1969 Aldo Cipullo joined Cartier, New York after an apprenticeship in his native Italy, and later at David Webb. His gem-set jewelry is influenced by medieval goldsmith’s work with its use of polished stones set into gold mountings. He is best known for his modern interpretations of historical artifacts such as the two piece “Love Bracelet” that had to be bolted together around the wrist with the aid of a screwdriver which was sold along with the bracelet.

The firm Aletto Brothers, located in Boca Raton, Florida, was founded by Alberto Aletto, a third generation jeweler, who learned the rudiments of his trade while working in his family’s business in Italy. He emigrated first to South America, before moving to New York in 1964. Within a few years, he opened an establishment on Forty-seventh St. In 1985, his four sons, Alfred, Franco, Robert and Albert Jr. relocated to Florida, opening a shop that has since specialized in creating caliber-set jeweler, a technique that has been popular in the 1930’s.

Arthur King was born in New Jersey in 1925. Although incorporating traditional jewelry materials, he managed to transform a piece of jewelry into a work of contemporary art by mounting rough gemstones in a cage-like structure. This technique became his specialty. He operated in premises on 59th Street and, later, at 619 Madison Avenue in New York. He maintained as many as eighteen branch locations but preferred not to sell out of established jeweler locations. His branches were located in such areas as Cape Cod, Havana and Miami. Following King’s death in 1995, his shop on Madison Avenue has subsequently closed.

Audemars Piguet was founded in 1875 by Jules Audemars and Paul-Edouard Piguet in Le Brassus, Switzerland. Their first achievement was the creation of the Grande Complication, a pocket watch comprising three complicated mechanisms. They went on to develop the thinnest manual winding and repeating watches ever made, the first skeleton watch and the ultra-thin automatic perpetual calendar watch. Since 1992, Mrs. Jasmine Audemars descendant of the Audemars family, is Chair of the Board of Directors. The president of the company is Mr. Georges-Henri Meylan.

Joseph Trowbridge Bailey and Andrew B. Kitchen opened their first store on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia on September 20, 1832, known as Bailey & Kitchen, offering silverware, jeweler and assorted other articles. In 1878, Joseph T. Bailey II, George Banks, formerly of J. E. Caldwell & Co., and Samuel Biddle formed a partnership, renaming the company, Bailey, Banks & Biddle. In 1894, the company incorporated with Bailey as president. The firm became a division of the Zale group in 1962 and currently consists of their main store in Chestnut Street in Philadelphia as well as 106 stores in 25 states.

Born in Manhattan, Barry Kieselstein-Cord attended Parsons School of Design in a combined program with New York University. His jeweler creations are classic, contemporary designs with a tactile feeling which incorporates matte gold accentuates that he pioneered. His work was first introduced at George Jensen in New York, in 1973, and now sells out of locations such as Zurich, Turin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf and Palm Beach, as well as, boutiques in Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. He has won the COTY American Fashion Critics Award and the CFDA Award. A few of his pieces are now housed in the permanent collections of both the Louve, in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City.

Suzanne Belperron began her career designing for Jeanne Boivin from 1925-1933. She joined Bernard Herz in 1933 and became one of the pioneers of modern dress and jeweler, ranked with René Boivin, Chanel and Schiaparelli. Her style was distinctive, bold, imaginative and celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic. An intrepid traveler, Belperron voyaged to the Near East to study ancient gold work and to India to select rubies and sapphires. She was inspired by nature and ethnic sources such as the paisleys of the Orient, Mayan ornaments and African tribal designs. In 1945, she established a partnership with Herz’s son, Jean. Known as Herz-Belperron, this lasted until her retirement in 1974.The designs of Suzanne Belperron continue to be produced in Paris today and are offered exclusively by Edward J. Laudrigan at Verdura, New York.

The oldest jewelry house in America, Black, Starr & Frost was founded as Marquand & Paulding in Savannah, Georgia in 1801. In 1810, Isaac Marquand moved to New York, consolidating the company with several other firms. They were one of the few American retailers who displayed at the 1851 London Crystal Palace Exposition. In 1876, Cortlandt Starr and Aaron V. Frost joined as partners and the name changed to Black, Starr & Frost. For the 1939 New York World’s Fair, they contributed large sculptural jeweler based on the bold designs of the period.

Frédéric Boucheron opened his first jewelry salon at the Palais Royal in 1858, and soon acquired fame as an expert in precious stones, a masterful technician and a creator of beautiful jeweler. In 1893, he was the first jeweler to set up shop at the Place Vendôme where he continued to serve the social elite, and from where the firm still operates successfully today. Over the years, the Maison Boucheron opened branches in Moscow and London, and also in Japan, the Middle and Far East. Boucheron exhibited in many international expositions including the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial, the 1889 and 1900
Expositions Universelles in Paris, the 1893 World’s Colombian Exposition in Chicago and the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Boucheron was acquired, in May 2000, by the Gucci Group (PPR), one of the world’s leading multi-brand luxury goods company.

In 1903, Mario Buccellati began an apprenticeship in goldsmithing at Beltrami e Besnati in Milan and in 1909, he opened his first shop in Via Santa Margherita. In the following years, the fame of Buccellati jewels began to attract the attention of royalty all over the world. In 1925, he opened a shop in Rome, in Via dei Condotti followed in 1929 by one in Florence, in Via Tornabuoni, and it was in 1953 that a shop in New York opened. In 1965, the three sons of Mario, who were goldsmiths themselves, decided to create their own company: Federico Buccellati runs the shop in Rome and in Milan, in Via della Spiga. He continued his father’s activity by preserving all the ideas that had been instilled in him while they worked together. No matter what precious materials are employed, taste, beauty and personalization are the prime factors when a Buccellati jewel is created. Production is carried out today by 70 Italian craftsmen. Six licenses have been set up in the Tokyo and Osaka area, a new distributor has opened up in Sidney and the foreign sales network is to be extended in the near future. The tradition is maintained by Federico and now by his children Lorenzo, Rodolfo and Benedetta.

The firm of Bulgari was founded by Sotirio Bulgari, who was born in 1857 in Greece and was a descendant of silversmiths. In 1879, he moved to Rome where he opened his first shop in the Via Sistina and then in 1905, he moved to the Via dei Condotti. Upon Sotirio’s death in 1932, his sons, Giorgio and Costantino took over the business. They are credited with creating the highly distinctive “Bulgari” style, inspired by Greek and Roman classicism, the Italian Renaissance, and the 19th century Roman school of goldsmiths. The 1970s marked the beginning of Bulgari’s international expansion with the opening of stores in New York (the first overseas), Paris, Geneva, and Monte Carlo, building towards the over 155 stores open today It was also in this decade that Bulgari introduced the Bulgari-Bulgari which was to become a successful watch classic. Bulgari Time was established in the early 80s in Neuchatel, Switzerland for the creation and production of all Bulgari watch lines. In 1984 the sons of Giorgio, Paulo and Nicola, became respectively Chairman and Vice-Chairman. Their nephew, Francesco Trapani, was nominated Chief Executive Officer.

Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis- François Cartier. It was his three grandsons, Louis, Pierre and Jacques, who were responsible for establishing the famous worldwide empire. Louis retained responsibility for the Paris branch, moving it to the rue de la Paix in 1899. Jacques took charge of the London operation and eventually moved to the current location in New Bond Street. Pierre established the New York branch in 1909, moving in 1917 to the current location at 653 Fifth Avenue. Prominent amongst Cartier’s gifted team, were Charles Jacqueau who joined Louis Cartier in 1909 for a lifetime and Jeanne Toussaint who was appointed Director of Fine Jeweler from 1933. In the 1960s Cartier New York and Cartier Paris passed into outside hands. In 1972, a group of investors led by Joseph Kanoui bought Cartier Paris whose President became Robert Hocq, originator of the concept “Les Must de Cartier” in collaboration with Alain Dominique Perrin. In 1974, Cartier London was bought back and Cartier New York in 1976. In 1983, the “Art of Cartier Collection” was initiated by the late Eric Nussbaum. Today, Cartier is part of the Richemont group.

The firm of Castellani was founded by Fortunato Pio Castellani (1794-1865) circa 1816 in Rome and was continued by his two sons, Augusto (1829-1954) and Alessandro (1823- 5883). Prompted by multiple discoveries in the archaeological realm, the firm established a revival of the Etruscan style of jeweler as well as that of Byzantine, Carolingian and Renaissance. They also became world famous for their simulation of the granulation technique in gold. By 1862 the firm was represented in London and Paris, allowing their innovations to have an impact on an international level.

Chaumet was founded in 1780 by Marie-Etienne Nitot who with his son, Francois Regnault Nitot became the official jeweler to Napoleon during the Consulate and the Empire. Among their achievements were the Consular sword, the tiara of Pius VII and the grand parures ordered by the Empresses Josephine and Marie-Louise. After the fall of Napoleon, the business continued under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Fossin and his son, Jules, both artists, who succeeded in capturing the spirit of Romanticism in jeweler just as Nitot & Fils had done for the Empire. In 1848, Jules Fossin set up a London branch in partnership with J.V. Morel who was assisted by his son, Prosper. On his return to Paris in 1854, Prosper Morel joined Jules Fossin whom he succeeded in 1868. Prosper Morel’s daughter married Joseph Chaumet in 1875. Chaumet had begun his jeweler career at the age of fifteen, working in his parents’ jeweler shop in Bordeaux. Upon moving to Paris, he was hired by his future father-in-law. By 1885, he assumed management of the firm. In 1889, Chaumet took over the company simultaneously changing the name. Under his direction, the firm won prizes at all of the international exhibitions, supplied jeweler to many of the Royal houses of Europe. In 1907, he moved the company to 12, Place Vendôme. He also opened boutiques in London, in 1905, and in New York in the 1920s. The latter closed in 1934 due to the Depression. In 1999, the firm was acquired by the luxury group LVMH.

In 1941, at the age of 16, David Webb came to New York to learn the rudiments of jewelry design. In 1946, he and his business partner, Nina Silberstein opened David Webb Inc at a 47th Street location. By the early 1950s, they had moved to 6 West 57th Street, retailing their jewelry through Bergdorf Goodman. In 1963 the firm opened its first salon on 7 East 57th Street where it remained until 1990, when it moved to the corner of 57th St and Park Avenue. The firm is presently located at 789 Madison Avenue. They also have a branch in Beverly Hills. David Webb died in 1975 and the firm, under the direction of the Silberstein family, continues to produce jewelry from Webb’s vast collection of sketches.

Donald Claflin, an American-born jeweler designer, joined Tiffany & Co. in 1965 and three years later he was asked to design the entire Tanzanite collection, then being widely promoted by the company. Claflin’s most important commission for Tiffany & Co. came in 1970, when he designed a new Tiffany setting in which the diamond centre stone is set in the cross of two intersecting bands of precious metal. Along with Jean Schlumberger, he led the way towards a new sophisticated jeweler that other designers were quick to emulate. Following his highly successful years with Tiffany & Co., Donald Claflin became a major designer for Bulgari. His untimely death in 1979 left a serious gap in the ranks of imaginative and productive American jewelry designers.

The first known information about the firm of Dreicer & Co. dates to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in St. Louis. J. Dreicer & Son represented the Parisian dealer A. Eknayan. From 1910 to the mid 1920s, their jeweler was the equal of Parisian styles. The firm maintained a shop at 6o Fifth Avenue in New York with a branch located at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. They were the first American jewelers to introduce the latest diamond cuts from Paris. In 1923, the firm was liquidated and the following year, Carrier in New York bought Dreicer’s stock for $2.5 million. Dreicer’s collection of paintings was given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Born in Italy, Elsa Peretti established herself as a fashion model, and by 1969, was beginning to design her own jewelry. American designer Geourgio di Sant’Angelo used a few of her pieces in a fashion show, which were an instant success. In 1974, Peretti joined Tiffany & Co. and that same year her own collection was launched. In 1999, Peretti celebrated 25 years with Tiffany & Co. In recognition of her remarkable career, Tiffany established the Elsa Peretti Professorship in Jewelry Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology She was presented with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from FIT.

Peter Carl Faberge (1846-1920) is best known for the Easter eggs he began making in 1884 for the Tsar and Tsarina of Russia. After studying in several European centres, he began working for his father Gustav’s firm. Upon his father’s retirement in 1870, he took over the establishment. His international renown was secured in 1900 at the Paris Exposition. Afterwards, he began creating objects for Edward VII and other European royals. The firm’s success continued until the 1918 Revolution when Faberge escaped to Switzerland.

Georges Fouquet (1862-1957) joined his father Alphonse Fouquet (1828-1911) in his jewelry business at 35, avenue de l’Opera in 1895. Upon his father’s retirement in 1895, he took over the direction. In 1902 he moved to 6, rue Ruyale. During the period of 1899-1901, he worked in close collaboration with the artist Alphonse Mucha. With Mucha acting as a designer, they executed many important commissions, for Sarah Bernhardt amongst others. They mainly created objects in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles favoring enameling and colored stones.

In 1936, Fred Samuel founded the jeweler firm which bears his name at 6 rue Royale in Paris, creating jeweler for such screen luminaries as Marlene Dietrich and Douglas Fairbanks. After the war, when business resumed its pre-war pace, he reestablished his foothold in the world of “haute joaillerie”, creating not only his trademark pearl jewelry, but also bold contemporary designs. The business expanded to the United States, beginning in 1977 with their first branch location in Beverly Hills, followed by Houston, and then Costa Mesa in 1995. They also have salons in Cannes, Monte Carlo and Tokyo. In 1995, the firm was purchased by the luxury group LVMH.

The son of François-Désiré Froment-Meurice, Emile succeeded his father in the family business a number of years after the latter’s early death, at which point the workshop had passed into the hands of his mother. He exhibited jeweler in the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1857 and continued to work in the traditional style of the firm. His work remained resolutely neo-Renaissance and Romantic in taste until the turn-of-the-century, when he made some experimental designs in a very modified Art Nouveau style.

Louis Gerard, formerly of Van Cleef & Arpels, founded the firm of M. Gerard in 1968 at 8 Avenue Montaigne in Paris. Within nine years, he was sighted as the largest French exporter of fine jewelry. In November 1985, he sold the company to a group of American investors but continued to operate it until his retirement when it closed its doors. In September 1988, Louis Gerard reopened the firm at 16 Avenue Montaigne, near its original location, under the name of Louis Gérard, Joaillier International. It closed its doors definitively in December 1991.

In the 1890s, a member of the Ghiso family emigrated to Buenos Aires from his native Italy. Within a short period of time, he opened a jeweler salon. The business became the pre-eminent house of this type in Buenos Aires. At the beginning of the century, his two sons traveled to Paris where they established a branch location. One son, Oscar, coordinated all business matters as well as arranging with designers to create jeweler in the current styles which were then shipped to Buenos Aires and their other branch location in New York City. Both locations were closed sometime in the late 1930s or 1940s, but the flagship store in Buenos Aires remained open until the 1960s. Oscar Ghiso died in Buenos Aires in 1985.

Founded in 1854, Gubelin has always been a family enterprise. Located in Lucerne, Switzerland, they have created superior quality watches and clocks for more than one hundred years. Collaboration with New York jeweler Edmond Frisch led to the creation of jeweled watches and jewelry. Today, Gubelin has salons throughout Europe.

In 1925, Guccio Gucci opened a small luggage and saddlery company in Florence, selling exclusive leather goods created by the best Florentine craftsman. Within a few years, the Florence shop attracted a sophisticated clientele. This overwhelming success prompted the opening of a new shop on Via Condotti in Rome. Over the course of the next thirty years, Gucci introduced scores of new products many of which became icons. In 1953 Guccio Gucci died, the same year the New York stored opened. Throughout the 60s Gucci flourished. Grace Kelly, Peter Sellars and Audrey Hepburn helped make Gucci Hollywood chic. Jackie Kennedy carried the Gucci shoulder bag now known as the “Jackie O”. Gucci expanded to the Far East in the 1970s and the 1980s saw changes in leadership as Maurizio Gucci took the helm. In 1998, Gucci was named “European Company of the Year” and in 1999 it entered into an alliance with Pinanlt-Printemps-Redoute. Gucci recently reopened its newly renovated Fifth Avenue store -the largest Gucci store in the world.

At the age of 24, Harry Winston opened his first business in New York City known as the Premier Diamond Company. Twelve years later, he established another company under his own name and began to manufacture jewelry. Winston was responsible for the cutting of such famous diamonds as the Star of Sierra Leone, and the Vargas. He donated three important diamonds to the Smithsonian: The Hope, the Portuguese and the Oppenheimer. By the 1950s, Winston was acknowledged as the “King of Diamonds”, owning at one time or another as many as one-third of all the famous diamonds in the world. In 1972 the company moved from 7 East Fifty First Street to its present location at 758 Fifth Avenue. With his death in 1978, Winston was succeeded by his son, Ronald, now the chairman of the company, who continues his father’s tradition of offering “Rare jewels of the World”, the firm’s motto for many years. In an effort to address an ever-expanding market for their jewelry, the firm opened a salon in Tokyo in 1989 and one on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills the following year. They also created a watch department “The Ultimate Timepiece”.

Henry Dunay was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1935. He started in the jewelry field working for Rudolph Caccioli, a jeweler on Canal Street in New York City with whom he remained for seven years, learning the art of jeweler making and diamond setting. He opened his own company in 1956, specializing in pave-set jewelry. In 1967, he won the first of his three Diamond International Awards, and, in 1982, he was inducted into the illustrious Diamonds International Academy, the only American so honored to this date. In 1989, Dunay was invited to become a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. He is based in New York.

James E. Caldwell worked for a short period of time on Maiden Lane, in New York City before opening a small watchmaker’s shop on Fifth and Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, sometime in the early 1830s. In 1848, the firm took on its current name, J. E. Caldwell and Company. In 1953, under the direction of Auston Homer, who had become president of Caldwell’s the previous year, the company began a branch store expansion, opening their second location in the Hotel Dupont in Wilmington, Delaware. Caldwell & Co. was purchased by Henry Birks & Sons, a Montreal-based jeweler and in August 1992, was acquired by Cadyle & Co., a family owned jeweler in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The son of Jacques, one of the four Lacloche brothers, Jacqoes Lacloche (1901—1988) did all his training at Lacloche Frères before taking the direction of the London branch which was the former Fabergé’s salon. After the closing of Lacloche Frères, he opened his first business at La Croisette in Cannes (1935) and then at no.8 place Vendôme in Paris (1938) where his fanciful and highly imaginative production of multi-colored jewels was immediately successful. After the war, Jacques Lacloche designed jeweler for a largely American clientele and some true connoisseurs like Ali Khan. The business closed in the 1960s.

Leopoldo Janesich opened his first shop in Trieste in 1835, offering jewelry and silverware to an international clientele. At the end of the century, he established a branch store in Paris at 19, roe de la Paix, followed by locations in Biarritz, London, Monte Carlo and Vichy. Their clients included such eminent personalities as the Archduke of Austria, King Nicholas of Montenegro and the Duke of Aosta. Janesich is well known for powder compacts and card cases in the Art Deco style. The firm remained in family hands until it closed in 1968.

Joel Arthur Rosenthal was born in New York City He studied art history at Harvard and, after college, worked in the film industry, and then with Bulgari. In 1977, he opened a shop in the Place Vendôme; his initials, JAR, the only source of identification on the façade. Mr. Rosenthal works with his partner, Pierre Jeannet, to create exquisite jewels, superbly crafted in unique settings. His work is meticulous and imaginative, incorporating stones in brilliant and unexpected combinations. His background in art history has given him the knowledge with which to assimilate the work of the past to create his own personal style. In November 1987, in celebration of his 10th anniversary in Paris, Mr. Rosenthal held an exhibition of his work at the National Academy of Design in New York City. In November 2002, a retrospective of 400 jewels was held at the Gilbert Collection, Somerset House in London.

In a Paris workroom in 1971, a Neiman Marcus buyer made a rare discovery: a pair of fledgling artisans working with 22-karat gold. Jean Marie Mahie, a respected French businessman, had recently traded in his successful career and joined forces with his young daughter-in-law Jacline Mazard to pursue their joint dream of becoming sculptors. With little experience and no formal training, they were thrust into the spotlight when NM agreed to launch their creations exclusively, (Jacline’s son actually christened the design duo during their premier exhibition: “Jean Mahie” was the closest the child could come to pronouncing Jean Marie.) Each piece from the Mahie workroom is actually a tiny sculpture— an individual study in gold, texture, and motion. Etruscan and pre-Colombian influences lend a primitive appeal to the jeweler- it looks as if it came from an ancient Mayan ruin. The duo perfected their designs for 20 years before adding precious stones to the collection. Jacline, now the sole creator, contends that inspiration stems from working with precious metal, not from following a sketch. Following the recent death of her partner and father-in-law Jacline found herself at a loss creatively. After she discovered some relics from antiquity an era she was passionate about as a child, she recaptured her creativity. This resulted in a new collection that incorporated 2,000 year old glass beads, scarabs, and intaglios into the signature Mahie style. Jacline credits the addition of the ancient relics with revitalizing her creative enthusiasm. October 1996 marks the 25-year union between Neiman Marcus and Jean Mahie.

The firm Kutchinsky, located today at 73 Brampton Road, began manufacturing fine jeweler in East London in 1893. Founded by Hirsch Kutchinsky and his son Morris, it was later handed over to Morris’ sons, Joseph and Solomon, in 1930. After the war, they opened a new workshop. Its great success led them to open the boutique in Knightsbridge specializing in gold work and diamond jeweler. The firm was bought by the Moussaieffs in 1991.

Lacloche Frères was founded in Madrid in 1875 by four brothers, Fernand, Joles, Leopold and Jacques. Subsequently, they opened branches in San Sebastian, Biarritz and at 15, rue de la Paix in Paris before taking over Fabergè’s London salon in 1920. They were a highly successful jewelry firm, featuring jewelry at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Dècoratifs in Paris. During the 1920s and 30s they were known for their jeweler and objects d’art, decorated with enamels and carved gemstones.

Ilias Lalaounis, descendant of a family of Greek goldsmiths, became director of the family firm, E. Zolotas, in Athens in 1940. In 1957, he organized a jeweler pavilion at the Thessaloniki International Fair in cooperation with the Goldsmith’s Association of Athens, contributing designs based on ancient jeweler. He became internationally prominent after the Greek tycoon, Aristotle Onassis, purchased wedding gifts for his future wife, Jacqoeline Bouvier Kennedy, from his salon. In the late 1960s and 70s the firm expanded outside of Greece to Geneva, Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris, Tokyo and Zurich. Lalaounis’ four daughters are associated with the firm, each contributing their expertise to particular areas of the company. The family inaugurated a museum containing over 4,000 of their creations at the foot of the Acropolis in 1994.

At the turn of the century René Lalique (1860-1945) broke with traditional jewelry conventions, creating jewelry not only to enhance the appearance of the wearer, but also as a genuine art form. His use of exotic and often fragile materials such as glass, horn and rock crystal was revolutionary. Nature was the predominant theme of this “Art Nouveau”. Lalique often created objects depicting the female figure with dragonfly wings. He produced bracelets, necklaces, pendants and combs with subjects from nature such as dragonflies, peacocks, insects or snakes. In 1910, somewhat disenchanted with the jeweler business, Laliqne bought a glassworks at Combs-la-Ville. Henceforth, he dedicated most of his time to creating superb objects in glass.

Hermann Marcus was born in Germany in 1828. After several stints of working at Tiffany’s, he joined his son William’s business in 1884. In 1892, the firm was given the name Marcus & Co. They were one of the first American firms to produce Art Nouveau jewelry. Initially located at 857 Broadway and later on Fifth Avenue, they eventually opened branches in London, Paris, Palm Beach and Bombay. In 1962, they merged with Black, Starr & Frost. The new firm was subsequently purchased by Kay Jewelers and then, Sterling, Inc.

The granddaughter of Sotirio Boulgaris — the founder of Bulgari — Marina learnt her craft in the workshop of her father Costantino. In 1979 she opened the first Marina B boutique to glowing reviews, and has since left her own distinctive mark on jewelry design. Exquisitely made, the collection combines extravagant gems with playful uses of color, modern styling and innovative features. Many pieces feature a unique stone cut, the “Marina B cut”, falling halfway between a triangle and heart, named after its creator. Marina B boutiques are located in Geneva, Milan, Jeddah, Osaka, Riyadh and Tokyo.

The firm Mario Buccellati, located at 4 via Montenapoleone, is currently run by one of the founder’s sons, Lorenzo Buccellati, with the assistance of his wife Claudia. Their objects can be identified by their distinct “texture-engraved” style and the hallmark “15 MI”, one of the oldest in Milan. The company was founded by its namesake, the descendant of a renowned family of jewelers which began with a certain Contardo Buccellati in the 18th Century. Mario began his career in 1903 as an apprentice to the goldsmiths Beltrami e Besnati located at the Largo Santa Margherita in the centre of Milan. He eventually took over the business in 1919. In the following years, he opened boutiques in Rome (1925), Florence (1929) and New York (1953). He created jewels for such notables as the Popes Pius XI and XII, as well as the royal families of Italy, Spain and Egypt. Today, in addition to Milan, Mario Buccellati still has boutiques in the via Tornabuoni of Florence and the via dei Condotti of Rome.

In 1827, a Mr. Roeher and his cousin, Baptiste Noory, established a jewelry shop in Paris which, by 1850, had been taken over by Noury. His nephew Georges Mauboussin, joined the firm, assuming control in 1896.The House of Mauboussin contributed exhibits to all major international exhibitions in the first half of the 20th century including Milan in 1923 and 1924; New York, 1924 and 1939; Strasbourg, 1924; and Paris 1925, 1935 and 1937. They were awarded the Grand Prix at the 1925 Exposition des Arts Dècoratifs in Paris and, for his contributions to the world of joaillerie, Georges Mauboussin was given the “Legion d’Honneur”. The firm opened branches in London and Buenos Aires which have subsequently closed. In October 1929, they opened an office in New York. Due to difficult times, they sold their stock to the jeweler Trabert & Hoeffer along with the right to use their name. All jewelry retailed under this contract was signed “Trabert & Hoeffer Inc. — Mauboussin. This relationship lasted until the 1950s.The firm is currently located at 20, Place Vendôme. In 2002, Dominique Frèmont, a Swiss businessman, acquired a majority of the firm with Patrick Mauboussin remaining involved in the creation of the jewelry.

The Mellerio family traces its beginnings in jeweler and goldsmithing to early in the 16th century in the Lombardy region of Italy. Some of its members moved to Paris in 1515, where they prospered and became royal jewelers for Louis XIII in 1635, and were given the privilege of using Meller as their name. The revolutions of 1789 and 1848 interrupted their business temporarily, the latter resulting in an opportunity to open a jewelry business in Madrid where they became jewelers to Queen Isabel II. Re-established in Paris, they participated in many international expositions including London in 1862, Paris in 1867, 1878 and 1900, and Vienna in 1873. The twentieth century saw the firm exhibiting in the 1925 Expositions des Arts Dècoratifs in Paris and the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. They are currently located at 9 rue de la Paix in Paris.

After an apprenticeship with their uncle, a supplier of objects to Faberge, Oscar and Nathan Heyman emigrated from Russia to New York in 1906, followed by their brother, Harry, a year later. By 1912, the three brothers opened their own business at 49 Maiden Lane, supplying the latest platinum jeweler to prestigious retailers. Within a short period of time, they were joined by their three younger brothers, George, Louis and William. Oscar Heyman & Brothers is a self-contained jewelry manufacturer. They have moved four times since their inception, relocating in 1969 to their current address on Madison Avenue. The firm maintains regional sales offices in Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta and Tokyo. The Heyman family continues to manage the business.

The firm Ostier originated in Austria where for two generations they were jewelers creating fashionable jewels for the European elite, in 1938, following the Anschluss, Oliver Ostier emigrated to America and founded the firm of Ostier Inc. with his wife Marianne.
In a short time they became one of New York’s leading jewelers, and Marianne Ostier created classical images of modern designed jewelry. She won numerous awards including the Diamond USA Award and the Diamond international Award. In 1966, at the Finch College Museum of Art, she represented the United States in an exhibition that featured the worlds leading jewelry designers from ten countries, other artists included Georges Braque and Salvador Dali.

Paloma Picasso is the daughter of the most celebrated artist of the twentieth century, Pablo Picasso. After she completed formal training in jewelry design at the University of Paris at Nanterre at the age of 20, Yves St. Laurent presented a collection of her costume jewelry. In 1972, she began designing gold jewelry for Zolotas, but her father’s death the following year curtailed her association with this firm. She resumed her jewelry career at Tiffany & Co. in 1980 with their introduction of approximately 40 pieces of her jewelry Her designs are characterized by the use of highly polished surfaces and unexpected color contrasts. In 1985,Tiffany’s introduced her line of sterling silver jewelry in figurations of recognizable symbols such as “Love and Kisses”.

Paul Plato was born in 1900 in Flatonia, Texas. In the late 1920’s, he opened his own shop at East Fifty-Seventh Street in New York City several years before Tiffany & Co. relocated to their current address just across the street. His design-oriented style, often bordering on the humorous, reached its peak in the 1930s. Adolph Kleary, George Headley and Fulco di Verdura were among his designers. In 1937, Flato opened a branch in Beverly Hills, at 8657 Sunset Boulevard. This branch remained open for only two years, frequented by such luminaries as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Merle Oberon and Marlene Dietrich. In 1970 Flato left America, establishing a shop in Mexico City in the fashionable Zona Rosa district. He spent his last years in Dallas, Texas, where he passed away in July 1999.

After working at Marcus & Co. Raymond C. Yard opened his own salon at 522 Fifth Avenue in 1922, serving many prominent families in New York. Since then, the firm has moved five times, always remaining on Fifth Avenue. In 1958, when Yard died the firm was taken over by his associates, Robert Gibson, Donald Bartow and Glen McQuaker. Upon the retirement of Bartow and McQuaker, Gibson assumed leadership of the company. In 1985, his son Robert M. Gibson became associated with the firm, later to become president upon his father’s retirement.

Rene Boivin was born in February 1864 in Paris. An excellent designer and engraver, he began a career in the jewelry field at a young age. During the 1890s he purchased several workshops and established himself at rue St. Anastase. In 1893, he relocated to rue de Turbigo and married Jeanne Poiret, sister of the famous couturier and the first woman jeweler of the 20th century. They worked together to create some of the most bold and daring fashions of the early 1900s. After Boivin’s death in 1917, Jeanne decided to assume control of the firm and established herself in the avenue de l’Opera with Juliette Moutard and her daughter, Germaine Boivin. The three worked together for forty years, joined from 1921-1932 by Suzanne Belperron. They created such signature pieces as the Starfish (1936). Their jewels, inspired by animals and nature, became well known. Upon Jeanne Boivin’s death in 1959, the house was taken over by Louis Girard. In April 1991, the company became part of Asprey Group. The main office and boutique are located on Avenue Montaigue.

William Ruser gained his jewelry experience while working for Trabert & Hoeffer, Inc.- Mauboussin in their Atlantic City shop. From there, he was transferred to the Los Angeles branch as manager. After serving in the armed forces during World War II, he and his wife, Pauline, opened Ruser on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, in 1947. He is most noted for his sculptural gold jewelry with pave-set diamonds, precious and semi—precious gemstones as well as his nature-inspired jewelry featuring birds, butterflies, fish, flowers and swans. Hollywood stars regularly visited his salon.

Jean Schlumberger was born in 1907 in Mulbouse, in the German—controlled Alsace, into a family of textile industrialists. Preferring art to textiles, his first jewelry creations were china flowers mounted as clips which he gave to his friends. After sewing in the Army and then the Free French Forces, he set up workshops with his business partner, Nicolas Bongard, in New York and Paris. In 1956, Walter Hoving, the new chairman of Tiffany & Co., brought Schlumberger into the firm. He also invited him to start his creations with his name, the first designer to be given this privilege. In 1969, the Wildenstein Gallery in New York held an exhibition of his jewelry and objets d’art. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has on permanent exhibit a selection of his jewels and fantasy objects on loan from Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon. Jean Schlumberger died in 1987, and his creations continue to be offered by Tiffany & Co.

Seaman Schepps opened his first jewelry salon in Los Angeles in 1904 and, in 1914, in San Francisco. In 1921, he relocated to Sixth Avenue in New York City, but he was forced to close this salon after the stock market crash in 1929. After reassessing current jewelry trends, he opened an exclusive shop on Madison Avenue in 1934, offering only unique and original designs. His jewelry is characterized by the utilization of precious and semi—precious stones together with man—made materials to create an interesting color palette. In 1956, Seaman Schepps relocated to 485 Park Avenue where his jewelry continues to be offered to a discriminating clientele even though Schepps passed away in 1972.

Pierre Sterle was born in 1905 into a family of financers. After his father’s death during World War I, he was placed under the guardianship of his uncle, a jeweler, who taught him the rudiments of the trade. In 1934, he established his own business in the rue Sainte-Anne in Paris. From 1934-39, he created jewelry for other houses such as Boucheron, Chaumet, and Ostertag. The firm remained open until 1976 when Chaumet bought the stock and also hired Pierre Sterlé as an artistic advisor.

On September 21, 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany and John P. Young opened a stationery and fancy goods store known as Tiffany &Young at 259 Broadway in New York City. Within ten years, jewelry and silver items were added to their stock. By 1853, Mr. Tiffany had assumed complete ownership of the business and the name was changed to Tiffany & Co. During the 19th century, designers such as Edward C Moore and G. Paulding Farnham, as well as renowned gemologist George Frederick Kunz, propelled Tiffany & Co. to the forefront of the international jewelry world. Beginning in 1907, the firm manufactured and sold the jewelry designs of Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of the founder. Upon taking over the management of Tiffany & Co. In 1955, Walter Hoving invited several talented designers to join the firm. Among them were Jean Schlumberger and Donald Claflin. In 1974, they added Elsa Peretti as an exclusive designer, followed by Paloma Picasso in 1980. In 1979, Avon Products purchased Tiffany & Co. After the management-led buyout of Tiffany in 1984, headed by current chairman William R. Chancy and a successful public offering of stock in May, 1987, the company has successfully expanded into key domestic and international markets. Today they comprise more than too locations.

Founded in 1906 by Alfred Van Cleef and his brothers-in-law Charles and Julien Arpels on the PlaceVendome in Paris, Van Cleef & Arpels is one of the world’s most exquisite jewelers. The immediate success of the House prompted the founders to expand to important seaside resorts in France and well as abroad. New York City became the first location in the United States for Van Cleef & Arpels in 1939 and the House has since opened boutiques in five more U.S. cities. Van Cleef & Arpels is renowned for its innovative designs and techniques such as the Mysterious Setting, in which the prongs are hidden underneath a gemstone. The designs include only the highest quality gemstones and pieces are often interchangeable — brooches can become pendants or hair clips, earrings have detachable drops and bracelets can be linked together to create necklaces. Van Cleef & Arpels is currently part of the Richemont Group.

Fulco Santostefano della Cerda, Duke of Verdura, moved from his native Palernao to Paris in 1926, where he began working with Coco Chanel, initially as a textile designer, and eventually as head jewelry designer. After relocating to the United States in 1937, he took a position as designer at Paul Flato’s jewelry establishment, first in New York, then in California. He remained with Flato for two years before opening his own salon in September, 1939 at 712 Fifth Avenue and a second, in Paris on rue Boissy d’Anglas in 1947. His jewelry featured gold mountings with precious and semi-precious stones, a bold undertaking at the time when platinum was the most popular metal. In 1972, Verdura sold the business so his associate, Joseph G. Alfano, and retired to London, living there until his death in 1978. In 1985, Edward J. Landrigan purchased Verdura, Inc. and established a salon at 745 Fifth Avenue, where he continues to produce fine jewels from Verdura’s original drawings in a manner consistent with the Duke’s traditions.