Born in Vienna, Austria, Kurt Wayne (1909-1990) was raised in a Catholic orphanage until the age of ten. Then his life changed dramatically when a local jeweler took him under his wing. This marked the beginning of his career in jewelry, to which he dedicated his entire life.

Kurt Wayne and Gusty married in 1937, and two years later, when thousands of Jews fled Austria, Kurt and his pregnant wife had to leave Europe for the US. Their son, Ronald K. Wayne was born in New York, on October 26, 1939. Settling in New York, Kurt and Gusty began learning English and Kurt found work at a watch strap company.

In 1945, already knowing the language and having the necessary connections in the jewelry business, he opened his own jewelry company. Initially, his small office was located at 580 Fifth Ave. N.Y. 36, N.Y. The Kurt Wayne firm became a corporation in 1959, when Ronald K Wayne joined the family business.

A talented designer and manager, Ronald Wayne received the DeBeers Diamond Today Award for three years, from 1973 to 1975.

The company’s jewelers model makers at various times included Samuel Beizer (1956-1962), Jose F Trillos (1960s), and Frans Skytte Nielson (1973-1975). It’s worth noting that in 1967, Jose F Trillos founded his own jewelry company in New York, J. Trillos, Inc.

Trademarks

For nearly fifty years of existence, Kurt Wayne’s company has registered a dozen trademarks. Among them – Wonder-Lok (1963-2004), KW (1970-2016), Funring (1972), Neck-Nacks (1981-1987), Wrist-Stik (1981-1987), Wayne-Drops (1984-1990), Kurt Wayne (1985-2020), KW (1986-2007), and KW Registry (1993-2016).

According to the Open Corporates, Kurt Wayne Inc., 501 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, is still active, with Gerald Wayne as chief executive officer.

Kurt Wayne jewelry