After nearly 50 years in the business, Houston jeweler Keith Shaftel has retired and handed the family business, Shaftel Diamonds, over to his two children. Danny Shaftel is now the company’s CEO while Gaby Shaftel is chief operating officer. (Photo credit: Al Torres)
Houston—Shaftel Diamonds, an independent jeweler in Houston, announced earlier this month that its founder, Keith Shaftel, has retired and handed the business over to his children, Danny and Gaby Shaftel.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Keith got his first job in the jewelry industry in 1976, working for a jewelry manufacturer in Austin, Texas.
Two years later, Keith and his wife, Adriana, whom he met while living in Mexico City and teaching English as a second language, moved to Houston.
With the help of diamond cutters in New York and Antwerp, Keith started his own business supplying local jewelers and other wholesalers with loose diamonds under the name Loring Jewelry.
Over the years, the business evolved to become Shaftel Diamonds, a retail store that specializes in custom-designed engagement rings, rare gemstones, and “timeless” fine jewelry pieces.
Gaby Shaftel, left, is now chief operating officer of Shaftel Diamonds while her brother Danny Shaftel is CEO. (Photo credit: Bread & Water)
The store is located in Tanglewood, an affluent neighborhood west of downtown Houston.
Following Keith’s retirement, his son Danny was named CEO while daughter Gaby was promoted to chief operating officer.
Danny joined the business in 2005 after graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Gaby came on board in 2008.
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In a press release announcing the change in leadership, Shaftel Diamonds said the family remains dedicated to the same principles that have defined the business for nearly 50 years—craftsmanship, integrity, and providing a “deeply personal” customer experience.
“My sister and I grew up in this business; it’s all we have ever known,” Danny said in the release.
“We learned early on that every ring and every relationship mattered. Leading the business now is about honoring that tradition while evolving to meet the needs of today’s customers, and their next generation.”
