Look Book

12 www.thejewelrybook.com The House of Heyman Where tradition fi nds the future O S C A R H E Y M A N O N T H E C O V E R Oscar Heyman has been for more than a century one of the most eminent names in an industry known for illustrious play- ers. The fi nest jewelry houses – including Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., and Harry Winston – have always turned to Oscar Heyman for exceptional and- delicate custom proj- ects. Consider one of Oscar Heyman's most renowned cre- ations, the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton 69.42 carat diamond necklace crafted for Cartier in six days by Oscar Heyman himself, and you get a sense of the brand's prestige. Oscar Heyman & Brothers was founded by Oscar, Nathan and Harry – three brothers who emigrated from Latvia. The company fi rst opened its doors in 1912 on Maiden Lane in New York City, a popular jewelry district at the turn of the last century. Today, Oscar Heyman is overseen by a third genera- tion of Heymans as the company celebrates its 103rd year in business. Before leaving Latvia, Oscar and Nathan were apprentices at the House of Fabergé, the royal jeweler to the Russian Imperial Court, where the brothers learned the meticulous elements of jewelry design, gemology and tool-making. There they also became well-versed in the use of a revolution- ary new metal: platinum. "Our forte is gemstone intensive, very fi ne quality jewelry," says Tom Heyman, grandson of Harry Heyman. "We have expertise in plati- num, thin wire work, fl exible necklaces and bracelets, plus we have a complete tool and die shop. We are able to make all the compo- nents in-house…draw wire, make dies, what- ever we need." Oscar Heyman became a pioneer in the world of fi ne jewelry by building upon the immigrant spirit of big dreams, hard work and innate talent. Their self-contained model of manufacturing all tools and dies in-house allowed them to produce unique patents in addition to the award-winning jewelry for which they are known. This tradition continues today. "We've always looked to be self-contained and this is basically unchanged," says Heyman. "At one point everything was done by hand. In the 1930s there was the introduction of jewelry casting. Today it's laser welding machines, and instead of hand-rendering, there are BY BROOKE CONNER SEVENAU The Heyman's

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