Unjustly forgotten today, Claudia Fishel was once a renowned retail jeweler, designer, and owner of two beautiful jewelry stores. Both of her boutiques, which she managed from 1941 until her death in 1956, operated under the brand “Claudia Fishel Jewelry of Distinction”. Her first store was located at 535 Madison Avenue in New York City, and the other at 918 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, Florida.

Claudia Fishel created original jewelry designs using gold, platinum, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. She also loved to create jewelry by remodeling old jewelry pieces and combining them. Advertisements for jewelry under the Jewelry of Distinction brand appeared in popular magazines, including Vogue, The New Yorker, and Palm Beach Life.

Claudia Fishel against an armed robber

Her name made headlines in 1943 when she successfully defended herself against an armed robber who broke into her store. Many local and national newspapers, including the Jeweler’s Circular, published glowing articles about Claudia Fishel. “Mrs. Fishel and her assistant, Mrs. Elsie Herz, were alone in the store when a blond young man asked to see some sapphires.

As Mrs. Fishel backed toward her safe to get a tray of sapphires, she saw the young man grab a ring. She grabbed him by the coattails and grappled for the ring. She got it, too, despite his threats to shoot. He broke away from her and ran out of sight. She said he appeared to be about 32 years old and was nearly six feet tall.”

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