The suspect allegedly stole almost $800,000 worth of diamond jewelry from a store in Orlando and then swallowed it during a traffic stop.
Harvey Rovinsky, Longtime Owner of Bernie Robbins Jewelers, Dies at 77
Rovinsky is remembered as a great mentor who made the employees of his stores feel like family.

He was 77.
Born March 8, 1947, the Philadelphia native started working in his father’s watchmaking business when he was a child.
In 1966, Rovinsky was hired by a man named Bernie Rosenberg (better known as Bernie Robbins) who owned an appliance store in downtown Philadelphia that sold a little bit of jewelry.
Rosenberg was looking to change his business and brought a then 19-year-old Rovinsky on board to help with the transition.
A few years later, Rovinsky became family when he married Rosenberg’s daughter, Madalyn.
Over time, Harvey and Maddy Rovinsky turned what was once an appliance store that sold Timex watches into a luxury jeweler that carried brands like Rolex, Cartier, and David Yurman, and had as many as nine stores across New Jersey and Pennsylvania at one point.
Longtime store employee Steve Jaffe said Harvey could be tough but always was fair.
He said Harvey looked for the best in everyone, and he and Maddy made the employees of Bernie Robbins Jewelry feel like family.
“They don’t make people like this anymore,” Jaffe said.
In 2022, Harvey and Maddy were inducted into National Jeweler’s Retailer Hall of Fame in the Multi-Store Independent category. At the time, there were four Bernie Robbins Jewelers stores.
They retired in 2024 and gave the business, debt-free, to five longtime employees.
Today, Bernie Robbins Jewelers has two locations, one in Somers Point, New Jersey, and the other in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
Jaffe is one of the five employees who is now a co-owner of the business.
Speaking behalf of all five partners, he said, “There is a not a finer mentor, teacher, businessperson, friend and, just simply, great person than Harvey Rovinsky. He will be sorely missed.”
Outside of work, Harvey and Maddy supported Chabad at the Shore, the Sara & Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University, Friends of the Israeli Defense Force, The Albert Einstein Society at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
He served on the executive board of the Holocaust Resource Center.
Harvey is survived by his wife of 56 years, Madalyn; daughter Julia Rovinsky Rosenzweig (Adam Rosenzweig); granddaughters Sophia and Emma; sister-in-law Susan Stupine; and nieces and nephews Erika (Seth Yablonovitz), Jeffrey Stupine (Farah), Bailey and Jay Yablonovitz, and Lilly Stupine.
Services are scheduled to take place 2 p.m. Sunday at Joseph Levine & Sons Memorial Chapel, 4737 E. Street Road, Trevose, Pennsylvania.
For those unable to attend in person, the services will be livestreamed via the J.S. Goldstein Funeral Home website.
Burial will be private.
Contributions in Harvey’s memory may be made to Chabad at the Shore, the Sara & Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University, the Friends of the Israeli Defense Force, or to the Albert Einstein Society at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital.
The Latest

Ahead of the Gem Awards on Friday, Jen Cullen Williams and Duvall O’Steen share pro tips for taking the best photos.

Founded in 2000, Marco Bicego is commemorating its milestone anniversary with a “25 Best” collection and campaigns honoring its heritage.

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA

Those attending the company’s upcoming Zoom workshop will receive early access to “The List,” its new resource for finding buyers.


The organization will present an award to Amy-Elise Signeavsky, law enforcement and diamond recovery manager at GIA.

Chandler started his jewelry career at Michelson Jewelers, joining the Diamond Council of America as president and CEO in 2001.

Natural diamonds mean more than lab-grown, but when every cut is ideal, they all look the same. Customers want more—Facets of Fire delivers.

Scottish American designer Maeve Gillies collaborated with Platinum Guild International on jewelry created by direct metal 3D printing.

Ahead of its trade show in May, TJS awarded free registration and accommodations to five up-and-coming jewelry industry professionals.

The 2025 Gem Awards are set to take place Friday at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

The annual star-studded campaign for International Women’s Day encourages collective action against domestic violence.

The statement piece is seen in Yeprem’s new “You Play the Game” campaign, created for International Women’s Day.

Longtime employee Kyle Slosson has been promoted to the role.

The limited-edition collection, a nod to the Year of the Snake, is Ukrainian brand Guzema’s first partnership with a U.S. brand.

Senior Jeweler Jay Wolff was named employee of the year.

The 111-year-old store will close following a dispute among Saks Global, a landlord, and the City of Dallas over a small piece of land.

The upcoming “Area_51” watch sale is a collaboration with heist-out, featuring vintage and modern timepieces with futuristic designs.

The trade organization, which will mark 120 years of service next year, has a refined focus and a new mission statement.

The application period is now open for established and emerging jewelers and metalsmiths to apply to the month-long residency program.

Uc Thí Vo, who co-owned Kim Tin Jewelry in Sacramento with her husband of 40 years, was killed during the November 2024 robbery.

Manashe Sezanayev pleaded guilty to grand larceny and is expected to receive five years’ probation when he’s sentenced in May.

The March birthstone pairs perfectly with hues of Mocha Mousse, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2025.

Emmanuel Raheb shares strategies to prepare for, publicize, and engage the audience during events on platforms like TikTok and Zoom.

From Doja Cat to Mikey Madison and Selena Gomez, many of this year’s Academy Awards attendees donned drop necklaces.

Originally slated to take effect in April, official U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents now show the implementation date as “TBD.”

The recent jump in the prices of household staples, like eggs, and the potential impact of tariffs worried consumers.