Moti Ferder is the President and CEO of Lugano Diamonds, a unique fine jewelry retailer known throughout the world and jeweler of choice for Hollywood royalty seeking the perfect look to complement their red carpet-ready designer ensemble.
After Ferder opened its first retail location in Newport Beach, California in 2005, he has expanded Lugano Diamonds beyond traditional jewelry and developed a true luxury brand that continues to grow in both design and scope for luxury accessories.
Ferder was educated as a gemologist and master diamond cutter and since 1991 has handled every step in the supply chain – sourcing diamonds, diamond cutting, wholesale distribution, design and development for retail sale.
A defining moment for Moti was his four years in the Israeli army, where he served as a captain in an elite combat unit. “It had the biggest effect out of everything I’ve ever done,” explains Ferder, “I learned the process of accountability—I oversaw 400 soldiers when I was 19. Everybody serves together. It gives you a humility and a bond that you can’t acquire somewhere else. And I learned the follow-through needed to get things done. That’s a huge lesson to carry through life.”
Traveling extensively, Moti Ferder oversees Lugano Diamonds’ operations around the world, studying the global markets to pursue the finest resources and to develop effective branding campaigns. He is the primary liaison between Lugano Diamonds and international gemological laboratories, and is the company’s leading authority evaluating inventory, grading stones, appraising jewelry and finding the correct marketing channel for each piece.
In a recent interview, Moti Ferder shared some insights into the diamond business and what really gets him excited:
“What gets me excited is finding another unique stone whether it’s a diamond it’s a pink diamond door or it’s the mellow mellow pearl and creating something around it.
The mellow mellow pearl is as rare as it gets. It is a natural pearl that comes from the Seas of Vietnam. It is a pearl that actually grows within a snail and it takes hundreds of years to form.
The Emperor of Vietnam basically didn’t allow anybody to own this exquisite pearl and anybody that found one of those pearls had to bring it to the Emperor. He was the only one that was allowed to collect them and it is very rare to see one of these pearls especially one as good as this one and as big as this one.
When it gets to precious stones I have suppliers they show me a lot of different things and I find the things that interests me and I see a creative path of what to do and what to make with that and all of these things come together and you create these beautiful earrings.
The most important element of buying a diamond is buying a well-cut diamond. Diamonds are different than any other stone and the fact that they reflect 100% of the light that comes in bounces right back but that happens only when the stone is perfectly cut and that’s our emphasis.
The bottom line is that if you’re compromising on the cut of the diamond then you’re compromising on the essence of the diamond — that’s truly our belief. For the most part, jewelry is not something that you buy every day and people deserve an experience that’s going to be as beautiful as the jewelry that they’re buying. At Lugano Diamonds, we work very hard to make sure that the buying experience matches the exceptional jewelry we sell to our customers.”
For discerning customers, whether they are Hollywood celebrities or “soon to be” newlyweds, the “boss of bling” loves helping his clients find the perfect gift to celebrate a special occasion or any occasion at all.