Brit transforms side gig into multi-million-pound jewellery business

Lamar Berko from South West London, built his business while working shifts at William Hill - and says the key to his success is ‘never sleeping’

Inspired by the celebrity bling he saw on hit shows like MTV Cribs, Berko became a self-taught jewellery consultant when he was just 19 (Jam Press/@lbjewellers)

A multimillionaire who was kicked out of school aged 15 says he has “created his own success” and the key to amassing his fortune is not sleeping but instead relying entirely on power naps.

After realising the school route wasn’t for him, Lamar Berko from South West London, threw everything he had into one of his favourite hobbies: jewellery.

Inspired by the celebrity bling he saw about on hit shows like MTV Cribs and by the rap stars he grew up listening to, the savvy man became a self-taught jewellery consultant when he was just 19.

Between his shifts working at William Hill, he’d spend hours researching the latest precious metals, stones and designer makes, telling his clients which high-end pieces, including watches, to invest in.

A decade later, Lamar has worked with some of the world’s top footballers and music stars including big names like Russ Millions, David Beckham, Wizkid, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Joey Essex.

“I had a reputation for knowing my stuff when it came to jewellery and watches,” the businessman, who has 200,000+ followers across Instagram & Snapchat (@‌lbjewellers), told JamPrime.com

“People used to call me and ask my advice as friends and word of mouth spread.

“That’s when I had my eureka moment to create a brand, LB Jewellers, and to charge consulting fees.

“Then I moved into personal shopping and customisation which became the business I run today.”

In 2023, LB Jewellers counts Premier League footballers and A-listers as customers – with some clients spending £100,000 during a single consultation with Lamar, who flies around the world to meet them in Dubai, Miami, New York and Amsterdam.

He said: “I had high profile clients from the beginning because of who I knew growing up.

“My uncle is an ex-Man United player, Andy Cole, and he has been my biggest supporter and mentor from the beginning.

“He spread the word for me about my business and I got to supply watches to him and his friends.

“I got to go to some amazing events with him and I grew up around the young players who were on their way up.

“After I left school with no qualifications I know everyone was worried for me, my teachers and my family, but I didn’t see it as the end of my prospects.

“I didn’t aspire to work for anyone who would need to see my exam results.

“I always wanted to be my own boss and build the right team around me.”

Having the right support in place was important, especially when Floyd Mayweather visited Lamar’s shop and posted about it on Instagram in 2020 – which saw his social media blow up.

He said: “My views and followers went crazy after that, business just blew up.

“The celebrity jeweller game is cliquey. High profile people want to know they can trust you that’s how momentum built for me.

“It’s a 24-hour business, I have worked no-stop since 2016 when LB Jewellers became a full scale operation. The business has been my priority.

“I’m not dating, I don’t go on holidays, I work seven days a week.

“I take consultations online 24 hours a day from all over the world so I take naps instead of sleeping at night.

“I have about two or three hours of rest a day.”

Looking to the future, Lamar has goals to build a jewellery empire and become a household name with franchises across the globe.

He added: “Right now I am meeting with our workshops up and down the UK every day checking the designs and the quality of our jewellery and watches.

“I do everything from designing, sales with clients to quality control in the workshops.

“The brand is my name and I’m a driven person who has built a trusted team all around the world with the same drive.

“I want everyone on my team to feel proud like they are building this together. I only surround myself with motivated people and we push each other and celebrate each other.

“That’s what it’s all about for me.”