The Cormier Family traces its roots back to the Brittany region of France, with the earliest mention in the Middle Ages. The name Cormier is actually derived from the Old French word, "come," which referred to the fruit of the sorb or service tree. It was given to someone who lived near such a tree or who sold its fruit at the market. Over time, the Cormier Family prospered and a descendant was raised to the peerage as Lord of Brittany in 1480.
For several centuries, however, the King of France had sought control over the rebellious, Brittany lords, many of whom were more loyal to England. The Battle of Saint Aubin du Cormier was the decisive conflict or “guerre folle” between rebellious feudal aristocrats and Charles, then the French king, who marshaled his knights to quell regional feudal independence once and for all and concentrate absolute power in Paris. The combined rebel forces in Brittany were decisively defeated, paving the way for the creation of a unified French state, existing to this day.
Throughout the 1700s, the Cormier Family branched out across the globe, with one faction working it's way through French Provincial Canada into Quebec and Ontario. On January 06, 1881 Harry Bullard Lee was born in Norwalk, Canada. He would relocate with his family to the United States and be drafted in 1917 into World War I fighting for the Americans. His marriage to Rinnie Mathewson had produced a son, Horace Mathison Lee in 1915. The first Lee born in America and Vin Lee's maternal grandfather. Horace Mathison Lee's father-in-law was the founder/owner of The Coolidge Inn and Bar built the year that the Volstead Act was overturned ending Prohibition in the United States.
As a teenager, Vin Lee created computer graphics on an Amiga 1000 for a local cable channel under Time Warner Inc. This helped earn him, through a grant from the Michigan Education Association, the opportunity to work under a Hanna Barbera director for his junior year in high school. During this time he produced a three minute hand drawn film that achieved some modest success.
In the late 1980s, flush with royalties from his art work, Vin Lee began creating products for the film and video industry soon to be part of the Cinemagic Marquee portfolio. Blockbuster Entertainment was expanding at a rate of one store per 18 hours. Vin Lee pitched them over the phone on his patented trilon illuminated marquees. Over the next several years, he worked with several of the largest companies in the industry partnering with a California based manufacturer and opening up facilities in Mexico. Those patents and the technologies they include evolved into the $6 billion mechanical billboard industry we see today on the sides of buildings, trucks, and highways all around the world.
Already a self-made millionaire by the age of 19, Vin Lee walked into DuQuet Jewelers in 1992 to purchase a Rolex President, celebrating the closing of a $50 million deal. He walked out having purchased the company after only a few hours in the Diamond Room. The Rolex President, a $100,000 diamond encrusted work of art, would come later. DuQuets had already been established as one of the top regional jewelers in suburban Detroit, MI for over two decades and was owned and operated by a pair of french brothers, Charles and Allan. DuQuets, and it's subsidiary American Jewelry Manufacturers, had at one time two affiliated manufacturing facilities and a cumulative 5 retail showrooms across Southern Michigan. AJM was contracted by many mall-based chain retailers to do their shop work. Vin Lee's goal was to expand outside of the Michigan area and across North America at a time when the Zales Corporation was consuming many of the smaller chains in the country.
DuQuet Jewelers specialized in creating one of a kind works of art for Detroit's elite. Often engaging the creations of "the Picasso of gems," world renowned Bernd Munsteiner and casting them in platinum or 18K gold and adorning them with diamonds. Several times a year black tie events showing off the new seasonal collections were held at such prominent locations as the Dodge Brother's Meadow Brook Estate, Albert Kahn's Cranbrook House and Gardens, and even aboard the legendary Star of Detroit Cruise Liner. In attendance were some of Detroit's most prominent names mingling with beautiful women dripping in Vin Lee's DuQuet Jewelers latest creations.
DuQuet Jewelers was originally started in 1952 with strong relationships anchored by the merchants of the famed Greenfield Plaza. In addition to crafting fine jewelry for members of the Detroit's Pistons, Tigers, and Red Wings winning teams, DuQuets was also engaged in brokering many of the finest time pieces to the jetset and socialites. Two noteworthy pieces along side Vin Lee's Rolex was one of Henry Ford's personal watches and a $1 million piece rumored to have been custom made for the then bankrupt Donald Trump. The company also provided it's patrons with the finest brands in the horology industry like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Baume & Mercier, and Audemars Piquet. Vin Lee's passion for watches would grow to a multi-million dollar personal collection including 23 Rolex. His ultimate ambition, the Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon.
From that early introduction in the Diamond Room, Vin Lee was seduced by the jewelry world investing much of his time and fortune in large gemstone acquisitions conducted behind many company brands. His burgeoning inventory of loose diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires would then be consigned throughout a network of jewelers all across the country, the beginnings of what would grow into industry powerhouse The Diamond Standard. This consortium of jewelers then pays 1-1.5% per month to carry this inventory. The first transaction of note was with London based ThaiStone, a gemstone cutting and polishing manufacturer with assets in Thailand and Europe. Vin Lee purchased the failing companies entire $18 million inventory and assets. He was 24 years old. The original principals of ThaiStone were also responsible for bringing other transactions from around the globe to the attention of Vin Lee. In 1994, private inventory of over 2 million carats of London Blue Topaz became available.
Originally, the diamond and jewelry assets including DuQuets, American Jewelers, and ThaiStone, were a hobby investment for Vin Lee acquiring inventory and operations the way women collect shoes. His truer passions and focus were on his family assets as well as CineMagic Marquee, Grand Traverse Resort, and his investment in Winkelman's Department Stores. Vin Lee's taste for luxury grew voraciously expanding to Atlanta, GA, Sarasota, FL, and Beverly Hills, CA across many industries including tobacco, fashion, cosmetics, and fragrance.
In 1995, DuQuet Jewelers flagship location was robbed on December 25th night. The thieves had vaulted the building and excavated the snow laden rooftop with mining axes and drills, dropping down into the sub ceiling to disconnect the alarm system and motion sensors. Never finding the main vaults hidden behind false walls the losses were negligible to the overall operation but hundreds of original design molds were destroyed. Although the thieves were never caught, the robbery itself created the need for a larger more secure location for Vin Lee's assets. In 1997, Vin Lee signed a lease with the owners of an 11,000sf free standing bank building with a AAA rated walk in vault and multiple floor safes.
In just 5 short years, Vin Lee had expanded his diamond and jewelry operation across the United States and into Europe from a small local Detroit operation. With a $3 million personal investment and partnership with several of the largest jewelry manufacturers in North America, Vin Lee created The Diamond Channel. TDC became the largest online jewelry database in the world with over 46,000 SKUs each with over 128,000 different design selections. A client could log in from any location and select the piece of their choice in any one of 6 different metals with over 70 different precious and semi precious gemstones available in 4 different quality ranges. The piece would be custom made to their specifications and shipped overnight from 7 different facilities in the U.S.
The Diamond Channel and it's affiliates soon had 200,000 business and consumer clients and was profitable. That year competitor Ashford.com went public creating a billion dollar valuation for The Diamond Channel's comparatively larger operation. Vin Lee sold off the assets of The Diamond Channel the year he became Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Grand Metropolitan. He also assembled all diamond and jewelry assets under the Vin Lee Jewelers and The Diamond Standard. That year, Vin Lee made an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the 5th largest chain of jewelers in North America from a private equity firm in an attempt to create an industry rollup. Within 30 days of the recant of his bid, that company filed for bankruptcy. Since that day, 7 of the largest players in the jewelry industry have failed creating immense opportunity for growth and acquisition for Vin Lee's Group.
In 2001, Vin Lee created the Tennis Earring. A new category of jewelry combining inline diamond bracelets into a double piercing earring. His pieces have been worn by celebrities, diplomats, and even royalty including family members of François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand, former president of France. The Tennis Earring was debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. It has been seen on the last episode of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Opening new operations in Beverly Hills, CA for Grand Metropolitan, Vin Lee acquired assets one of Beverly Hills most revered jewelers and relocated facility and inventory to a 7,000sf private showroom in Bel Air minutes from The Playboy Mansion dubbed The Candy Shop. The acquisition of WisconStone brought with it 70,000 carats and another $50 million in inventory valuation. The Candy Shop II, an 11,000sf showroom in Holmby Hills was opened in 2009. Also in 2009, Vin Lee was approached by representatives from a large European conglomerate offering to purchase certain assets of The Diamond Standard.
Vin Lee shares his time between his home on the island and his Bel Air Estate. Often you can find him enjoying a signature LOUIXS cigar with friends of The Beverly Hills Cigar Club or looping stones at The Candy Shop.