Atlanta celebrity jeweler, Z. Martinez is the epiphany of blessed as she is taking over the jewelry game. Inspired by a dream she had and armed with research and $58 after a layoff from her corporate job, the Sacramento native decided to step out and launch her luxury accessories brand, ZJewelers. During the pandemic and within in her first month of business, the young jeweler made $30,000. Since then Z. has earned over six figures and customized jewelry for celebrities like, Lil Kim, Kash Doll, Nivea, Milano Rouge, CJ Brewer, Alexis Sky, Josh Butler, Marilyn Lynn, and others.
Z.’s story is truly one of stepping out on faith and being blessed, then being a blessing in return. Learn more about the young, Black, female jeweler below.
Fancy: Can you tell us about the dream of your jewelry business that you had?
Z.: Back in 2020, God blessed me with a dream that answered my prayer for financial freedom. In my dream, he showed me the very life I’m living now: a celebrity jeweler living in Atlanta, Georgia. I took a leap of faith and pursued everything I saw in my dream, and it has all come to fruition.
Fancy: Were you into jewelry before having this dream?
Z.: Before I became a jeweler, I was never into jewelry and only wore costume jewelry on special occasions. Jewelry was never an interest of mine, which is why my dream stood out so much to me and led me to pursue it.
Fancy: What was the first piece of jewelry that you designed?
Z.: The first piece of jewelry I designed was a pair of gold teeth also known as “Grillz”.I was determined to build my brand by becoming a walking billboard so I started building my own personal jewelry collection.
Fancy: Would you say that you have experienced success by 30? And if so, what does that feel like?
Z.: Now that I’ve taken some time to reflect on my journey, I’ve realized that I’ve become what I believe is the true definition of success. I’ve been blessed to change my family’s quality of life while doing something that I truly love every day and that also allows me to connect with and be a blessing to others. For me, this is what success and a content life should look and feel like.
Fancy: How were you able to get your products into the hands of celebrity clients?
Z.: I was blessed to connect with my now very close friend, Olivia Song. She is a celebrity makeup artist and was the first person in Atlanta to purchase from me and promote me. Once she promoted me on social media, several celebrities reached out and became clients. After providing them with exceptional customer service and high-quality products, they began to refer me to others, and the rest was history.
Fancy: What is one piece of advice you would give to other Black businesswomen about growing their brands?
Z.: One major piece of advice I would give is to truly never give up. I used to hear this all the time and never thought it would actually impact my career. Typically when times get rough it’s easy to quit or allow self-doubt to cause you to fail but every time I decided to keep pushing no matter how hard things became I received new opportunities and growth that I never expected. Remaining optimistic and trusting the process is the mindset needed to succeed.
Fancy: You believe in giving back to the community through your organizations, ZJewelers Foundation and Z Jewelers Academy. Why are you so passionate about helping others?
Z.: Giving back to others is my act of service and contribution to the world. I genuinely believe that if more people gave more and judged less, the world and economy would be in a much better shape. I’ve been blessed to witness how much a little can go a long way, especially starting my own brand with just $51.80, so I strive to pour into others in hopes of making an impact on their lives and future success.
Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Z., Z.?
Z.: My Swagher definitely comes from my ability to light up a room. I believe energy is everything and I pour so much into myself so that the true love and joy that I have within reflects on the outside and can be a light to others.
Connect with Z at @zjewelers on all social platforms.
