The brand is marking its 50th anniversary with a limited-edition bangle, high jewelry suites, new collections, and more.
Trabert & Hoeffer to Close Last-Standing Store
The store, which is located in Chicago, will put a portion of its inventory up for auction ahead of its closing in June.

Chicago—Trabert & Hoeffer is set to close its last-standing location in Chicago in June as its owner prepares for retirement, the jewelry store announced earlier this month.
Its first store opened on New York’s Park Avenue in the 1930s, later expanding to Palm Beach, Florida; Beverly Hills, California; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Chicago.
Chicago native Don Levinson bought the location in 1968, importing designs from Europe and Asia and adding more Swiss watches to the inventory.
The store is known for its elaborate, seasonal window displays, draping fine jewelry over pumpkins or ice skates.
Originally located on Michigan Avenue, Trabert & Hoeffer moved to East Oak Street in 1995, but has never strayed far from the Magnificent Mile, the Midwest equivalent of New York’s Fifth Avenue.
Ahead of its June closing, the retailer will partner with Hindman LLC, which owns auction houses Leslie Hindman Auctioneers and Cowan’s Auctions, to sell some of its inventory.
“After more than 50 years with Trabert & Hoeffer, it’s time for me to announce my retirement and I can’t think of a better partner than Hindman to move the store’s spectacular inventory,” Levinson said in a statement announcing the store’s closure.
Assisting with the sale is Katie Guilbault, director and senior specialist of fine jewelry and timepieces at Hindman and a former Trabert & Hoeffer employee with a familial connection to the store. Her grandfather owned the Chicago Trabert & Hoeffer and was the one who sold it to Levinson in the late ‘60s.
She got her start at the store, working with Levinson for nearly eight years as a sales associate and appraiser.
“We have a lot of happy memories. A lot of people do,” said Guilbault, who described being a part of the end of the store’s legacy as “bittersweet.”
She recounted the loyal customers who would visit year after year, commemorating birthdays and anniversaries with a special something from the store.
Guilbault also is familiar with the store’s inventory and has a hunch about which pieces will be showstoppers at auction.
The inventory includes pieces that were created via a partnership with acclaimed Parisian jeweler Mauboussin, which also sold the store some of its inventory when it decided to close its New York location.
Some designs created in the 1930s through the early 1950s feature a Trabert & Hoeffer/Mauboussin stamp, which Guilbault said could draw buyers.
A Retro platinum, diamond and pink tourmaline brooch by Trabert & Hoeffer/Mauboussin valued between
Another auction highlight is a 6.11-carat marquise-cut diamond ring that is D, IF and valued between $280,000 and $380,000.
The jewelry auction will also feature about 200 original, hand-colored drawings of custom design pieces, some marked up with notes from the designer and comments from customers.
“These pieces truly are incredible and I’m grateful they will find homes with collectors who understand and appreciate this brand’s unmatched quality and expansive legacy,” Levinson said in the statement.
The sale, featuring more than 340 lots, will be held at Hindman’s Chicago headquarters on May 15.
Collectors can preview the offerings in New York from April 30 to May 1, in Atlanta on May 3, and in Chicago May 10-May 15.
To schedule an appointment, contact Leslie Hindman Auctioneers at 312-280-1212 or visit the auction house’s website.
The Latest

Longtime LVMH executive Michael Burke has stepped into the role.

Central topics of next week’s event include climate action, labor rights, artisan preservation, and value retention in producing countries.

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

Vickie Rokkos has joined the jewelry company as its new national sales director of North America.


Turbulence will be the new baseline for luxury as it faces its biggest potential setbacks in 15 years, a recent report said.

The jewelry company is one of several contributing to relief efforts in the region after the recent floods.

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

Sponsored by Rio Grande Jewelry Supply

The “For the Love of Fruits” collection features five fruit pendants, each holding a different meaning.

Diamonds and crimes (some involving diamonds) top the list of National Jeweler’s most popular stories halfway through the year.

They discovered “The Dash Diamond,” named for their dog, at the Crater of Diamonds State Park earlier this month.

The “Les Pétales” collection imagines roses caught mid-bloom as a tribute to nature’s beauty.

Luxury brands charge thousands for their shoes and handbags. Jewelers pricing diamond products should take note, Peter Smith writes.

It follows New York-based brand Shahla Karimi Jewelry’s all-women team in “Say Yes to the Dress” meets “The Office”-style episodes.

In its inaugural year, the SMO Foundation will focus on supporting two organizations in West Africa and one in South America.

The announcement comes just as the 90-day freeze on the “reciprocal” tariffs nears its end, giving countries more time to negotiate.

Kellie, who joined the organization in 2019, will remain in his role through the end of 2025.

Police officers apprehended the suspects as they were allegedly attempting to gain entry into another jewelry store.

The program, a collaboration between Julius Klein Diamonds and the Women’s Jewelry Association, is in its second year.

Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America

The 2025 Australian Open champion is the jewelry brand’s first athlete ambassador.

The West Village jewelry boutique’s new shop-in-shop is the cornerstone of Nordstrom’s revamped jewelry hall.

This past year, the manufacturer said it recorded below-zero emissions per carat of natural diamond.

The brand’s “Golden Strada” statement necklace features round, marquise, and pear diamonds that sparkle like Fourth of July fireworks.

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

Located on Rodeo Drive, the store’s design was inspired by Hollywood and Los Angeles culture.