Hindman Team

BIRKS

Henry Birks opened his boutique in Montreal in 1879. His three sons entered the business by 1893 and by 1901, began expanding to additional shops around Canada. With classic designs often inspired by nature and a commitment to environmentally safe practices, Birks remains one of the most important Canadian jewelry houses.

BOUCHERON

One of the oldest jewelry houses in Europe, Boucheron was the first jeweler to set up in the Place Vendôme in Paris. Founder Frédéric Boucheron opened his first workshop and store in 1858 and gained notoriety among elite members of society. A favorite of the Russian Royal family as well as other European Royals in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Boucheron continues to make exceptional jewelry to this day.

BUCCELLATI

Opening his first shop in Milan in 1919 and then expanding to Rome and Florence, Mario Buccellati’s work quickly gained acclaim amongst royalty. Four of his sons entered the business and continued the legacy. In 1953, Buccellati became the first Italian jewelry designer with a location on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Producing jewelry using a wide variety of precious materials, the firm is synonymous with class, elegance and fine craftsmanship.

BVLGARI

Hailing from Greece, Sotirios Bulgari traveled to Italy in 1880, opening in Naples and producing archeological revival jewelry. He soon developed a large enough following to require larger premises and additional locations. During the early twentieth century, Sotirios’s sons had a major impact on the character of Bulgari’s style. From the 1920’s to the 1960’s, Bulgari created jewelry made in the Edwardian, Deco, and Retro styles. By the 1970’s the focus again shifted to creating a unique style all their own, which continues in their work today.

CARTIER

Founded in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier, this French house has remained at the forefront of fine jewelry generation after generation. Vastly expanding the reputation and reach of the firm were Louis-Francois’ grandsons, who are responsible for establishing the name as a worldwide luxury icon. Creating extravagant works for clients ranging from the French royals to Hollywood’s elite, Cartier is responsible for producing some of the most recognizable and soughtafter jewels, known for their feminine style and timeless elegance.

ELIZABETH LOCKE

A trip to Italy at a young age inspired Elizabeth Locke’s lifelong fascination of Italian culture. She went on to study Italian literature in a graduate program in Florence. Upon returning to the United States, she worked as an editor for Town & Country magazine where she did a story on shopping in Thailand. This was another pivotal moment in the designer’s trajectory and led her to a degree in gemology. She started her own jewelry company in 1988, employing Thai goldsmiths to craft 19 karat gold hand-hammered pieces inspired by Etruscan, Greek and Roman pieces in her own signature neoclassical design.

HARRY WINSTON

Known as “The King of Diamonds,” Harry Winston (1896-1978) founded his company at the age of 24 in New York City, buying and cutting world-famous gems, such as the Jonker and Taylor-Burton diamonds. He was also the last owner of The Hope Diamond, which he famously donated to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. His jewelry is known as exceptionally high-quality to this day, with stores in every major city around the world.

SEAMAN SCHEPPS

An immigrant’s son who grew up in the tenements of New York’s Lower East Side, Seaman Schepps established his reputation by designing exclusive pieces mixing unique ideas, bold colors and sharp textures. After a brief stint in California, the Schepps family moved back to New York, where Schepps opened his 6th Avenue salon. When the stock market crashed in 1929, Schepps, like many of his clients, lost everything. With a remodeled business plan and renewed vigor, he reopened his doors on Madison Avenue in 1934, where he served clients such as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Duchess of Windsor, and members of the Du Pont, Mellon and Rockefeller families. Although Schepps passed on in 1972, his namesake house continues to attract collectors looking for jewelry of splendor and singular style.

STERLÉ

In 1934, Pierre Sterlé opened his own workshop in Paris after successfully designing pieces for iconic houses such as Chaumet and Boucheron. Gaining extreme popularity in the 1940’s and 50’s, Sterlé pieces became known for their technical craftsmanship and asymmetrical and textured designs often inspired by nature. He coined the term “angel wire” for his fluid textured gold pieces executed with extreme precision. He sold the business to Chaumet in the 1960’s and continued producing designs for them in the 1970’s.

TAFFIN

The house of Taffin was founded in 1996 in New York City by James de Givenchy, a French designer. After working in the jewelry department at Christie’s, Verdura and studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology, he began making custom jewelry for private clients. Taffin pieces display a contemporary, sculptural aesthetic that highlight outstanding gemstones and diamonds. Givenchy masterfully incorporates unusual materials such as rubber, ceramic, steel and wood with incredible gemstones and craftsmanship to create truly unique and unusual statement pieces.

TIFFANY & Co.

The best-known jeweler in the United States and perhaps the world, Tiffany & Company has, for much of its history, exhibited the best gems from around the world and work from some of the finest jewelry designers. The reputations of such luminaries as Schlumberger, Claflin, Peretti and Cummings were forged while working for this great house. Not limited to any one genre, Tiffany has produced an astounding array of jeweled art over its history and continues forward today with their global reach.

TONY DUQUETTE

Beginning as a film and interior designer before moving into jewelry, Tony Duquette created one-of-a kind pieces full of colorful, unique gemstones and bold designs. His theatrical jewelry has been on display in a one-man show at the Louvre and even graced the Duchess of Windsor. Embodying his philosophy that ‘more is more,’ his business and design partner Hutton Wilkinson continues his legacy of jewelry design, stating “If it’s not fabulous, it’s meaningless.” VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Starting with a marriage between two families both intimately involved with the jewelry arts, this Parisian firm, founded in 1906, has created a unique character all its own. Its exclusive pieces have been eagerly collected by royalty and celebrity alike. Credited with many innovations in construction and design, this master jeweler is also known for having the highest standards for their gems. Only using stones of the very best quality and rarity, a jewel by Van Cleef & Arpels is viewed first as art and then accessory.

VERDURA

The colorful persona of Fulco Santostefano della Cerda, Duke of Verdura, always comes through in the bold designs of his firm. Working with Coco Chanel in Paris early in his career, the Duke went on to establish his own salons in both New York and Paris. He won praise and followers for marrying the warm tones of yellow gold with stones chosen more for their brilliant colors than for their rarity. The firm lives on today under the Landrigan family, who faithfully creates jewelry based on the incredible sketch work that the Duke left behind.