In Memoriam: Jewelry Industry Leaders and Innovators We Lost in 2024

New York—The jewelry industry mourned the loss of many beloved members in 2024, from dedicated retailers to trailblazing designers.

National Jeweler remembers them below, beginning with a world-renowned gem cutter who died in the final days of 2023.

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Tom Munsteiner, a gem carver and cutter known worldwide for his creativity, passion, and precision, died Dec. 28, 2023, at his home in Germany at age 54. He will be remembered for his contributions to the lapidary world and his hearty laugh.

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Gail Kowalski, the creative vision behind Jewelry by Gail, died Jan. 6 at age 68.  The Pittsburgh native and her husband Dave opened their store in 1982 in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where Gail vacationed as a child. Known for her “asymmetrically balanced” jewelry, her crowning achievement was having two of her pieces on display at the Carnegie Mellon Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems.

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Swint E. “Porky” Bradberry Jr., the former owner of Porky Bradberry Jewelers in Aiken, South Carolina, died Jan. 9 at the age of 78. He ran the store for more than 60 years until his retirement in 2020 and was remembered as a beloved figure within the Aiken community.

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Eddie Grove, a longtime jewelry salesman, died Jan. 14 at age 81. Grove was described as an “old-school road warrior” type who had eclectic interests outside of the jewelry industry and was a loyal friend.

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Gene Starnes, owner of Starnes Jewelry in Albemarle, North Carolina, died Jan. 29 at age 82. Starnes started working full-time in the family business after college in the 1960s and ran the store until his retirement in 2022.

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Gary Ralph Hansen, Ph.D., a respected gem, mineral, and jewelry collector, died Feb. 2 at age 83. The founder of Hansen’s Minerals, his knowledge and authority made him a resource for high-profile museums like the Smithsonian Institute.

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Marina Bulgari, granddaughter of Bulgari’s founder and a groundbreaking designer in her own right, died Feb. 14 at age 93. Bulgari started off in the family business but created her own brand in 1976, Marina B. Her designs are regarded as both timeless and innovative. 

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Mary Frances Ball Gorman of Henry B. Ball Jewelers in Akron, Ohio, died Feb. 14 at age 99. The industry trailblazer worked in the family store for nearly 70 years, collecting numerous titles and degrees throughout her career. She also was the first female treasurer of Jewelers of America’s board of directors.

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Industry veteran Arnold “Arnie” Auerbach died March 4 at the age of 88. The New York native and U.S. Marine Corps veteran began his jewelry career at Harry Winston, later moving to Louisiana to work for Stuller as a diamond buyer. He loved his work and had an extensive knowledge of diamonds, as per an online tribute. Auerbach was remembered as a loving husband and family man.

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David Evers Ettinger, a master jeweler and owner of Bechdel Jewelers in Inwood, West Virginia, died March 13 at 69. A longtime member of both IJO and RJO, he is remembered for being charismatic and kind.

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Angelina Conti, former co-manager of Conti Jewelers in Endwell, New York, died at the age of 98 on March 23. She was remembered as the “guiding force” behind the store’s aesthetic and a lifelong fashionista.

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Master jeweler Joao Cesar, who was born and trained in Brazil, died at his home on March 31 at age 84. According to information provided by his daughter, Adriana Cesar, he immigrated to New York in 1965 and worked for Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Kurt Wayne, and David Webb. The jeweler eventually left New York for Baltimore, where he established Joao Cesar Jewelers.

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Alfred “Fred” W. DeScenza, owner and former president of DeScenza Diamonds in Boston, died at the age of 95 on April 1. He was one of the first people to buy polished diamonds directly from De Beers, said his son, Tyler DeScenza. He’s remembered as a “gentle giant” who embodied loyalty, integrity, and kindness.

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Steven “Rosie” Rosdal, co-founder of Hyde Park Jewelers and owner of SHR Jewelry in Denver, died at the age of 77 on April 6. Rosdal was a family man and a mentor who loved his Harley and the Denver Nuggets.

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Glenn Delbert Lewis, longtime mayor and co-founder of Lewis Jewelers in Moore, Oklahoma, died at the age of 68 on April 28. As an elected official, Moore guided the community through two devastating hurricanes in 1999 and 2013, meeting then-presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

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Former Krementz & Co. President Theodore “Ted” Bonsignore died suddenly on May 7 at age 77. Bonsignore was a member of the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York and served as the chairman of the board for the Jewelers Board of Trade. The lifelong New Jersey resident also was an avid boater and fisherman.

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Rory More O’Ferrall, a longtime De Beers executive, died May 14 at age 76. He spent 36 years working with De Beers and played a role in creating the World Diamond Council and shaping the Kimberley Process.

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Sarah Alden, a collector and seller of vintage jewelry, died May 24. A 53-year-old mother of two who recently had relocated to Venice from Massachusetts, Alden is remembered for her love of sunrises on the East Coast and sunsets on the West Coast.

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Seymour Holtzman, owner of Chicago-area jeweler C.D. Peacock, died May 28 at the age of 88. He was described by loved ones as “an authentic, original American entrepreneur” who listed his first company on the New York Stock Exchange at age 32. He purchased storied jeweler C.D. Peacock in 1993 and led the company for nearly two decades before transferring leadership to his son Steven Holtzman in 2022.

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Bernd Munsteiner, the inventor of the fantasy cut, died on June 6 at age 81. Munsteiner was often credited as the artist who modernized gem cutting, as his unconventional style focused on concave cuts made on the back of gemstones. His works are featured in dozens of museums and major global gem collections.

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Brian Mann, the jeweler who co-owned and operated the store inside the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., died suddenly in June. A champion of the jewelry industry, he also is remembered for being a loving husband and father.

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Fred Fenster, a metalsmith artist and a retired professor of art metal at University of Wisconsin-Madison, died June 24 at the age of 90. His work is featured in collections of museums across the country, including the National Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Museum of Art. Fenster loved books, movies, and antiquing, and was remembered for his keen sense of wit and humor, which came through in his teaching.

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Ruth Mellergaard, owner and founder of interior design firm Grid/3, died July 13, in Detroit. The London native had a lifelong career in design and traveled the world. A longtime member of IJO, she was remembered for her love of design, learning, and environmentalism.

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Rodney Charles Ewing, a member of the GIA Board of Governors from 2006 to 2015, died July 13 at the age of 77.  A member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, Ewing contributed to the scientific world for more than 50 years. In 2017, the most complex mineral known at the time was named in his honor, ewingite.

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David Lee Patison III, co-founder of Londa Manufacturing, died July 14 at his home in Choctaw, Oklahoma, at the age of 81. The Omaha, Nebraska, native served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He founded Londa Manufacturing in 1968 alongside his brother, Lonnie. He was remembered as a family man and an avid photographer who loved dogs.

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Ghazi Osta, the owner and president of Volusia Gold & Diamond in Daytona Beach, Florida, died July 19 at age 68. Known to many as “Gus,” Osta immigrated to the United States from Lebanon in 1975 and opened a jewelry store with this wife, Leigh Osta. He is remembered as being a loving husband, father, brother, and friend.

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Joseph Turco, the former president and co-owner of Turco Brothers Jewelers in Boston, died Aug. 13 at the age of 90. A jeweler for 30 years, Turco also loved cars, jazz and classical music, and cruising around Boston Harbor.

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Jan Yager, a jewelry designer and mixed-media artist, died Aug. 14 at the age of 72. The Rhode Island School of Design graduate set up her studio in Philadelphia in 1983, where she would work for the next 35 years. Her work can be found in the permanent collections of several museums, including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

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Sharon Berman, an industry veteran and podcast host, died Aug. 16. She founded Berbay, a marketing and public relations firm, and was described as “a true pioneer and visionary” in marketing. She had a deep love for jewelry, hosting the “Jewelry Journey” podcast beginning in 2018. Berman is remembered for her expertise, creativity, and professionalism.

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Arline Marie Fisch, founder of the Jewelry and Metalwork program at San Diego State University, died Aug. 20 at the age of 93. The Brooklyn, New York, native was best known for her innovative use of textile techniques in metalwork, particularly her knitted and woven metal jewelry. “Her unique approach beautifully blended metalwork and textile design, resulting in pieces that are both wearable art and sculptural expressions,” said a tribute from the university.

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Leonard (Lenny) Zell, a sales trainer who was said to be the first to write a manual on jewelry sales, died Aug. 22 in Albany, Oregon, at the age of 97. He learned the trade alongside his father and uncles, the founders of Zell Bros. Jewelers in Portland, Oregon. Zell started his business, Professional Sales Training, in 1981, offering advice to retailers well into his 90s.

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Jeff High, the founder of tech company Gemvision and the vice president of Dianna Rae Jewelry, died Sept. 5 in Duson, Louisiana, at the age of 60.  He sold Gemvision to Stuller in 2009 but remained in the industry until his retirement at age 51.  His family remembers him as a loving husband, father, inventor, entrepreneur, friend, and mentor to many, with a deep love for God.

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Clifford J. Boyer, a watchmaker with a career that spanned 65 years, died Sept. 6 at the age of 91 in Edwardsville, Pennsylvania. An apprentice under Harold Sweet, he was later employed by Lazarus Department Store, then Neisner’s, and then self-employed until retirement. A dedicated New York Yankees and New York Giants fan, Boyer also enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren.

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Lloyd Macklowe, founder of Macklowe Gallery, died Sept. 7 at the age of 90. He founded the gallery in 1971, which specializes in in Art Nouveau decorative arts and antique jewelry. His wife of 60 years, Barbara Macklowe, remembered him in an Instagram post as her best friend.

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Roland Brinker, the founder of Brinker’s Jewelers in Evansville, Indiana, died Sept. 8 at the age of 84. Founded in 1972, the store is still run by the family today. Brinker is remembered as a family man with a love for the game of golf.

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John Alan William Hodgkinson, a renowned gemologist who dedicated his life to the profession, died Oct. 7 in Scotland at the age of 87. His career spanned more than 50 years. He gave lectures on gemology and held roles at several gemological organizations. He is remembered as a kind, patient, and generous man who wanted to make the study of gemology affordable for all.

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Paul Kronick, Signet’s former vice president of e-commerce and special orders, died Oct. 8 at the age of 69. He was remembered as a leader who “made you believe you were good but with more training and more effort you could be great.”

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Anthony Hirsh, the founder of London jeweler Hirsh, died Nov. 2 at the age of 85. In an Instagram post, he was remembered for his creativity and his fun-loving spirit.

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Patrice Leguéreau, director of Chanel’s jewelry studio, died Nov. 12 at the age of 54. A graduate of Paris’ Ecole Boulle design school, Leguéreau led the division for nearly 15 years, having previously worked for Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.

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Craig Lynch, the owner of Phoenix jewelry appraisal firm Ouellet and Lynch, died Nov. 23 at age 70. An industry veteran of nearly 50 years, he was also the gemological consultant and appraiser for the “Somewhere in the Rainbow” collection. Lynch is remembered for his faith, his dedication to his family, his wealth of knowledge and his generosity in sharing it.

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Uc Thí Vo, who co-owned Kim Tin Jewelry with her husband of 40 years, died Nov. 15 at age 59. Vo, who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1987, was a mother of four and grandmother of two who is remembered for her loving heart and her contagious laugh.

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Gemstone artist Glenn Lehrer, founder of Lehrer Designs Studio, died on Nov. 27 at age 71. The largely self-taught lapidarist and goldsmith had a nearly 50-year-long career in gemstone carving and jewelry design. He also authored the 2016 book, “In Quest of the Indescribable: The Artistry and Life of a Gem Carver” and appeared often on QVC and Gemporia to share his love of gems.

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Frank Circelli, the founder of Gem Shopping Network and president and owner of gemstone wholesale company Bellagem Inc., died Dec. 10 at age 75. Circelli was described as an innovator in gemology and a pioneer in the word of TV shopping. He was remembered as a hard worker who operated with honesty and integrity.

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Melissa Shapiro, who wrote under the nom de plume “M.J. Rose,” died on Dec. 10 at the age of 71. She wrote more than 15 novels with jewelry themes, including her most recent “The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams.”