Dreicers Legacy

By: Madison Weaver

Jewelry 1040

Nobody seems to know what Jacob Dreicers life was like before America. For most who
know of him, his story begins in New York City, where he opened a small business at 1128
Broadway with his wife, Gittel. They allegedly came from Russia in 1866, bringing along their
extensive experience with gemstones. Gittel was known as the gem cutter and polisher while
Jacob dealt with the sales portion of the business. Though the business started off small, it
eventually turned into one of the most famous jewelry spots in the turn of the century. Seventeen
years after the initial opening of Dreicer & Co, two significant things happened with the
business.
First, they had expanded so far that they were able to obtain a better location. Jacob
bought the Wall mansion on No. 292 5th Avenue and according to The Times newspaper, this
location was in the heart of the fashionable residential section of New York City. Of course,
Jacob had to keep up with the class of the area, so he converted the old mansion into one of the
most exquisite buildings on the avenue. Soon the building itself was an icon in New York City,
not only the contents within.
Also very important to the history of Dreicer & Co was Jacob and Gittels son, Micheal,
who entered the business when he was seventeen. Not only did his involvement alter the name of
the company from Dreicer & Co to J. Dreicer & Son, but he also contributed a lot to the
business. Every year Gittel would travel abroad to famous gem houses in London, Paris, and
Amsterdam to purchase rough stones. When Micheal entered the business, he began traveling
with his mother to learn more about gemstones and pearls. Though Jacob and Gittel both had a
passion for colored stones, Micheal leaned more towards pearls. He made the study of pearls one
of his top priorities and soon earned the rank of one of the leading experts in the world. Thus, J.

Dreicer & Son came to be known not only for their amazing work with gemstones, but for their
exquisite work with pearls as well.
Sadly, the spirit of the business died with Micheal. On July 26th, 1921, Micheal Dreicer
passed away at 53 years old. A mere nineteen days later, on August 14th, Jacob followed his son
in death. The New York Times reported the next day that, Relatives said last night that he had
been unable to bear the shock of losing his son, Michael, the head of the firm. Though the
business remained open for another five years, it was no longer the same. Eventually, on March
1st, 1926, the business closed its doors for good.
Though the actual business died in March of 1926, its legacy lives on. Dreicer had been
known as one of the finest jewelers in the world during the turn of the century. They are often
credited with being the first company in New York to introduce some of the most recent diamond
cuts from Paris. Many also claim that Dreicer really helped to spark interest in colored
gemstones and pearls in New York; before their time, there had been a much more limited
demand for both. Famous firms such as Cartier and Tiffany & Co found hard rivalry with the
Dreicers, and Cartier has even been known to admit that Dreicer was one of their most feared
competitors at the time. When the business closed, Cartier bought their stock of jewels for $2.5
million.
The company name may not be as well-renowned in todays world, but it definitely left
its mark in the history of jewelry. Exquisite jewelry that dons the Drecier & Co logo still floats
around in todays world, and it often goes for very high bids. The brooch pictured on the cover
page sold for $86,500 in 2010. One of their most famous pieces, a vivid purplish-pink cushioncut diamond, held for many years by Huguette Clark, was estimated to sell for anywhere
between $6 and $8 million after her death.

Works Cited
"Daytonian in Manhattan." The 1906 Dreicer & Co. Bldg.-- No. 560 5th Avenue. 18 Sept.
2012. Web. 28 July 2015.
http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-1906-dreicer-co-bldg-no-5605th.html
"Dreicer & Co." Macklowe Gallery. Web. 28 July 2015.
http://www.macklowegallery.com/education.asp/art+nouveau/Artist+Biographies/antique
s/Jewelry+Artists/education/Dreicer+%26amp%3B+Co./id/156
Galante, Meredith. "American Heiress Huguette Clark's Jewelry And Diamonds Could
Fetch $12 Million At Auction." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 28
July 2015.
http://www.businessinsider.com/huguette-clark-diamonds-jewels-auction-2012-3
Sotheby's. Sotheby's, 9 Dec. 2010. Web. 28 July 2015.
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.pdf.N08687.html/f/418/N08687418.pdf