William Goldberg was born on Tiffany Street in the Bronx. Some might see that as coincidence, but perhaps it was truly an omen of his remarkable career and extraordinary love affair with diamonds.
With uncanny ability and unerring instinct, William Goldberg went on to create a business that brings joy into the lives of people every day. Today, the Goldberg name is synonymous with exquisite diamond jewelry.
Six words have become the cornerstone of his legendary reputation: The Magic is in the Make.™ For him the cut, or “make,” was the most important characteristic of a stone. It became his passion and his philosophy.
William Goldberg believed in bringing out the maximum beauty in a diamond, even if it meant cutting it without concern for carat weight. He knew that the “make” of a diamond is what reveals its inherent beauty. It is what determines each diamond’s unique magic. It is the legacy of a true visionary.
William's wife, Lili, son, Saul, daughter, Eve, son-in-law, Barry Berg and grandson Benjamin Goldberg actively run the family business today.
William Goldberg was founded over a half century ago and is now one of the most distinguished diamond jewelry houses and purveyor of some of the finest and rarest diamonds the world has ever seen.
The beauty and uncompromising quality of every piece of jewelry in the William Goldberg collection have come to define luxury and elegance. Today, highly skilled craftsmen create exceptional pieces of jewelry that are striking in their brilliance and timeless in design. It is jewelry that celebrates the power and beauty of our extraordinary diamonds.
William Goldberg is built on an appreciation for beauty, a strong sense of style and an unwavering commitment to our clients. This family-owned business has flourished into what is today one of the world's most prestigious diamond jewelry houses. Here are a few of the many milestones.
William Goldberg partners with diamond cutter Irving Weiss to form Goldberg & Weiss.
Goldberg & Weiss buy the Feldman & Rauch diamond-cutting firm, which has an exclusive contract to supply Van Cleef & Arpels with marquise and pear-shaped diamonds.
William Goldberg marries Lili Gordon and starts a family that will form the future generations of the family business.
William Goldberg forms an alliance with diamond distributor William Nelkin & Company to begin acquiring important rough stones.
William Goldberg steps out on his own to form the William Goldberg Diamond Corporation and becomes a De Beers sightholder.
William Goldberg purchases the 136.25 carat Queen of Holland.
William Goldberg is elected President of the Diamond Dealers Club. During his three terms as president, he institutes legislation accepting women members, opens the club up to the media and, most of all, builds a sense of team spirit and common purpose among an isolated group of diamond dealers.
William Goldberg acquires a one-of-a-kind rough diamond and polishes it to a 137.02 carat D Flawless, known as the Premier Rose. The stone earns worldwide recognition for Goldberg's achievements in obtaining large stones.
The vivid blue, trapezoid-shaped Blue Lili, a 30.06 carat stone, is polished from a piece of South African rough purchased by William Goldberg. It is named for William’s wife, Lili.
Forbes magazine writes a feature article on William Goldberg entitled, “Mr. Diamond.”
William Goldberg displays its internationally celebrated colored diamond collection at the American Museum of Natural History.
William Goldberg's offices move from 47th Street to a larger facility on Fifth Avenue. With the new space, Goldberg expands its growing jewelry division and manufacturing operations.
William Goldberg receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from Modern Jeweler magazine.
Elizabeth Taylor attends the annual AmFAR Gala with the centerpiece of the evening in hand — a diamond mask — to be auctioned. William Goldberg provides all 936 fine diamonds for the mask, weighing a total of 135.90 carats.
The GIA® inducts William Goldberg into the League of Honor.
William Goldberg acquires a rough stone and polishes it to become the 5.11 carat Red Shield — the largest red diamond ever graded by the GIA.
The Goldberg family introduces its patented ASHOKA® diamond cut, which takes its name from a 41.37 carat D Flawless diamond discovered in the Golconda region of Southern India.
William Goldberg purchases a 265.82 carat rough. From the odd-shaped rough emerged the Beluga, a 102.23 carat oval, which became the largest D Flawless oval-cut diamond in history.
Sophia Loren wears the newest pieces from the William Goldberg Jewelry Collection at the New York screening of Between Strangers.
After William Goldberg's death, wife, Lili, son, Saul, daughter, Eve and son-in-law, Barry Berg head the William Goldberg Diamond Corporation. The family continues William's vision and sets new standards in the diamond industry.
At the Narciso Rodriguez 7th on Sixth Fashion Week Event, Sheryl Crow debuts the newest pieces from the 2005 ASHOKA® Collection.
Oprah Winfrey wears ASHOKA® diamond earrings on the cover of the March issue of O Magazine.
The William Goldberg family is inducted into the GIA 10th Anniversary League of Honor, and the GIA New York Student Lounge is named after the late William Goldberg.
The City of New York announces that East 48th Street, between Fifth and Madison Avenue, will be officially named William Goldberg Way. The ceremony honoring the legendary William Goldberg takes place on Father’s Day — Sunday, June 18, 2006.
William Goldberg opens its flagship showroom on William Goldberg Way in New York.
William Goldberg launches its line of ASHOKA® diamond watches.
William Goldberg creates an ASHOKA® diamond engagement ring for Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon.
William Goldberg creates the first ever, all-D Flawless ASHOKA® diamond necklace, totaling over 100 carats. It took four years to painstakingly source and expertly cut the 66 top-quality ASHOKA® diamonds — each weighing over 1.00 carat and certified by the GIA.
The largest ASHOKA® diamond ever cut by William Goldberg, 48 breathtaking carats, became the focal point of a one-of-a-kind necklace set with over 90 carats of the world's most coveted diamonds.
William Goldberg announces a strategic alliance with legendary New York diamond house Kwiat, which is producing a collection of ASHOKA® diamond jewelry to be sold exclusively in the U.S. through Kwiat and select independent jewelers.
Jacob & Co. featured William Goldberg’s proprietary ASHOKA® diamonds in the spectacular Billionaire ASHOKA® timepiece collection.
Another iconic famous diamond from the House of William Goldberg. The Rock, the largest white diamond ever to be sold at auction, at 228.31 carats (the size of an egg), fetched $21.9 million at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Auction in Geneva on May 11, 2022.
“A diamond should talk to the person. It should say ‘we belong together.’” — William Goldberg
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