FinancialsAug 08, 2025
Brilliant Earth’s Q2 Sales Up 3% as Engagement Ring Sales RiseThe company raised its full-year sales guidance while noting it has not yet assessed the potential impact of the latest tariff news.
EditorsApr 24, 2013
A history lesson in Vienna
The longer I am in this industry, the more keenly aware I become of how much we can learn about world history through jewelry.
Vienna, or “Wien,” is the capital of and the largest city in Austria, located at the edge of the country not far from the nation’s border with Slovakia. It is a beautiful city that is rich in history and, in retrospect, I wish I had given myself more than two days to spend there.
While in Vienna, I had the chance to do a tour, albeit brief, of Schönnburn Palace. Schönbrunn, which means “beautiful spring,” was a summer residence for the rulers of the Habsburg empire and remained an active palace until the downfall of the monarchy in the early 20th century.
My traveling companion and I arrived at Schönbrunn Palace late in the afternoon on Monday, following many hours that day at another Vienna landmark, the Belvedere, also a fantastic former palace that now houses an art museum containing many works by the famed Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. The most well-known Klimt work, “The Kiss,” hangs in the Belvedere.
But I digress. We only had about 40 minutes to do a tour at Schönbrunn so only saw a very small section of the enormous residence, but that still was enough time for a small bit of jewelry history to creep into my visit.
One of the former residents of Schönbrunn mentioned during my audio-guided tour was Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I, whose brother, my pre-recorded hand-held guide said, was a man named Maximilian who was shot to death in Mexico.
This name, and his unfortunate fate, rang a bell for me and for good reason: in 2010 I covered the sale of the 39.55-carat “Emperor Maximilian Diamond” by Christie’s in New York, even making the trip uptown to the auction house to see the stone in person.
Although the stone is not of great color---it’s an I, which pales, or should I say darkens, in comparison to most of the stones the big auction
houses sell, which are usually D’s and E’s---the diamond is relatively large and has an interesting history.As the legend goes, the Archduke was wearing the diamond in a pouch around his neck when he faced the firing squad around 1866. The stone somehow made it back across the Atlantic to his wife, Princess Charlotte of Belgium, and its whereabouts were unknown for decades until it resurfaced in 1919.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
From there, it passed through the hands of several gem dealers, including Laurence Graff who bought it at Christie’s in 1982 for $762,000. Christie’s sold it again in 2010 for $1.8 million.
This obviously is not the only important jewel to have passed through the hands of the one-time rulers of Austria. Franz Joseph’s wife “Sisi,” a very famous figure in Austrian history, likely had quite a collection as well. Perhaps I can learn more about it during my next trip to Austria, which almost certainly will include a second visit to Schönbrunn.
This obviously is not the only important jewel to have passed through the hands of the one-time rulers of Austria. Franz Joseph’s wife “Sisi,” a very famous figure in Austrian history, likely had quite a collection as well. Perhaps I can learn more about it during my next trip to Austria, which almost certainly will include a second visit to Schönbrunn.
More on Editors
The Latest
Events & AwardsAug 08, 2025
GJEPC’s Jewellers for Hope Celebrates 10 Years of FundraisingThe organization has raised more than $1.3 million for charity since its inception.
TrendsAug 08, 2025
Piece of the Week: Rahaminov Diamonds’ Bezel BangleThe brand’s latest iteration of a bezel-set diamond bangle features clean lines and a timeless design for a new modern silhouette.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
WatchesAug 07, 2025
Bulova’s New Collection Honors Tony BennettThe first watch in the series commemorates his participation in the Civil Rights movement, marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
Weekly QuizAug 08, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Lab-GrownAug 07, 2025
Chatham Releases Catalog for Loose Lab-Grown GemstonesThe catalog contains a complete listing of all the loose gemstones in stock, as well as information about the properties of each stone.
TechnologyAug 07, 2025
Rembrandt Charms Debuts New Website, Bird CharmsThe company added a retailer dashboard to its site and three new birds to its charm collection, the cardinal, blue jay, and hummingbird.
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench JewelersThe Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.
Policies & IssuesAug 06, 2025
Tariff on India to Rise to 50%, Trump Says An additional 25 percent tariff has been added to the previously announced 25 percent.
MajorsAug 06, 2025
Claire’s Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy AgainThe jewelry and accessories retailer plans to close 18 stores as part of the proceedings.
IndependentsAug 06, 2025
Smith & Son Jewelers to Close 107-Year-Old Location Its Springfield, Massachusetts, store is set to close as owner Andrew Smith heads into retirement.
CollectionsAug 06, 2025
Zahn-Z Swims With Whales in ‘Beluga’ CollectionDesigner Hiba Husayni looked to the whale’s melon shaped-head, blowhole, and fluke for her new chunky gold offerings.
TrendsAug 06, 2025
Paola De Luca to Release Trendbook 2027+She will present the 23rd edition of the trend forecasting book at Vicenzaoro on Sept. 7.
CrimeAug 05, 2025
Report: Suspect Arrested in 1992 Murder of Miami JewelerOmar Roy, 72, was arrested in connection with the murder of jeweler Dionisio Carlos Valladares.
CollectionsAug 05, 2025
Mignon Faget Commemorates 20th Anniversary of Hurricane KatrinaThe New Orleans-based brand’s “Beyond Katrina” jewels honor the communities affected by the storm.
ColumnistsAug 05, 2025
The PR Adviser: Affiliate Marketing Is the Cost of CoverageLilian Raji explains why joining an affiliate network is essential for brands seeking placements in U.S. consumer publications.
Events & AwardsAug 05, 2025
JA Announces Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship WinnersThe organization has awarded a total of $42,000 through its scholarship programs this year.
Events & AwardsAug 04, 2025
Gem Awards, David Yurman Introduce $50K Grant for Emerging DesignersThe winner of the inaugural David Yurman Gem Awards Grant will be announced live at the 2026 Gem Awards gala.
TrendsAug 04, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: August’s Bright BaublesAs summer winds down, celebrate the sunny disposition of the month’s birthstones: peridot and spinel.
CrimeAug 04, 2025
‘The Watch King’ Assaulted, Robbed in QueensMoshe Haimoff, a social media personality and 47th Street retailer, was robbed of $559,000 worth of jewelry by men in construction outfits.
MajorsAug 04, 2025
Borsheims Welcomes New Assistant Facilities ManagerXavier Dibbrell brings more than a decade of experience to the role.
MajorsAug 01, 2025
Helzberg President Julie Yoakum Moves Over to Signet JewelersThe addition of Yoakum, who will lead Kay and Peoples, was one of three executive appointments Signet announced Thursday.
MajorsAug 01, 2025
Jewelers Mutual Names Mike Alexander as President The insurance company’s previous president and CEO, Scott Murphy, has split his role and will continue as CEO.
SourcingAug 01, 2025
Gemfields’ Auction Revenue Drops 50% in H1The nearly six-month pause of operations at its Kagem emerald mine earlier this year impacted the miner’s first-half results.
CollectionsAug 01, 2025
Piece of the Week: Hernsdorf’s ‘Tears of Aphrodite’ NecklaceThe necklace uses spinel drops to immortalize the moment Aphrodite’s tears mixed with her lover Adonis’ blood after he was fatally wounded.
SourcingJul 31, 2025
De Beers Records $189M First-Half Loss The diamond miner and marketer warned last week that it expected to be in the red after significantly cutting prices in Q2.
Events & AwardsJul 31, 2025
These Are the 2025 CASE Award WinnersJewelers of America’s 35th annual design contest recognized creativity, artistry, style, and excellence.
