The history of one of New York’s oldest jewelry companies, J.A. Deknatel & Son began in 1868. The company’s founder was John A Deknatel (1840–1906), a native of Amsterdam, whose original name was De Knatel. He began his business by producing jet buttons in a small workshop on Walker Street.

He then expanded into imitation pearls and gold and sterling silver jewelry – brooches, scarf pins, rings, studs, etc. About 1899 his son, Henry C Deknatel, joined the firm as a partner, and the business became known as J A Deknatel & Son. The business was quite successful, and the firm moved to larger premises at 22 Howard Street.
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Providence Stock Co was high-grade jewelry manufacturers with factory and main office at 100 Stewart street. They made solid gold jewelry – vest, neck and lorgnette chains, scarf pins, pendants, La Vallieres, festoons, etc. The Providence Stock Co, which began its history in 1990, launched Nancy Lee trademark for costume jewelry in 1929.

In 1893 Providence Stock Co moved their New York branch at 202 Broadway to the Corbin Building on the corner of John Street in Manhattan. The firm also had branch at 131 Wabash Avenue, Chicago. The owners and managers of the company were ML Jacoby, DN Jacoby, Sigmund L Lederer, and George Meyer. In 1920 George D Harris became superintendent. Other officers included George J Lederer, Irving Lederer, Walter S Leaderer, Alexander Levin, and I Kashins.

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The history of M. J. Averbeck, manufacturers of gold Jewelry and silver novelties, importers of diamonds began in 1890. The company was originally known as Averbeck & Averbeck, 16-18 Maiden Lane, New York. In 1900, Maximilian Justus Averbeck (1862-1938) became the sole owner of his firm which he renamed M J Averbeck.

Located at 19 Maiden Lane, the company increased their manufacturing facilities for the production of various jewelry lines and accessories. In 1911 M J Averbeck issued an attractive catalog containing 144 pages, illustrating with fine cuts the large line of jewelry. Solid gold finger rings, pendants, La Vallieres, brooches, scarf pins, bracelets, wrist watches, mesh bags, etc.
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The history of Mermod Jaccard King, the oldest and for many years the most prominent retail jewelry establishment in St Louis, began in 1829. Its founder was Swiss watchmaker Louis Jaccard who came to St Louis from Sainte Croix, Switzerland, where the name Jaccard had been known since the middle of the 14th Century.

when Louis Jaccard opened his little one-window jewelry shop on Main Street, St Louis was a village of 6000 residents. Louis Jaccard brought his tools and his ideas and began business with a limited stock in a little shop on Main Street. In nine years the business expanded, and in 1837 Louis Jaccard invited his nephew Eugene Jaccard to join the business.

In 1850 Louis Jaccard sold his interest in the business to Eugene Jaccard and returned to Switzerland, where he died in 1865.
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Officially established in 1911, Brock & Co was an internationally known retail jewelry firm of Los Angeles which began its history in 1903 as Brock & Feagans. Its founders were George Alexander Brock (1859 – 1938) and George E Feagans (1861 – 1935).

Brock and Feagans were partners in business for many years. Before moving to California, they were members of the same firm in Joliet, Illinois. The dissolution of their partnership in July 1911 came as a great surprise to most of the city’s businessmen. However, in place of the already well-known firm of Brock & Feagans, two firms emerged: Brock & Co and Feagans & Co.
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It is generally accepted that the history of the Trabert & Hoeffer jewelry company began in 1926. However, this is not entirely true. In fact, its history began in 1921, when Rudolph J Trabert established Trabert and Plimpton firm, Fifth Ave, at 44th Street, New York city.

Rudolph J Trabert (1869 – 1930) was a second-generation jeweler whose father Anton Trabert owned a jewelry store A Trabert at 305 Bleecker Street, New York. In 1894 Rudolph Trabert joined his father’s business, and the firm changed name to A Trabert & Son. Later, Anton Trabert admitted that his son “has made extensive alterations in his store”.
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Born in New York and educated in Kansas City, Missouri, Irving H Laykin (1906 – 1966) was a well-known diamond dealer in Los Angeles. He founded Laykin Diamond Company at the corner of 5th Street and Spring Street in 1929. Three years later his younger brother Solomon W Laykin (1910 – 1993), lawyer by education, joined Laykin Diamond Company.

Having accumulated the necessary capital, Solomon Laykin opened his own jewelry store “Laykin et Cie” on Sunset Boulevard in 1935. Four years later, by invitation of I. Magnin, the upscale boutique on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, he moved his store there. From that time on, his jewelry company became known as Laykin et Cie at I. Magnin.
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