Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York & Los Angeles

Ever since Eddie LeVian joined the company in 1978, Le Vian® has grown and prospered through its entry into uncharted territory in the jewelry world, through Eddie’s eyebrow-raising marketing techniques, all to bring fine jewelry within reach of jewelry lovers – and would-be jewelry lovers – coast to coast. Today, Le Vian® collectors number more than 500,000, including royalty and billionaires but, more important to Eddie, jewelry lovers at middle income levels to whom he has opened a treasure trove.

Shannon: The Le Vian website is very unique with a great tribute to your father A. Le Vian and an all around feeling of warmth and love of family; I feel this sets you apart from other jeweler web sites out there. How did the concept of your website come together?

Eddie LeVian: The website is a collaboration of many areas within Le Vian including Marketing, Merchandising, MIS, Customer Service and more. My son Jonathan is the web master. My nephew Rafael is the graphic designer and web developer. Everyone involved in the web work knows the story of Le Vian first hand and maybe that is why the feel is more personal.

Shannon: You joined the family business in 1978, being surrounded by the jewelry business all of your life, was this something you had long wanted to do or was there a time when you wanted to venture out down a different career path?

Eddie: During college, I was not sure if this is what I wanted to do and in fact I was in search of my fountain of youth. Then I realized that of all of the things that you have in life, it is your jewelry that people keep from you and remember you by. So I realized that by having my name signed inside the pieces, my name will live on along with the jewel that is passed down the generations in the families. I realized that I had found my fountain of youth in my family business, where I have an excuse to see my brothers and sisters every single day. I decided to make the world’s most beautiful jewelry and make them available and affordable to everyone.

Shannon: Your website mentions that you have been responsible for many "eyebrow raising marketing techniques," can you share a few of them with us and explain how this has made Le Vian Jewelers who they are today?

Eddie: We made history with the first all precious tiara ever made for any pageant or parade, a $75,000 ruby and diamond one for the fiesta bowl that they used for 20 years. We have been the official designer for the Mrs. America Pageant for 17 years. We go to 1,000 cities and towns in the US each year with unbelievable trunk shows of the artist’s proofs and original pieces that are offered to our collectors. Our "Where to Buy" page can tell you every store we are in with maps to find the location. Each year we send personalized letters to our half million collectors at least twice a year and send roses and chocolates to the thousands of VIP’s. These letters give user names and passwords that allow our collectors to go to a private zone within our site called the Collectors Club where they can see the thousands of new designs a month that we do, as they come out. We even do a jewelry design competition with Jewelers for Children each year.