Nine-time Emmy award-winning American television journalist, producer, film maker and anchor for Spectrum News 1, Giselle Fernández recently interviewed an American Armenian community iconic individual and a highly successful entrepreneur Leon Shant Haytayan of Leon’s Jewelry in Beverly Hills.
Fernández whose appearances on network television include reporting and guest anchoring for CBS Early Show, CBS Evening News, Today, and NBC Nightly News, regular host for Access Hollywood, is the host of “LA Stories with Giselle Fernandez” on Spectrum News 1. The show airs every Monday at 9 p.m.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: He was a boy born into a family shattered by the Armenian genocide Born in Beirut he couldn’t afford school and looked to America for a new life He arrived in LA with just 300 bucks in his pocket and would transform his modest beginnings from a humble booth in the jewelry mart to a multi-million dollar empire, where today on Brighton Way he brightens the lives of all who enter offering yes the most exquisite and priciest of jewels.
But has also cornered the market for the most extraordinary look-alikes that equally sparkle and dazzle. Making sure all can be bejeweled Leon Haytayan’s way of making all feel welcome It’s beautiful Just as he was welcomed to America Leon Haytayan he is today’s LA story.
Hello everyone and welcome to a really beautiful edition of LA Stories. I’m Giselle Fernández and we are coming to you from Swanky Beverly Hills amidst so much dazzle and shine. But just as important, a shining example probably the best we’ve done on the American dream story. Thank you for inviting us into Leon’s lair of exquisite jewelry.
So good to see you.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Pleasure seeing you.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: When you look at all that you’ve built and the success you’ve had, you mean, your family surviving the Armenian genocide, the Lebanon civil war. You came here with 300 bucks in your pocket and you’ve built all this! What most surprises you?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: The dream that I had that I can only make it happen in America because I know our humble beginnings in Lebanon and the opportunities we had and we didn’t have probably if I stayed behind I don’t think I would have been alive today.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: There were also friends in Lebanon that you left behind but many of them did not make it out of the Lebanese civil war. Did they?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: A lot of my friends and even relatives passed in during the civil war in Lebanon.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: How did that impact your life you’re such a lovely and generous man but did it in any way you know corrupt your soul and make you view humanity any differently being exposed to the stories of war?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: I came to the conclusion that what I learned from those hard days is that the wish of every mother is to have their child to have a good education to be well-fed and to be a good citizen for the country. And they all wanted the war to be ending so that they can go back to normal life. That was their wish and that made me feel hear that if we can continue having a situation where kids are well-educated well-fed and they have a good job they’re going to be good citizen at the end.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: Seems so simple right?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: yeah And I knew that I had a better future here than I was there God blessed me with it. It was a dream come true because just to get that green card.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: It was that important to you.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Yes, to stay in this country to bring my entire family out of warn torn Lebanon that was going through the civil war during that time.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: Your father was a hardworking shoe maker and you say he was made of a different kind of fabric What did he infuse in you that you think uh you carry on as his legacy.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: He taught me how to endure in tough times. He taught me how to persist in always working for the better of the family.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: Let me ask you about that because your father watched his siblings and his own father murdered in the Armenian genocide and then had to walk from Turkey to Syria in those horrible death marches.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Yes.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: Your father I understand got separated from his mother on those marches and was left an orphan in Aleppo but he was able as you said to reconnect with his mom at 50 years old when you were 11.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: He left Beirut and went to Armenia and found his mother And she of course was full of joy and she prepared a very special feast for them that night at dinner But unfortunately, she never woke up the morning after She was waiting to see the son.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: before she died.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Before she passed.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: And your father left you the business when you were just 11 years old You were a boy. I mean it almost sounds unimaginable.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Yes I was 11 but I was doing the buying of the company the selling of the shoes he used to sell and I used to go home with my pockets full of money and give it to my mother for groceries or whatever her needs were So it was a very rewarding feeling because I felt like I’m contributing to the family and I’m turning to become a little businessman.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: What would your dad who worked so hard and encouraged you to go to America with that $300 what would he think of what you’ve done?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Dad told me that you didn’t have to buy a two-way ticket I know you’re not coming back he said to me I said “Dad you’re right.” And he gave me the 300 and he wished saying “Son when you go to America and we fall in love one day make sure to marry your own kind.”
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: an Armenian woman…
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: An Armenian woman. I said “Dad if it’s so important for you to have Armenian grandchildren you got to make me a promise before I shake your hand and promise you that.” And he said “What do you want?” I said “You see that pack of cigarette in your pocket you tell me that’s your last pack of cigarette.” He used to smoke two, three boxes a day. I said, “If you quit now and promise me you will never smoke,” I said “I will promise you that I’ll marry my own kind and give you Armenian grandchildren.”
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: And did you both…?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: We both honored our word.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: Honored your word?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Absolutely.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: (image of jewelry) I can’t help but be dazzled by the sparkle of not just the finest jewels thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars worth of exquisite jewels but also look-alikes, replicas of the greatest designers. You captured that market too…
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Before COVID I used to strictly make fine jewelry 18 karat or platinum with diamonds and color stones gems but when COVID hit I thought by feeling the customers emotions that they were afraid to wear the real stuff on the streets because of the turmoil that was happening in Los Angeles. So I made everything affordable by instead of using gold and platinum I used silver I plated it three times 18 karat gold so that it doesn’t tarnish and change color And instead of using diamonds I used cubic zirconia and moissanites lab-made synthetic stones in color And the technology that we were producing in is allowed it to make it look just like the real thing.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: It does…
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: People cannot even tell the difference the most important is for people to know that even though it’s Beverly Hills there is a $50 earring they can buy There is a $100 bracelet they can wear I don’t want them to feel intimidated. They come in and they just fall in love with the line and it so happens that it’s so affordable because every secretary that works around can afford a $300 a $200 ring.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: And that is so important to you. You say that you put the same care and discipline and shine and exquisiteness into your replicas as you do into your fine jewelry.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: Absolutely You take pride in that …
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Yes.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: But people don’t just come here for your beautiful jewelry do they before even offering to show them the jewels you offer them a wonderful latte a cappuccino an Armenian pastry Why is that so important to you?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: When you share food and drink with somebody you create a bond automatically You have shared a mutual joy. Hospitality is very important In Middle East they try to cover the tables as much as they can afford to put food They try not for you to see the tablecloth If you see the tablecloth that means they didn’t put enough food Sometimes they even put two levels in between dishes so that you don’t see the tablecloth That’s the kind of hospitality we are known to see, enjoy and give And that’s how we grew up as tradition.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: And that’s where we’re going to take a break When we come right back, we’re going to talk about the journey of Leon Haytayan and how he came to Los Angeles when LA Stories comes right back.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: Welcome back to LA Stories everyone I am here with Leon Haytayan surrounded by the jewels that adorn his life and his lucky patrons. How hard was it for you to leave everything behind at 20 years old and start a brand-new life?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Very hard at the beginning the hardship, I went through taught me how to become a better person how to meet good people I started working in Hollywood in the clothing business And I got to meet a lot of the Motown record artists because Motown was a block away right behind our store And a lot of the successful Armenian jewelers of downtown were also clients of mine at that time.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: That’s how you got into the jewelry business.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Because jewelry was booming in those days and there was a lot of expansion in downtown Los Angeles and went to downtown and got my first location with what $15,000 I had saved about $18,000 out of which 15,000 was my key money deposit for the location.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: And 3,000 for gold chain…
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: 3,000 was my deposit for my first purchase for gold chains from Italy.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: You joined 300 designers manufacturers This was the jewelry mart 6 and hill and this is how the LA Times described it back then “An odd mix of cultures Israeli diamond dealers Indian color stone merchants Iranian wholesalers Armenian manufacturers Mexican designers Asian importers all who turned this historic building into the towers of Babel a melting pot of creations.” Describe the multiculturalism that you made your home back then.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: It was fascinating because each industry was kind of uh run by certain ethnic groups. So, like all the diamond business was mostly in the hands of the Israelis and the Indians. Most of the manufacturing was among Armenians the working hands was mostly Latinos and Armenians in the manufacturing end in the wholesale end it was a mixture of all of us together as far as the exchanges and the wholesale showrooms but what was fascinating in those days was gold was keeping constant on a growth level So everybody was making money automatically because of the value of the gold going up and up. The manufacturing was done mostly in LA and a lot of the diamond supply that was coming from Israel Antwerp and India were done by New Yorkers. So, they had the diamond power on the east coast We had the manufacturing power on the west coast.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: And I heard you had just customers and were growing your business from all over the world Asia Europe Latin America.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Yes.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: Armenia Lebanon Um and then it grew so big your business that you bought the whole floor of the mart of the jewelry mart and that even took you even further to buying your own manufacturing facilities.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: The business grew to a size where I had to hire more staff more people for the showroom and the manufacturing That’s how I expanded the business for volume And we used to do about 4 to 5 kilo gold per day in those days when gold was about $300, $500 an ounce where today is about over $3,000 an ounce.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: I mean when you look back at that what was your what was your secret your magic star.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Also, my magic star was when I met my wife She was on in the jewelry industry right next to you and she allowed you to keep promise in the same exchange Virginia is her name Yes And uh we fell in love with each other and we got married 6 months after.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: 6 months You wasted no time.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: No because I knew that’s the one Then we had Haig my first son Then we had Michael and business kept prospering God supplies you prosperity uh as your child is born Every child brings their luck with them as they’re born That’s what my mom used to tell me So I believe in that and uh the family grew and I was able thanks to God to put them in proper education school They both worked hard Every member of our family was an integral part of the business.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: And your entire family actually that came to America all of them became successful.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Yes.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: So every single person here in your family achieved the American dream.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Absolutely. Absolutely First came my mom and dad in 1974 Then my sister with her children and they all got involved in the jewelry field and uh they all uh did well like my younger sister Armik’s daughter became the pride of the family also She was a Supreme Court judge in downtown Los Angeles. My nephew (Serj Tankian) turned to be the lead singer of System of a Down and he brought nothing but joy and love to the community of Hollywood Armenians and uh to our family last name.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: And what did your mom and dad say when they finally came here and they saw what you were able to build and to do not just for your family but also for them.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: They were very proud and always dad used to say to me this life in America that I’m we’re living I owe it to what you made me do at the airport in Lebanon for me making me quit smoking So he was very appreciative of that and he lived comfortably. He saw all his grandchildren. He saw all his children prosper get married have kids you know gave him grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was fulfilled with his life and he went happy.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: What does it say about the America you came to that you know was a fertile ground for all of that to blossom.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Something about the green grass of America People on it prosper better than anywhere else America is part of the thread of a world carpet. Each culture is a string of wool silk or cotton in that carpet. The whole world is made like a carpet and we are all part of that Each one is a thread in there and that’s how we bring our culture and knowledge to make the carpet complete That’s how I look at it.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: How different is the America today that you’re experiencing than it was back then?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Totally different Totally big changes but again changes will come again to better and America will stand back the way it’s supposed to be. We’ll get the better days. The sun will shine again It’s just cloudy a bit now but it will change I promise you. GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: Do you think America still in these turbulent times is the beacon uh where so many young people like yourself want to come to be free and live a better life?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: I think so I definitely think so It’s just temporary but the beacon will shine again.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: All right that’s where we’re going to take a break but when we come back more with what you were able to do not just with your great success in America but how you gave back to your Armenian community honoring its heritage when LA Stories come right back
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: Welcome back to LA Stories everyone We’re here with the very charming Leon Haytayan of Leon’s Jewelry here in Beverly Hills I see all these photographs that adorn your walls of the biggest celebrities in the world These are the customers you’ve catered to for over 25 years now?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: I’ve catered many families. Now I’m serving their children and their grandchildren. Every picture is a story for me. A lot of them my idols where as a kid, I used to watch Clint Eastwood (image) movies in Lebanon and I admired him. When I met him, it was like a dream come true for me. It’s such an opportunity to dreams come true for you as someone who looked up to them or admire them and uh to me every story is valuable Every picture is is close to my heart.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: You have given back in remarkable ways to your Armenian community the largest Armenian community resides here in the Southland of California and you have made it a priority to honor your heritage and history. Talk to me about April 24th every year that you first honor those who perished in the Armenian genocide.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Most Armenians throughout the world and US if they have an Armenian business, they usually respect the commemoration day by closing their business That’s one way that you can commemorate and contribute and respect those that perished. But above and beyond that to me if every Armenian brings pride as a child or a student to the community and grows to have a good education and become a good citizen that is the pride and joy that we always can have.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: You not only advocate for recognition of the Armenian genocide Um you also give back to the very Boy Scouts uh you were once a part of as a boy in Beirut the Homenetmen (image) Talk to me first about the difference it made for you as a young child.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: They taught us to respect the elderlies, they taught us to do good deeds They taught us discipline to dress properly to be clean and they uh they instilled in us one philosophy “Elevate yourself and elevate others with you. Don’t be selfish.” So that philosophy stayed in me for life and…
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: What are you most proud of that you’ve done?
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: My family That’s who I’m proud of because after all that’s the name you leave behind And I tell my sons I said “One thing I’m going to leave you is priceless.” And they ask me “What is it Dad?” I tell them “It’s your last name.” Because when you do good in life you treat people with respect and you help people. When you give your last name all doors and windows will be open for you in the future.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: You are what we call in LA Stories a jewel in the crown of this city and a powerful immigrant success story the American dream Lean Haytayan thank you so very much for sharing your life story your journey your success with us.
LEON SHANT HAYTAYAN: Thank you so much. It was a pleasure.
GISELLE FERNÁNDEZ: It’s my pleasure and thank you for watching another edition of LA Stories I’m Giselle Fernández See you next time.