Shirley Bassey sang ‘Diamonds are Forever’ for a reason. The sparkle, symmetry, and sublime otherworldly nature of these precious and timeless stones have made them highly-valued and sought after. Tracey Ellison, popularly known as “The Diamond Girl” is a professional whose passion for diamonds and jewelry led to her make a name for herself in the industry. We found out more during a recent chat.
Q: Hello, Tracey. You’re known worldwide as “The Diamond Girl,” but that wasn’t always the case, was it?
A: Not at all. For a long time, I was stuck on the corporate treadmill in a world I had grown weary of. Growing up in South Africa, I always had a passion for diamonds. Years later, I made a name for myself in the industry. I never imagined I’d ever see and hold such world-famous diamonds like the Donnersmark Diamonds, and the Raj Pink.
Q: How did someone relatively unknown in the gem world transform themselves into an individual who is highly sought after for their knowledge and expertise?
A: Well, it all began when I earned an Extraordinary Ability Visa and moved to the US. While consulting to companies such as Amazon and Hilton Hotels, I started an Instagram page, TheDiamondsGirl, where I would showcase my love for high-end jewelry as a hobby. To cut a long story short, in 2015, I took a leap of faith and resigned my consulting job to concentrate on my passion full-time. It’s a great feeling to receive appreciation and recognition for your work.
Q: Your success is perfect proof you’re never too old to change your career or try your hand at social media. You’ve turned a passion into a career. What’s your secret?
A: There’s no secret; it’s just a simple case of following your dream, and mine happened to be diamonds. When I began casually posting pictures of jewelry as a hobby, I had no idea it would turn into a full-blown career. It was daunting to enter the social media world dominated by teenagers. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and they’ve been good to me. Jokes aside, if you set your heart to it and put in the work, anything is possible.
We are in the middle of an unprecedented transformation of the way people live and work brought on by technology giants Alphabet Inc (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN) and Facebook (FB). When you visit Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website and search for the best paying jobs, you still won’t see Instagram and YouTube stars, and Amazon super-sellers in official labor statistics. We believe there are still a large number of investors who are skeptical about the tech giants’ staying power and impact on our lives. That’s why we believe these stocks are undervalued. Over the coming weeks we will continue sharing the stories of successful entrepreneurs at the forefront of this technology-enabled transformation.
