CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Taylor Swift’s ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ Video Puts Jewelry Front and CenterIconic pieces, like the Mike Todd Diamond Tiara, appear in the superstar’s new music video for her song inspired by the actress.
IndependentsFeb 22, 2021
NY Diamond District Jeweler Norman Landsberg Dies at 94
The longtime member of the industry, seen as an icon on 47th Street, died from complications related to COVID-19.
Norman Landsberg started his jewelry business in 1948 after realizing he wanted to make his own graduation ring instead of spending what he saw as too much money to buy one.
Long Beach, N.Y.—Well-known Diamond District jeweler Norman Landsberg died Feb. 13 from complications related to COVID-19.
He was 94 years old.
Landsberg grew up in The Bronx, helping his father deliver seltzer to tenements in the neighborhood.
He went on to serve in the U.S. military as a translator during WWII, being fluent in seven different languages, according to his son Jonathan, and then attended New York University on the GI bill with plans to become a lawyer.
He graduated in 1948 and wanted to commemorate the occasion with a custom class ring he could afford. Instead of ordering one, he decided to create it himself.
He started working with his uncle, who was a polisher at the time, learning from him as well as teaching himself along the way, and then started offering the ring for sale to his classmates.
Soon enough, classmates were asking him to do repairs and create other pieces, his son Jonathan told National Jeweler.
“All of a sudden he started making money and was like, why am I going to be a lawyer when I’m making this kind of money right now?”
And thus in 1948, Norman Landsberg Creative Jewelers was born on New York’s 47th Street.
Landsberg married the love of his life, Carol, at that time, and they raised three sons as the business grew.
It has stayed in the same location since its 1948 founding, and carries some big brand names like Roberto Demeglio, Roberto Coin and Penny Preville.
In 2006, the company opened a second location in Rye Brook, New York, just outside the city in Westchester County, which carries higher end goods and operates as Landsberg Jewelers.
Jonathan and his brother Jeffrey both eventually joined their father in business and will carry it on, which Jonathan said was of the utmost importance to his dad—making sure the family name stayed alive in the business.
After all, he built a solid reputation for it. The elder Landsberg “was really regarded as an icon in the industry, especially on 47th street,” Jonathan said, and was even featured once on Access Hollywood covering a celebrity engagement.
Landsberg was also known for his kindness and generosity, always smiling and greeting people “with a happy grin,” Jonathan added, noting his father worked with generations of families who kept returning to him, as did the partners in the industry with whom he worked.
“The outpouring of love and affection for my father is really incredible.”
Landsberg fully believed in encouraging the next generation, not only of his own family but also the next set of jewelers on 47th Street.
He was also a very hard worker committed to the store, and in fact was still working, on his feet every day, up until the pandemic started.
Jonathan said his father was eager to return to the store until he caught the coronavirus.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol.
He is survived by his sister, Diane Sass; his son, Jeffrey, wife, Susan, and their children, Harley, William and Quin; son Barry, wife, Melanie, children Jake and Daniel; and son Jonathan, wife Dana, and children Brandon and Madison.
The family is encouraging donations in Landsberg’s name be made to St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center in Roslyn, New York.
More on Independents
The Latest
MajorsApr 03, 2026
Saks Global Says It Will Emerge From Bankruptcy This SummerThe luxury retailer, which went Chapter 11 in January, announced Thursday that it has secured $500 million in exit financing.
Events & AwardsApr 03, 2026
JCK Luxury, NouvelleBox Partner on New Designer BallroomThe NouvelleBox ballroom will feature independent jewelry designers, including Lene Vibe, Wyld Box Jewelry, and Kiaia Limited.
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.
CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Buddha Mama Brings Its ‘Moon’ Locket To DallasThe one-of-a-kind locket, our Piece of the Week, opens to reveal three hidden images to keep close to your heart.
Weekly QuizApr 02, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New Canadian Distribution Center Amid Tariff ConcernsThe new facility was also designed to better serve its growing customer base in Canada.
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in TaiwanIt is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
DCA Launches ‘Second Spark’ Workforce InitiativeThe initiative connects veterans and parents returning to the workforce with careers in jewelry retail.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales RepresentativeThe wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th AnniversaryCohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.
