DAVID WEISZ™, as an organization, has a fascinating family history. No one can tell the story of their journey better than they, so we asked their chairman, David Weisz, the grandson of the original founder, to tell us the story in his own words.
“The legacy of DAVID WEISZ spans an era of courage, integrity, and strength, where the family patriarch, David Weisz, started a business selling finished jewelry and diamonds in Satu Mare, Romania. Following two decades of success in his flourishing business, David and his family were met with a terrible misfortune at the onset of the second world war.
“When word of the atrocities hit, David wrapped some of his fortunes in diamonds and entrusted them with a distant cousin, Martin Weisz, who traveled to America in the wake of the horrors. ‘Keep the diamonds safe for my family and save them for when we reunite. If we don’t survive, they’re yours to keep.’
“In 1944, David and his family were deported to the camps and perished, aside for his son, Herman. With strength he didn’t know he could muster and a family he no longer had, Herman landed on American shores a broken man. Living in a sparse community in New York, he was reunited with his only family member, Martin. The latter unearthed the battered parcel, giving Herman the only remaining link to his departed father but also instilling in him the deepest form of trust one can find in a world otherwise tainted by cruelty.
“By 1949, Herman tried his hand at what he viewed as a family legacy, training as a diamond cutter while rebuilding his life. With a reputation built on honesty and craftsmanship, Herman succeeded in the rebirth of the DAVID WEISZ dynasty. When his own son, David, named after his late father, joined the family business, he had a sense of purpose to continue the legacy by building his own at 47th street’s famed central jewelry hub.
“When the company grew, Herman chose to pay tribute to the original David Weisz by honoring his short-lived legacy. The emergence of DAVID WEISZ encapsulated generations of integrity, challenge, and true courage, but its original parcel of diamonds still represents the trust that’s at the epicenter of the company’s commitment.
“Today’s DAVID WEISZ, a company spanning three generations of diamond enthusiasts and experts, has curated that sense of value across a larger demographic. While the known tagline connotes that ‘a diamond is forever,’ the Weisz family stretched the coined phrase by elevating its purpose with, ‘a diamond is for everyone.’ The mantra by which the company’s dynamics were formed, specializing in diamond studs because of their universal use as a time-honed classic.
“A DAVID WEISZ piece is an investment our wearers make as much as it is an iconic fashion statement. From our classic studs to new keepsake pieces making their appearance in stores nationwide, the DAVID WEISZ commitment to quality has evolved as a multifaceted promise.
“We’ve seen clients selecting an exquisite pair of studs upon the birth of a new baby. We’ve seen that baby girl turn into a woman at the cusp of teenagehood, landing her very own pair, albeit daintier, to frame her face. The studs became an icon of gifting, with some clients choosing them for business acquaintances and friends, while others are assigning them to personal milestones.
“Bridal jewelry is perhaps the most coveted and marketed percentage of diamond sales, yet they service just a tiny fraction of the clients who buy and wear our diamonds. Our founder, David Weisz, was as passionate about a universal product as he was about the multifaceted prisms per diamond he’d curate for the market. Diamond studs were our way of introducing appreciation, reciprocation, and affection across all forms and purposes of giving. We wanted to provide that high-quality diamond appeal to everyone and at every stage in life.”
In June 2021, the DAVID WEISZ brand continued to celebrate its iconic design transformation, applying as much attention to detail to its visual dynamics as it has to its diamond repertoire. With a quality commitment that’s etched in stone, the leadership team at DAVID WEISZ looks forward to translating a rich family history into a future of diamond innovation.