EditorsNov 22, 2024
Out & About: Inside the CD Peacock MansionStep inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
IndependentsSep 07, 2016
Jeweler Alvin Goldfarb Dies at 84
The Seattle retailer got into the business in the late 1950s and opened his own store, Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler, in 1980.
Alvin Goldfarb opened his eponymous jewelry store in 1980 and “immediately established a reputation for unparalleled integrity, quality and privacy.” The jeweler died earlier this week at the age of 84.
Seattle--Alvin Goldfarb, a fixture in the jewelry industry since the late 1950s, died Sunday in his hometown of Seattle. He was 84.
Born to Sylvia and Samuel Goldfarb, Alvin Goldfarb grew up in Seattle’s Montlake neighborhood and attended Garfield High School, where he played basketball and performed in a well-known local quartet called the Debonaires.
He went on to attend the University of Washington. There, he enrolled in ROTC and continued to sing with the Debonaires, which eventually became a duo called The Two-Tones.
After graduation, Goldfarb served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and earned his graduate gemology diploma from the Gemological Institute of America.
He married Jackie Friedlander, the woman who would be by his side for the next 59 years, in 1957 and decided to join Friedlander & Sons Jewelers.
There, his caring and attention to clients laid the foundation for a long career in the jewelry industry and friendships that lasted a lifetime.
Goldfarb opened Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue in 1980, a bold move in the days when the neighborhood was strictly suburbia.
But the shop survived and today it is run by his son Steven, who is store president.
Outside the jewelry industry, Goldfarb taught Hebrew school at Temple de Hirsch Sinai, was president of the Pacific Northwest Jewelers Association and the Mercer Island Country Club, and was vice president of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of King County. He also served on the boards of directors of the Corporate Council for the Arts and Temple de Hirsch Sinai.
He was a member of the downtown Seattle Rotary Club, Tamarisk Country Club and the Central Park Tennis Club.
Goldfarb was a man who loved a good chocolate milkshake, taking in a Seattle Mariners game, the TV show Two and a Half Men and playing poker with the guys.
Above all, though, he loved his wife, his children and his grandchildren.
Goldfarb is survived by his wife, Jacqueline; his three children, Susan Goldfarb Wolfe of Palo Alto, Calif.; Steven (Fredda) Goldfarb of Bellevue; and David Goldfarb of Los Angeles; grandsons Jack and Sam Wolfe; and one brother, Royal (Kris) Goldfarb.
He was preceded in death by his other brother, Michael Goldfarb of Medina.
Services took place Tuesday at Temple de Hirsch Sinai in Seattle and the store was closed that day in his honor.
Memorial contributions may be sent
to the temple, 1511 East Pike St., Seattle, WA, 98115.
More on Independents
The Latest
CollectionsNov 22, 2024
Piece of the Week: Xander Jane’s ‘Spiked’ Pearl StudsThese punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
SourcingNov 22, 2024
Facets of Fire Expands to Include Pear, Marquise DiamondsThe company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax FraudThe auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry StoreLocal reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition ReturnsThis year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
EditorsNov 15, 2024
Why Fine Jewelry Belongs at New York Comic ConSenior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
CollectionsNov 15, 2024
Marie Lichtenberg Battles Counterfeits with New ‘Raiz’in Scapular’ DesignsThe latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
WatchesNov 15, 2024
Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket WatchNo. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
Recorded WebinarsNov 15, 2024
Watch: 10 Tips to Keep Your Jewelry Store Secure On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
