We’re excited to introduce you to our incredible team! If you have worked with us before, you have probably met most of us in person, over a call, or an email. If you haven’t connected with us yet, we can’t wait to introduce ourselves. As a family owned jeweler, we consider every member of our team and community part of the family.
Meet our founder!
To kick off our Meet the Team series, we have the one and only Yair Yachdav. You might know him as Yadav or Jim! Yadav Diamonds & Jewelry wouldn’t exist without Yair. He is the heart and soul of the company and has led his team through over 40 years in a quickly changing industry (he has the stories to prove it!).
You can trust that Yair knows all there is to know about natural and lab grown diamonds. He has worked on all sides of the business and is now mentoring his children as they start their careers in the diamond industry.
We asked Yair a couple questions about his experience and what he’s excited about as the company grows.
My older brother was a diamond dealer back in Israel and he helped me learn the business. I worked closely with him until I moved to the United States.
I decided to try opening a similar business when I moved here with my wife. I started selling to jewelry stores. I even started a website in the early internet days in the mid 1990s to help people find diamonds that I would then ship to their local jeweler. I had a good network of jewelers that I worked with across the US.
In 2020 I decided to switch the business to sell directly to consumers. Selling to jewelers was good to me but it’s more fun to work with clients. You get to make people happy and they refer their friends. It really is like expanding the family!
I am surprised that we have lab grown diamonds now! I started my business before they even had the GIA certifications or a lot of regulation. Customers know so much about diamonds when they walk in and really know what they want. I have seen so many changes over the years and it’s exciting to see a new generation and their preferences. I like seeing that the new generation cares so much about where their diamonds come from and I am happy we can find them the right options.
I am excited that my daughter and son have joined the business. My daughter joined almost 5 years ago and my son followed in 2020 but has been learning the business since 2010. I didn’t know they would be excited about the business and they have really allowed the business to expand. I am excited to watch them work with clients and continue to learn.
It started off almost like our own diamond school. I taught them the basics of diamonds over time. But I hope I am really teaching them how to appreciate people and customers- how to improve in customer service, be honest and up front with clients. I always say that going the “long way” with customers is worth it. I care about our customers’ trust. I think that’s the most important thing I can teach them.
I want the customer to feel like we are friends or even family. I don’t want it to just be a sell. I want to get to know our clients and understand what they are looking for. They are always surprised when I can find them what they are looking for below their budget. I try to teach and educate them first about the options because people get so confused about costs and information they find on the internet. Most of the time I can source options that they love for lower than what they thought. I would do that for any of my friends!
You can come meet Yair and the family in the San Francisco showroom. You’ll find him working with customers and team members with a smile on his face pretty much everyday!!
Schedule an appointment to start planning your engagement ring or another diamond project.
