As a teen working in a jewelry store, Isreal Morales was intrigued by Rolex watches. “I couldn’t believe a watch was worth that much,” he says. “The value of these small things intrigued me and drew me to the industry.”
Today, he runs Sky Diamond Jewelers, a full-service jewelry store in New Windsor, N.Y. The five-employee business, which he founded with his wife Jennifer in 2016, brought in more than $1 million in revenue last year at its 1,000-square-foot store, and he is now considering expanding to a second location or wholesale operations. Morales was recognized as an Entrepreneur of the Year by New York State’s Entrepreneurship Assistance Centers