Anne Hathaway was seen wearing the toggle necklace three times while filming scenes for “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
Award-Winning Jewelry Designer Jose Hess Dies at 87
He led many industry organizations during his career and was a champion of American designer jewelry.

The award-winning designer’s impact resounded beyond just the scope of his art, impacting many in the jewelry world, particularly through his championing of branded jewelry.
According to a statement from CIBJO and his obituary, Hess was born in 1933.
His Jewish family fled Nazi Germany in 1938, settling in Colombia, where immigration officials changed his given name, “Josef,” to “Jose.”
He began working in the jewelry industry at the age of 14 to support his family after both his parents fell ill. He worked under a Viennese goldsmith, who had also fled Nazi Germany, learning to fabricate jewelry and set gemstones by hand.
At 17 he immigrated to the United States, continuing to work in various jewelry jobs while also finishing high school and taking gemology courses at the Gemological Institute of America.
He earned a degree at The Mechanics Institute of the General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of the City of New York, then served four years in the U.S. military before becoming a full-time jeweler for David Webb.
In 1958, he pursued a career under his own name, which was difficult given stores’ reluctance to credit designers’ work as their own brands, as was common with clothing at the time too.
To help establish himself as a brand in his own right, Hess entered design competitions.
By 1963 he had garnered his first award, a De Beers Diamonds International Award for a gold and diamond leaf pin.
During his career he won more than a dozen awards from the diamond miner and marketer, as well as two International Gold Corp. Certificate of Merits and a Spectrum Award from the American Gem Trade Association.
Hess was deeply embedded in the American and international jewelry communities, championing independent, branded fine jewelry and often mentoring other designers and industry players.
He was on the board of the Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA), and a president of the Plumb Club and the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York.
He was a founder of the American Jewelry Design Council, as well as the Contemporary Jewelry Design Group, and taught at FIT.
Hess also was the first American to be elected president of CIBJO, serving two terms from 1997 through 2000.
Current CIBJO president Gaetano Cavalieri commented: “Jose is a one of a handful of people whom one can truly describe as having changed our industry, and he left it a better place.
“In so many respects I owe my position to him, for it was he that, more than 20 years ago, insisted that, if I really wanted to make a mark, I needed to devote myself to public service. I succeeded him as president, but he never left my side. He was my role model, my mentor and my friend.”
Hess is survived by his wife of 33 years, Magdalena “Maggie” Hess, who is also a jewelry designer and continues her husband’s eponymous line.
He is also survived by their four children, Lawrence, Francine, Aaron and Josef, and four grandchildren.
Cavalieri continued: “Jose was compassionate and generous, with a keen sense of humanity and community. In so many ways he embodied the cosmopolitan industry of which we are all part, with a strong feeling of pride of where he came from and remarkable degree of comfort in all the places that life had taken him, from Europe to South America and then to the United States, which he loved dearly.
“He also was a brilliant jeweler, raising the level of our craft to fine art. Our thoughts are of him, and with Maggie and his family.”
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Jewelry Design Council, P.O. Box 1149, Hermitage, PA, 16148.
A private memorial service is planned in Florida.
The Latest

Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong is scheduled for Sept. 15 to 21, and buyer pre-registration will be available until Sept. 7.

Renovations at Tiffany & Co. stores ate into profits in the company’s watch and jewelry division.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

Mark and Candy Udell of London Jewelers will receive the honor at the 24th annual Gem Awards next March.


While struggles continue at the mining and trading end of the pipeline, consumer demand for diamond jewelry is holding steady.

The “Fantasia” jewelry collection turns the intaglio animals from her “Close Encounters” collection into 3D characters.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

The special Classic Avi Chronograph 42 with an Eagles-green dial is limited to 59 pieces, a nod to the Super Bowl Philadelphia just won.

JSA has received reports of mobs swarming jewelry stores, driving cars into the storefront or smashing through the windows.

The “Kashmir” collection features centuries-old craft techniques made in collaboration with the region’s master papier-mâché artisans.

Next week, the auction house will kick off a selling exhibition of jewelry by British artist Hannah Martin and Coldplay’s Guy Berryman.

“Stolen: Heist of the Century” is based on “Flawless,” the book about the middle-of-the-night theft, and will debut on Netflix in August.

Emmanuel Raheb shares the top five gifting moments outside of major holidays that jewelers should build marketing campaigns around.

The wholesale trade show’s Luxury Lifestyle section will showcase established and emerging jewelry designers.

As demand for custom jewelry grows, the company is expanding its services to support retailers.

The mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers is slated for Aug. 9 to 10 on Zoom.

Graduated stones make for elevated tennis-style pieces and dramatic statement necklaces.

Nominations in the categories of Jewelry Design, Media Excellence, and Retail Innovation will be accepted through July 30.

He retired last month after 28 years traveling the world to source the very best gemstones for his family’s jewelry business, Oscar Heyman.

The charm necklace features six nautical charms of shells and coral that founder Christina Puchi collected on Florida’s beaches.

The organization elected its youngest vice president as it looks to draw in fresh talent.

Campbell joins the company as vice president of business development while Liebler is the new vice president of operations.

The medals feature a split-texture design highlighting the Games’ first time being hosted by two cities and the athletes’ journeys.

Sponsored by The INSTORE Jewelry Show 2025

Globally, travel and transportation brands reigned, while in the U.S., alcoholic beverage companies and a lingerie brand took the top spots.

The Brooklyn-based jewelry designer is remembered as a true artist and a rare talent.