CNN’s African Voices features US-based Nigerian celebrity jeweller, Chris Aire
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| Chris Aire and International Model, Actor and Activist, Naomi Campbell |
Airs Friday: 6 December at 0830am; Saturday: 7 December at 1530pm;
Sunday: 8 December at 0900am & 1830pm; Monday: 9 December at 1030am &
1730; Tuesday: 10 December at 0530am
This week, Nigerian born Chris Aire, popularly known
as the ‘King of Bling’, a celebrity jeweller and international designer of customized ornaments
will feature on African Voices, CNN’s International weekly half-hour programme highlighting Africa's most engaging personalities.
Interviewed by CNN’s Vladimir Duthiers, Aire talks about the challenges
he’s encountered after turning down his father’s offer to join the family oil
business. Instead he opted to pursue an education and follow his dreams in
America.
Aire recounts his days as a struggling artiste and how a chance meeting
with a friend’s father awakened his secret passion of investing in the jewellry
industry.
Aire tells Duthiers: “I've always had this secret fantasy of investing
all of my money from entertainment into jewellry because growing up in Africa ,
I knew it was a lucrative field. So I basically started my training from the
ground level and worked my way up to understanding more about gold, platinum,
gold diamonds, coloured gem stones etc.”
A graduate of the Gemological Institute of America, Aire has shown his
expertise in urban-style diamond jewellry designs for almost two decades. He is currently located in Beverly Hills,
California and runs Chris Aire Fine Jewellry and Timepieces.
Aire often visits Nigeria, his home country, with plans to set up an extension
of his jewellery dynasty and also to help the less privileged such as the
orphans. He does so by donating his time and money to several charities and
also through visits to the orphanage. He stated that, “Children are the pillar
of any society. With a lot of support and encouragement we can inspire our children
to do amazing things in the future.”
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