage with the Knicks in the building, all riding the high of the title run. Watching them perform, diamonds dazzling under the lights, I was overwhelmed with pride. To reach the entire Wu-Tang Clan with this product, legends out of Shaolin, Staten Island, now Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and to make life a little better for them, that's what it's all about. It's not about the money. It's about making a difference.
After that performance, Rae called me again, and we met at his hotel and sat in the lobby to talk business. He consulted me on my brand image. He told me I needed something fly, that Diamond Dazzler is a luxury product and it needs to look the part. He knew I liked pink, but told me the men needed something sleek and black, something they'd be proud to carry in their kicks, on their shelf, in the luxury car. When Rae speaks, I listen. I went straight into redesign mode, consulting him at every step. If he said change this, I changed that. Eventually we landed on a look I was happy with, and so was he. It took the aesthetic of my brand from good to exquisite. Diamond Dazzler has been an overnight success, and I have Rae to thank for his support and his insight.
