SourcingJul 17, 2025
Rio Tinto Names New CEO, Production Rises at DiavikMajorsJul 18, 2025
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.”
Related stories will be right here …
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.”
More on Majors
The Latest
Events & AwardsOct 17, 2025
An Edit of Italian Jewels Is Coming to NYCThe new showcase dedicated to Italian jewelry design is set for Oct. 29-30.
TrendsOct 17, 2025
Piece of the Week: Judi Powers Jewelry’s ‘Stella’ EarringsTake a gaze at the sky with this pair of platinum diamond-set star earrings with blue lace agate drops.
IndependentsOct 17, 2025
From the Jazz Age to the Information Age: London Jewelers Turns 100In 2026, the jewelry retailer will celebrate a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
IndependentsOct 16, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Jeffrey Zimmer Jeffrey Zimmer's decades of leadership at Reeds Jewelers are defined by integrity, a love of sourcing gemstones, and a heart for community.
Weekly QuizOct 16, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsOct 16, 2025
Sotheby’s Introduces Custom Jewelry ServiceThe new high jewelry design and production process takes 30 days or less from concept to completion, the auction house said.
CollectionsOct 16, 2025
Foundrae Adds To ‘United in Love’ CollectionThe brand has released a second installment of its collection of traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.
Brought to you by
JA New York Fall Is Right Around the CornerThe upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.
IndependentsOct 15, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Kathy CoreyCorey rescued New England chain Day’s Jewelers, preserving its legacy with strong people skills, pragmatism, and a “get-it-done” attitude.
CrimeOct 15, 2025
Men Receive Lengthy Prison Sentences for 2023 Murder of Colorado JewelerCharles Robinson Shay was sentenced to life in prison plus 120 years while his accomplice, Michael James McCormack, got 75 years.
Events & AwardsOct 15, 2025
‘Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture’ Opens at MADThe Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.
Events & AwardsOct 15, 2025
JCK, Luxury to Debut New Watch Section in Vegas Next YearTimepieces at Luxury will take place at The Venetian and, like Luxury, will be invitation-only for the first two days.
AuctionsOct 15, 2025
Christie's Announces New Jewelry Department LeadershipThe auction house named a new global head of jewelry, as well as a new head of the jewelry department for the Americas.
IndependentsOct 14, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Tom DixonAs chairman of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Tom Dixon has been tasked with honoring the past and shaping the future of the family-run store.
Events & AwardsOct 14, 2025
Here Are the Winners of the BIJC, JA ‘Emerging Jewelers’ Grant Katty Villapando Lyte and Mica Rencher received a $10,000 grant for their business, Shimmer Culture LLC.
IndependentsOct 14, 2025
Day’s Jewelers Crafts Custom Jewelry for No.1 NBA Draft Pick Cooper FlaggThe parents of the Dallas Mavericks rookie bought their engagement ring at a Day’s store in Bangor, Maine, in 1997.
SourcingOct 14, 2025
Pragnell Debuts Kitulo Garnet Jewelry The UK-based brand sourced the gemstones, which are fully traceable, from an artisanal mining community in Tanzania.
CollectionsOct 10, 2025
Count Down to the Holidays With Astrid & Miyu’s Advent CalendarsThe trio of Advent calendars include a version with 18-karat gold and lab-grown diamond jewelry in a red lacquer jewelry box.
CollectionsOct 10, 2025
Piece of the Week: Marla Aaron’s ‘Nymphenburg Lock’Created in collaboration with Nymphenburg Porcelain, the lock is part of a four-piece collection that took two years to bring to fruition.
SourcingOct 09, 2025
Feriel Zerouki Is Leaving De Beers The company and industry leader’s two-decade tenure with De Beers will come to a close at the end of the month.
AuctionsOct 09, 2025
This Fabergé Egg Could Crack $27M At Auction“The Winter Egg” set the world auction record for a Fabergé piece twice at previous Christie’s sales.
MajorsOct 09, 2025
Sy Kessler Buying Watch Batteries as Silver Hits Record High The company will pay 1.5x silver’s current spot price for each pound of silver oxide batteries submitted.
CollectionsOct 09, 2025
Katkim Launches First Men’s CollectionThe line includes a “Shadow” series crafted exclusively for the new men’s offering and reimagined styles from the brand’s core collections.
SourcingOct 09, 2025
Gemfields’ Mini Mixed-Quality Ruby Auction Garners $11MThe rough on offer was recovered from a newer area at the Montepuez mine.
SourcingOct 08, 2025
In ‘Storied Diamond,’ Jared Jewelers Is Emphasizing the Journey The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.
CollectionsOct 08, 2025
Emily P. Wheeler Shifts Into Neutral for Latest ‘Ombré’ CollectionThe champagne colorway in her newest “Ombré” collection combines white and trendy brown diamonds, a departure from her usual vibrant hues.
CollectionsOct 08, 2025
Tsuba Designs Inspire Monica Rich Kosann’s New CharmsKosann partnered with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to create a set of necklaces inspired by the artwork on samurai sword handguards.
