The 47th Street Interviews · No. 02 · Wholesale

Henry Navi: 46 Years on 47th Street

46years on 47th Street

From buying gold at the same exchange where he still works to the wholesale business: the rope chain then, the Miami Cuban now, and the one check that matters.

Interview and photographs by Yan Do Amaral · TraxNYC Magazine, Issue 01

How long have you been working on 47th Street, and how did you start?

HenryAbout 46 years. I started at the same exchange, little by little, buying gold and stuff like that. And since then I went into the wholesale business.

The Navi Jewelry Co. booth sign above racks of hanging gold chains — Navi Jewelry Co.: 14K and 18K gold and diamonds, wholesale, on 47th Street.

What chain did everyone want when you first started, and what is it now?

HenryMostly it was the rope chain. Now I think it's Cuban. Miami Cubans.

Then, 46 years ago

The rope chain

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14K Yellow Gold Diamond Cut Solid Rope Chain 3.5mm 66298

$4,050

18K White Gold Solid Rope Chain 6mm 69749

$14,300

14K Rose Gold Solid Rope Chain 7mm 64580

$17,650

14K Yellow Gold Solid Rope Chain 3mm 69504

$2,900

Now

The Cuban link chain

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Miami Cuban Chain 14k Solid Yellow Gold 22 Inches 19mm 46220

$75,350

TraxNYC's Best Buy 10K Solid Yellow Gold Cuban Link Chain 4.6mm 61609

$1,950

14k Yellow Gold Solid Miami Cuban Link 24 Inches 5mm 66527

$8,200

Miami Cuban Chain 18k Solid Yellow Gold 24 Inches 10mm 46245

$37,750

What should a buyer check before buying a gold chain?

HenryThey should buy from the right person, that is reputable and you can trust them.

They should buy from the right person.Henry Navi, 46 years on 47th Street

Display trays of yellow, white and rose gold chains — Chains by the tray at Navi Jewelry.

A scale with a weighing scoop and an adding machine — The scale where every piece gets weighed.

What mistake do you see wholesale buyers make the most?

HenryWholesale buyers make... I guess we didn't buy enough gold when the gold was cheap.

Shop Miami Cuban chains Shop rope chains

Lightly edited for length and clarity.

Before you buy

The chains in this issue, and the guides from the store

Cuban link chains Rope chains Franco chains Curb chains Custom chains Solid gold chains for men Today's gold price per gram

How Much Does a Gold Chain Weigh? Real Grams by WidthGuide from the store Hollow vs Solid Gold Chains: Which Should You Buy?Guide from the store 10K vs 14K vs 18K gold chains: purity, stamps, weight and which to buyGuide from the store How a gold chain is priced at TraxNYC, and why the price moved since last week or a videoGuide from the store Miami Cuban Chains: Width, Weight, Solid or Hollow, AnsweredGuide from the store How to tell if gold is real: the stamp, the scale, the magnet, and is TraxNYC real gold?Guide from the store Chain width chart: millimeters to inchesEvery width, how it looks on a neck, what it weighs

Next · No. 03Ankur: Still Looking for the One