The 23-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, set to headline Christie’s May jewelry auction, was expected to sell for as much as $50 million.
Mich. jeweler Brian Hobart dies at 47
Brian Henry Hobart, owner of B.H. Hobart Jewelers in Michigan, died suddenly on Feb. 12 as a result of a cardiac event. He was 47.
Traverse City, Mich.--Brian Henry Hobart, owner of B.H. Hobart Jewelers in Michigan, died suddenly on Feb. 12 as a result of a cardiac event. He was 47 years old.
Hobart owned and operated B. H. Hobart Jewelers, located at Grand Traverse Mall in Traverse City, Mich. According to a post on the store’s Facebook page announcing his death, he died unexpectedly with his wife Sarah at his side.
His obituary in the Traverse City Record-Eagle said that he earned an economics degree from Ferris State University. He also received graduate jeweler and gemologist diplomas from the Gemological Institute of America.
Hobart married “the love of his life,” Sarah Fasel, in 2004, and they had two children. He was known as a supportive husband, and a great dad, brother, and son who would “give you the shirt off his back, go to bat for you and once he got to know you, he was a friend beyond measure.”
He also had a passion for collecting Lionel model trains and fly fishing, and was a knowledgeable Civil War enthusiast.
As of Monday afternoon, the phone number listed on the store’s website had been disconnected and the B.H. Hobart Jewelers Facebook page stated that they would close the store, with no intention of reopening.
“Brian made the store what it is and we cannot continue without him,” the post stated.
Hobart is survived by his wife, Sarah; his son, Case; his daughter, Lillian; his mom, Carol Hobart; and his brothers, William and Eugene, as well as a number of in-laws, grandparents, and nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, friends set up a GoFundMe account to help support his family and cover the funeral costs.
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