![]() ![]() “It started a lot with the U – the U has been a blessing for us,” Machado said. The University of Miami has played a huge part in Machado’s success. From there, talk of Machado’s business spread quickly through word-of-mouth between pro players. That changed when former NFL running back Troy Davis, who grew up in the Miami area and played for the New Orleans Saints, came in and made a purchase. It took off from the start but didn’t have any athlete customers for the first four years. Machado’s jewelry business began in 1993 when he was 22. These star athletes include LeBron James,Floyd Mayweather Jr., Odell Beckham Jr. Many of the most popular players on TV can be seen on Machado’s “Bling of Honor,” the walls of his jewelry shop featuring dozens of pictures of him and the players who have purchased from the store. Machado, now known as the “King of Bling,” is no stranger to big-name projects – he is the go-to jeweler for more than 900 professional athletes. Machado said he could not disclose the chain’s cost. It weighs 2.5 kilograms and took more than two weeks to make. I don’t care if you are in LA or any part of the world, it’s called the Miami-Cuban.”Īnd that’s when the chain was born, made of solid gold with a gem-encrusted “U” at the bottom. “Vince said, ‘AJ we have to go with the Cuban link,'” Machado said of the chain style. T he day Mac ha do got the call to design the Turnover Chain, Vince Wilfork, a former Hurricanes and NFL football sta r, stop ped by the shop and influenced its design. “We want to ge t that swag back – we are Miam i. “They called us and said, ‘We want to get something like when Alabama uses the wrestling belt after a big play,'” Machado said. UM’s athletic department reached out to him over the summer with the special request of creating the chain. However, despite the chain’s popularity, many still have questions about its origin.ĪJ Machado, owner of AJ’s Jewelry in Cutler Bay, Florida, is the man behind the phenomenon. The fans love it too – the Turnover Chain has received so much nationwide attention that Adidas made T-shirts featuring the chain. ![]() Senior cornerback Dee Delaney shows off the Turnover Chain after an interception against FSU. The players love it – it sends the team into an all-out celebration. The player gets to flaunt it on the sideline for the following possession. Then, as he comes off the field, one member of the coaching staff excitedly awards him the chain. First, a defensive player forces a turnover, such as a fumble or an interception. UM junior cornerback Michael Jackson yells in excitement after pulling in the first of two interceptions against the Syracuse Orange. It’s used as a motivational tactic to pump up the team and fans when the Hurricanes make a big play on defense. 2, and since then has gone viral, being featured on ESPN and Fox Sports. This unique piece of gold jewelry made its first appearance in Miami’s season opener against Bethune-Cookman Sept. But a new fad this season has garnered just as much attention as the team itself, sending fans and media into a craze. The Miami Hurricanes are 6-0 and have become a talking point nationally as the only undefeated team left in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He made Miami’s newest trend, the Turnover Chain, by special request from the UM athletic department. Photo credit: Isaiah Kim-MartinezĪJ Machado is the owner of AJ’s Jewelry in Cutler Bay, Florida. He made Miami's newest trend, the Turnover Chain, by special request from the UM athletic department. AJ Machado is the owner of AJ's Jewelry in Cutler Bay, Florida.
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