In his 60 years with Oscar Heyman, Adam Heyman has made many trips overseas to buy gemstones and some of his favorite memories are of visiting dealers, stone cutters, and mines throughout Asia. At left, Heyman is pictured examining gemstones in Sri Lanka circa 2010. The picture at right, taken around 1970, shows Heyman (red tie) watching a gem cutter at work in Sri Lanka with his parents, George and Bess Heyman. (Photos courtesy of Oscar Heyman)
New York—This year will mark Adam Heyman’s 60th year with Oscar Heyman and he wants the trade to know—he has no plans to retire.
Oscar Heyman, known for its high-end, quality creations that are manufactured in New York, got its start as Oscar Heyman & Brothers in 1912; the brothers were Oscar, Nathan, and Harry Heyman.
Eventually, eight of the nine Heyman siblings worked in the family business, including the youngest son, George Heyman, who was Adam’s father.
Adam grew up in New York City and after high school, attended Dartmouth College and Columbia Business School.
A few weeks after he graduated from Columbia, on Feb. 2, 1965, he started working at Oscar Heyman.
Adam was the third member of the second generation of Heymans involved with the family business, joining his cousins David and Marvin Heyman, who are Harry’s sons.
Over the years, David became Adam’s most important mentor at the company.
The summer after he started, Adam traveled to The Netherlands to intern at the Royal Asscher Diamond Company in Amsterdam, as the Heyman and Asscher families have been friendly since the 1930s.
When he returned to the United States, he traveled around the Northeast as a salesperson for Oscar Heyman and to India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, learning the art of gem buying from his father.
From left, Lewis, Adam, and Tom Heyman with “Oscar Heyman: The Jewelers’ Jeweler,” a book published by Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts in 2017
Today, two of Adam’s nephews, Tom and Lewis Heyman (both sons of David), are co-presidents of the company, while Adam serves as CEO.
In addition to his work at Oscar Heyman, Adam has been engaged in many industry groups over the years.
He served as president of the Boston Jewelers Club in the 1980s, having become ingrained in the community he served as a traveling salesperson.
Adam was chairman of the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York and board president in 1987.
He also sat on the board and served as chairman of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance.
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Adam considers former JSA President John Kennedy to be one of his “very best friends” in the industry, he told National Jeweler last year, and was dismayed when Kennedy told him of his impending retirement.
“He’s a fabulous listener,” Heyman said of Kennedy. “He hears people, he understands people ... that makes him a great leader.”
Adam has been married to his wife, Joanne, since 1972. The couple has three children and nine grandchildren.
“Adam has witnessed Oscar Heyman’s origins as a behind-the-scenes manufacturer for the famed retailers of the early 20th century, to the standalone brand it is today,” the company said, noting that he, “has no plans to retire.”
