Shining Light on a Glimmering Industry
Redefining the workings of a luxury industry isn’t something that many can say they’ve done, but Johnathan Schultz is continuing to trailblaze his way through one of the world’s top markets. The precious metals industry isn’t only about using gold and silver to craft beautiful pieces— for Johnathan, it’s about finding ways to let these gems truly shine through as the art that they are. By fusing classic production with contemporary art and business tactics, the industry specialist widely known as, “The Diamond Guy” is doing just that.
Hailing from South Africa, Johnathan’s fascination with artistry and creation began in early childhood. By age 10, he was “play-founding” his own small businesses, and by adolescence, he began to consider a career in skateboarding, where he became accustomed to envisioning, planning and executing creative ideas. By 2009, Johnathan had begun to lay the groundwork for his self-made enterprise through applying these learnings to his life, career and works. By connecting with experts in various industries, Johnathan separates himself by breaking down knowledge barriers to face problems and create solutions. In doing so, his diverse work embodies his vision of filling industry gaps with focused, effective and efficient results.
But this vision is only one piece of the puzzle that makes up Johnathan’s evolution as an expert creator in the field. An aficionado for all unique forms of art-creation, Johnathan’s current work is focused on blending the worlds of art, precious metals and diamonds to create groundbreaking pieces. “My sense of what art is and the aspects that I add to it push boundaries. I add extra elements that no one else does,” says Johnathan. These extra elements make up his overall goal: to create something that is more than art, and that encompasses the beauty of precious metals and diamonds. “Art takes us back to our roots. We are inspired by it, we crave to be better because of it. Art develops over time, and so do we.”
This artistic evolution shows itself in Johnathan’s ongoing projects, including the conceptualization of his current brainchild: a specialized, distinctive art facility in Las Vegas. In a city that awards creators with an abundance of opportunities, Johnathan saw Las Vegas as the only location to properly lay the groundwork for his vision. When the world was struck by the pandemic, he knew that he had stumbled upon the perfect opportunity to bring this dream to life—to shape something meaningful, memorable and motivating. In a time of hardship for so many, Johnathan knew that he had to keep this ball rolling in order to keep growing his dream. With his world-class building already in the works, Johnathan aims to create a network of artistic exhibitions across the world that will provide jobs, success and security to many. Through the continued growth of his vision, Johnathan’s goal to have a positive impact on the U.S. economy is already showing itself through the set-up and planning of his works.
Blending his 11+ years of experience as an entrepreneur, business professional, and creator, Johnathan’s past year has seen him take his art-making practice to new heights through the planning of his worldwide exhibition. Determined to add elements of diamonds and precious metals to create fresh and disruptive pieces, Johnathan’s unique vision has inspired him to collaborate with many of the industry’s leading talents. His current and ongoing work with contemporary sculptor Brendan Murphy and textile artist Sebastian Courty promises breathtaking showcase collections that meld traditional craft with precious metals and diamonds, creating one-of-a-kind compositions.
Amidst all of his projects, Johnathan’s goal is unchanging: to make the impossible a reality. Through his vision to create a lasting legacy in the spheres of art and precious metals, the global pandemic has helped to focus on his passion for creation. Adding elements of his expertise to traditional pieces is only the first step in Johnathan’s disruption of the fields of precious metals and artistic creation, and a stepping stone to his goal of reaching beyond the traditional definition of art. With a bright set of cutting-edge ideas and endless runway ahead of him, there is no telling where Johnathan’s unique journey will lead him next.
