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Lewis Heyman on Sourcing Gemstones, Post-Retirement Plans
He retired last month after 28 years traveling the world to source the very best gemstones for his family’s jewelry business, Oscar Heyman.
Lewis Heyman, co-president and head stone buyer at Oscar Heyman, retired at the end of June 2025 following his 28th anniversary at the family-owned company.
New York—Lewis Heyman, co-president and head stone buyer at Oscar Heyman, has retired from the family business, the company announced this week.
In his 28 years with the colored gemstone and fine jewelry company, he worked alongside his uncle, brother, and other relatives.
During his tenure, he extended the brand’s gemstone relationships to include gem cutters from around the world—Australia, Brazil, Bangkok, Colombia, France, Hong Kong, Germany, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Switzerland.
He also represented the company through his involvement with industry groups including the 24 Karat Club, the American Gem Trade Association, and the New York Gemstone Association.
“We are grateful for Lewis’s unwavering commitment to excellence and the connections he has developed with the most reliable and trustworthy gem dealers around the world. Lewis will be missed, and his enthusiasm lives on in our gem acquisition team,” Oscar Heyman President Tom Heyman said in a press release about Lewis’s retirement.
Lewis added, “I enter retirement knowing that Oscar Heyman remains one of the finest jewelry brands in the world with a truly exceptional staff.”
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In his 28 years with the colored gemstone and fine jewelry company, he worked alongside his uncle, brother, and other relatives.
During his tenure, he extended the brand’s gemstone relationships to include gem cutters from around the world—Australia, Brazil, Bangkok, Colombia, France, Hong Kong, Germany, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Switzerland.
He also represented the company through his involvement with industry groups including the 24 Karat Club, the American Gem Trade Association, and the New York Gemstone Association.
“We are grateful for Lewis’s unwavering commitment to excellence and the connections he has developed with the most reliable and trustworthy gem dealers around the world. Lewis will be missed, and his enthusiasm lives on in our gem acquisition team,” Oscar Heyman President Tom Heyman said in a press release about Lewis’s retirement.
Lewis added, “I enter retirement knowing that Oscar Heyman remains one of the finest jewelry brands in the world with a truly exceptional staff.”
After graduating from college, Lewis did a stint with the Peace Corps, during which he served as a teacher in Senegal.
He later went on to get a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
He joined Oscar Heyman’s gem sourcing team in 1997, continuing to pursue his love of travel and global connections.
Lewis traveled abroad several times each year to source premium quality gemstones while also managing and collaborating with a team of gemstone experts to ensure that every stone purchased for the company was of the highest quality.
In an interview with National Jeweler, Lewis said it wasn’t just the travel he enjoyed, but how he was able to connect with and learn from suppliers, dealers, cutters, lapidaries, and miners.
“You land in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and it’s a completely different world. People are on tuk tuks, and they walk a lot, and they drink a lot of tea, and you have to understand aspects of their culture,” he said.
“There’s a lot of commonalities,” he continued, noting that most of their dealings are with other family businesses, just like Oscar Heyman.
“One of the most exciting parts is [having] a list of stones to buy for a ring or a bracelet or earrings or whatever, but then you come upon something, and [the dealer] will pull a stone out of their pocket or wrapped in a diamond paper at the back of their safe and say, ‘Have you ever seen this? This is really special.’ And when you see those special stones, you try and grab them, if it makes sense,” he said.
“They’re unusual, they’re unique, and they tell a great story.”
Lewis, 67, retired in June.
He told National Jeweler that the pandemic played a role in his decision to retire, noting that things can “turn around very quickly” and he wanted to make the most of being active and able.
He also mentioned that his father, David Heyman, died at 66.
David was the son of Harry Heyman, who, with his brothers Oscar and Nathan Heyman, founded the family jewelry business in 1912. David also worked at the business for most of his life.
“My desires are to travel, to see the world and maybe apply myself in different ways, particularly with some volunteer activities,” said Lewis, who was calling from the West Coast, where he and his wife were visiting family and preparing for a day of hiking in the Cascades.
“I’m going to continue to learn and to grow.”
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