History of
Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry
S.H. Silver Company
Stephen H. Silver, Graduate Gemologist from the GIA, founds S.H. Silver Company, Inc. in Menlo Park, CA. Based on his interest in and access to some of the most significant estate pieces on the West Coast, Stephen Silver’s growth soon parallels the modern-era burst of wealth in Silicon Valley.
The Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace
A gift by Sir Thomas Cullinan to his wife on the day of their knighting, the Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace was acquired by Stephen Silver from the great granddaughter of Lady Cullinan. Mr. Silver donated the necklace to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in 2010 for $6.8mm USD, the second largest donation to the Smithsonian Gem and Mineral Collection.
Link to Full Story: Smithsonian
Cartier Rock Crystal & Sapphire Pedant
Discovered at auction, this piece did not bear a Cartier stamp, but was subsequently purchased by Stephen Silver, whose instinct told him it was a remarkable find. A happenstance encounter with Cartier’s heritage director confirmed that the piece was a “lost” member of a set of precious colored stone pendants produced prior to the brand’s seminal Art Deco period. The piece was purchased by the brand for its historical collection.
LaCloche Frees Bracelet
Discovered in San Diego, Ca in very poor condition, this bracelet was originally made by La Cloche Freres one of the great Parisian makers of Art Deco jewelry. Efforts to find a restoration specialist yielded a jeweler in his 90s, one of the last to have actually worked at La Cloche Freres. A year’s work produced a like-new restoration of this emerald, sapphire and diamond bracelet.
Irving Scott Belle Epoque Brooch
Picked from one of the first major Northern California estates to work with SH Silver, this incredible Belle Epoque brooch was the pick of a collection spanning the great jewelry houses of Europe over 200 years. Owned by the family of Irving Scott, a great American industrialist in the 20th century and one of Leland Stanford’s best friends. The brooch was a corsage ornament featuring a very rare 70+ ct purplish Topaz. The entire collection was featured in a highly successful charity auction, and Mr. Silver personally donated the brooch to the Gemological Institute of America in 1999.
The San Francisco Blue
One of the most significant stones in the company’s history, the San Francisco Blue marked the first time Stephen Silver improved the quality of a major colored diamond using modern mapping and cutting technology. Acquired as a Fancy Intense Blue diamond, Stephen Silver and his master gem cutter meticulously measured and re-cut the stone to a 6.04 ct. Fancy Vivid Blue, a significant upgrade in quality and value—making it one of the great blue diamonds in the world.
The Cranberry Diamond
This Argyle stone was acquired by Stephen Silver in 2001 as a fancy Purple-Pink diamond. However, Stephen Silver noticed a subtle red flash that hinted at another color that was as yet locked away and hidden by the stone’s facet design. After consultation with his master cutter, The decision was made to risk a recut, which paid off almost immediately as the diamond’s true red color revealed itself, finally becoming a spectacular 1.46 ct. fancy Purplish-Red.
Emerald & Diamond Drop Necklace
Cited by Stephen Silver as “perhaps the finest piece of jewelry we have ever made,” this masterpiece started by removing 3 matching no treatment Colombian emeralds from a set of art deco Cartier cufflinks. The no treatment Colombian Emerald necklace features a 13.81 carat portrait old mine Muzo green emerald. The item was sold to a prominent Silicon Valley family.
Demantoid Garnet Necklace
This extraordinary material, defined by its vivid green color and distinctive “horsetail” inclusion comes from Russia’s Ural Mountains and has been one of Stephen Silver’s personal favorites. The finely graduated demantoid garnets took two years to collect and represent the top ten percent in quality of the many demantiod garnets that have passed through the house.
The Million Dollar Pumpkin
With only slight modifications made during a recut, the 1.50 ct. Fancy Vivid Orange diamond remains the most spectacular example of an orange color that Stephen Silver has seen during his career. Both the diamond and Mr. Silver were featured on Good Morning America in 2007 where he exposed the stone to the world as “The Million Dollar Pumpkin.”
Burma Ruby Ring
With its size, origin and color grade, this 6.21ct Pidgeon’s Blood Burma No Treatment Ruby, which was cut by Stephen Silver to highlight its intense color saturation, is the very definition of a world-class gemstone.
First Retail Location
Thanks in part to his close relationship with legendary Silicon Valley developer John Arillaga, Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry opens their first retail store in the Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel in Menlo Park, CA. The small 150 sq.ft. space, originally designated as the hotel’s coat closet soon becomes one of the top performing retail locations in the country.
Cartier Kroc Sapphire Panther Brooch
Made by Cartier expressly for the prominent Kroc family, and designed along the same lines as a famous piece made for the Duchess of Windsor, This brooch features an exceptionally large cabochon sapphire underneath one of the company’s classic panther sculptures. Stephen Silver plans to donate this piece to the Smithsonian within the next two years.
Art Deco Kashmir Sapphire Ring
Once a signature of the Art Deco era, elongated hexagonal cut stones remain highly unusual, particularly for a stone of the quality of this 7.05ct untreated Kashmir sapphire. Sold to a prominent family in venture capital.
Important Burma Ruby Ring
At 21.10 carats, this cushion cut Burma ruby is exceptionally large by any standards. The ring in which it was set was designed and constructed by Stephen Silver and sold to a prominent Silicon Valley family.
Tiffany & Co. Art Deco Pear Shape Sautoir
This original Art Deco Tiffany & Co. Diamond Pear Shape Sautoir (circa 1928) is an exceptional example of the Art Deco style. Unlike so many pieces of the era that were subsequently broken up, the platinum piece holding over 10.04 carats of diamonds survived, and according to Janet Zapata, Tiffany & Co.’s in-house historian, it is one of the greatest examples of Tiffany & Co. Art Deco.
Link: Interview of Janet Zapata
50 carat D Flawless Diamond
The superlative quality of this D- Flawless Type IIa diamond weighing 52.82ct is emphasized by its elegant emerald cut that was then set into a platinum necklace. Sold into a prominent American banking dynasty
Grand Opening of Flagship Watch & Jewelry Boutique
Capitalizing on the success of its first retail space at the Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel, Stephen Silver opens a new expansive showroom in the hotel with a new twist: fine watches. The store soon becomes known for its curation of some of the best and boldest independent watchmakers in Switzerland and becomes a destination for collectors from around the world.
Exceptional Burma Sapphire
This 50.32 carat Oval Cut Burma sapphires large, but its most distinguished quality is its color—that much sought-after and perfect shade of cobalt blue, sometimes described as “Bromo Seltzer" blue due to its resemblance to the classic blue glass bottles.
Pair of 63.73ctw Colombia Cabochon Emeralds
Magnificent match pair of Colombia 32.24ct and 31.49ct. Insignificant and minor oil type
Burma Star Ruby
An exceptional 11.11ct untreated Burma star ruby cabochon stands out for its unique and superlative qualities as a star gem: The star or “asterism” is exceptionally strong and sharp. The color displays a strong saturation as well as a high degree of translucency. Sold to a family in technology
Large Padparadscha Sapphire
This 10.07ct Oval Cut Padparadscha sapphire is exemplary for this special category of gemstone, being both untreated, highly saturated and exceptionally crystalline in nature. Sold to a family in the technology sector.
The Golconda- Kashmir Earrings
This pair of D-color Internally Flawless antique cut Golconda diamonds (17.15 carats total weight) possess all the quality connoted by their legendary origin in India—one of the world’s oldest sources of high quality diamonds. The radiance of these Type IIa stones is matched by a pair of 7.34 carat total weight Kashmir sapphires.
The Rothschild Emerald Ring
Owned originally by one of the heirs to the great banking dynasty, this no treatment Colombian emerald is one of the rarest such stones in the world. The 16.12 carat beauty is highly crystalline, and—rarely—has never been subject to oil treatment. The emerald was once owned by the Rothschild family, and current resides with a prominent Silicon Valley family.
Classic Colombian Emerald Ring
This 28.51ct Colombian Emerald with no oil treatment, was one of the finest emeralds to pass through the Silver house, and has been categorized as "Exceptional" by SSEF and "Classic" by AGL.
Van Cleef & Arpels Kashmir Sapphire Ring
A product of the golden age of Van Cleef & Arpels during the early 20th century, this 17.08 carat Kashmir Sapphire was cut as a “sugarloaf” cabochon for purely stylistic reasons. A stone of its quality would surely be cut with facets today. The ring was sold to a prominent Silicon Valley family.
Ceylon Ruby & Diamond Ring
9.65 carats unheated Sri Lankan Ceylon cushion cut ruby, 2.53 ctw trapezoid & baguette cut dias
Harry Winston Cluster Earrings
The 45.66 total carat weight pear shaped diamond ‘Winston Cluster’ Harry Winston earrings, Signed & manufactured in 1964 are the largest clusters ever produced by the Winston House and the stones are of exceedingly high quality. The earrings were once owned by Baroness Von Langendorf and were purchased at auction.
Emerald & Diamond Earrings
A remarkable pair of clear and perfectly colored Vivid Green Colombian emeralds totaling 17.62 carats. These stones are artfully set as drops on lengths of fiery Old Mine Cut diamonds totaling 5.99 carats.
Vivid Green Muzo Colombian Emerald Ring
This 19.50 Vivid Green Colombian Old Mine emerald was recut by Stephen Silver to enhance its symmetry and set the highly crystalline stone in a ring with 1.05 carats of baguette diamonds.
Asscher Cut Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond
This 31.32 carat Fancy Vivr.id Yellow VVS2 diamond is notable not only for its impressive size, but for its origins in Sierra Leone’s Zimmi region, where canary diamonds are famous for their intense color saturation. This diamond is a true Asscher cut—highly unusual in colored diamonds, which emphasizes its color and clarity.
Mozambique Ruby and Diamond Ring
After decades of domination by Burma as the premier origin site for the highest quality rubies, exceptional quality coming from new mines in Mozambique began to receive notice in the trade. This 8.01 carat oval cut unheated Mozambique ruby possesses the true “Pigeon’s Blood” color of strong saturation, and was one of the first world-class stones of its type to come through Stephen Silver.
Asscher Cut Colombian Emerald Ring
This 10.61 carat no-treatment Colombian emerald of exceptionally crystalline material was recut into its current square Asscher cut shape to improve its quality. Stephen Silver created the ring with complimentary 2.50 total carat weight of baguette cut diamonds.
Art Deco Emerald & Diamond Bracelet
This Circa 1920 French Art Deco platinum bracelet is exceptional for its architectural quality—emphasized with its now-rarely seen long baguette diamonds. Some 8.57 total carat weight of no treatment Old Mine Colombian emeralds is set off with 37.55 total carat weight of diamonds in various cuts. Sold to a prominent royal family.
“The Pink Promise” 14.93 carat Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond
Perhaps no stone is more associated with Stephen Silver’s skill and appetite for risk in recutting colored diamonds than the 14.93 carat “Pink Promise,” which was improved to become one of the ten largest Fancy Vivid Pink Diamonds in history.
Stephen Silver acquired the originally 16.10 carat Fancy Intense Pink Diamond in 2016, and, over 18 months, he oversaw multiple recutting sessions until the improved stone qualified for GIA’ highest “Vivid” category for colored diamonds. The exquisite rose-hued Type IIa diamond was set in a platinum halo mounting. It was subsequently sold at auction where it achieved a world record price by weight.
Jared Silver joins S.H. Silver Co. and Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry as President
Having developed the business plan for the company’s retail operations, Stephen Silver’s son Jared had long played an integral role in the company. In his new role as president, Jared assumes hands-on management duties for company operations.
Colombian Cabochon Emerald Earrings
Cut from a single piece of rough material, these 51.70 total carat weight Colombian cabochon cut cushion shaped emeralds are as perfectly matched as possible. They are set as drop earrings with 2.32 total carat weight diamond accents. Sold to a prominent shipping magnate.
The Aurora Emerald Necklace
The Aurora Emerald is a peek into the historical legacy of these legendary stones. This antique pear shape is material coming from the Old Mine in Muzo, Colombia, the oldest and most revered source of emeralds. Like the best examples of these emeralds, this 29.88 carat stone exhibits the true Vivid Muzo Green color with remarkable clarity and has received only minor oil treatment. It is truly one of the best of these stones to surface in the past decade.
Colombian Emerald & Diamond Bracelet
This magnificent bracelet, one of the Stephen Silver’s prized constructions, took more than three years to create. Fourteen perfectly matched cushion cut Colombian emeralds, totaling 57.94 carats, are perfectly graduated in size. Each originate from Colombia, and each are classified Vivid Green and treated with insignificant to minor oil.
Tiffany & Co. Emerald Ring
The color of this 16.99 carat Old Mine Muzo Colombian Emerald indicates that in all probability it was unearthed 100 to 150 years ago, making it a prime example of this kind of material. The color saturation and clarity of the stone as well as the fact it has received no treatment make it exceedingly rare. The Art Deco design, combined with a Tiffany and Co. signature adds to its collectibility. Sold to a prestigious Royal Family.
Kashmir Sapphire Ring
Everything about this 21.33 carat Kashmir sapphire is exceptional: the perfect cornflower blue color, the clarity and particularly the stepped emerald cut, which is exceedingly rare in stones of this type. Sold to a prominent Silicon Valley entrepreneur.
Kashmir Sapphire & Pink Diamond Earrings
Originally taken from an Edwardian piece in disrepair, the sapphires represent, at 33.01 total carat weight, one of the largest matched pair of Kashmir sapphires in the world. To create a modern piece of jewelry, Stephen Silver set them in one of his favorite color combinations, contrasting the Royal Blue sapphires with Fancy Intense Purple-Pink diamonds and white, D color Flawless diamonds.
The Resolute Ruby Ring
The first in a trio of 3-stone rings featuring precious colors stones, The Resolute Ruby Ring is unique in that it was cut from a single piece of rough Mozambique ruby, thus ensuring perfectly matched stones that weigh 17.89 carats in total. (The center stone is 10.02 carats.) Sold to a prominent Silicon Valley family.
Three-Stone Kashmir Sapphire Ring
The sapphire version of the 3-stone ring features meticulously matched Kashmir sapphires, including the 7.68 carat “Classic Kashmir” center sapphire and sides of 2.92 carat and 3.05 carats. All three stones are notable for their clarity. The center was recut by Stephen Silver to enhance its appearance.
Stephen Silver Ruby encrusted jeroboam of wine for Charity
Stephen Silver’s ongoing support of the high-profile cancer research organization the V Foundation resulted in an unusual and innovative charity auction collaboration with Napa Valley vintner, Gemstone Vineyards. Stephen Silver created 4 ruby encrusted Jeroboam wine bottles that raised $300,000 for the V Foundation’s work that year.
Mozambique Ruby & Diamond Ring
Highly crystalline and color saturated, this oval cut 6.07 carat Mozambique “Vivid Red” ruby is one of the best such stones to come through Stephen Silver. It is a quintessential “Pigeon’s Blood” ruby and justifiably prized.
Cartier Art Deco Ruby & Diamond Bracelet
A vintage Cartier bracelet made in the seminal 1920s Art Deco era reveals a gemological treasure—a line French cut Burma untreated rubies (48 total carat weight) that would be virtually impossible to recreate today. Set off with 22 total carats of Old European Cut diamonds, this signed Cartier Paris bracelet has historical value to match the rarity of its stones.
‘The Mogok Monarch” Burma No Heat Ruby
Recut by Stephen & Jared Silver with their master ruby cutter, this was purchased as an 8+ct stone and carefully recut to 5.05ct flawless Burma no treatment ruby.
"The Mogok Monarch” is an historical achievement because of its unique and impressive characteristics: size, crystalline clarity, and incredible color saturation. AGL, SSEF, and Gubelin have called it one of the rarest rubies in the world, and wrote Appedices and a JewelFolio on this historic gem.
Link to Additional Media
‘The Perfect Riviera” Sapphire & Diamond Necklace
This riviera is fit for an emperor. The diamonds, starting from a central 5.34 carat F color, VS1 clarity round brilliant diamond, graduating through a total of 81.54 total carats of matched, F-I color, VVS1-VS2 clarity round brilliant diamonds took over a year to assemble. All are excellent in cut, symmetry, and polish, and no expense was spared in creating perfect graduation. Suspended from the center is a glorious 61.62 carat intense cornflower blue Ceylon sapphire.
The “Fortune” Blue Kashmir Sapphire Ring
The 23.78ct “Fortune Blue” sets itself apart due to its impressive size and color. The ring was a gift from Thomas Fortune Ryan, an aviation magnate, to his wife Alberta Ryan. She later gifted the ring to her eldest daughter Mary Jane Saidy, who only wore the piece on very special occasions in recognition of its rarity.
The Perfect Emerald Cut &
D color, Flawless clarity, Excellent polish and symmetry—this sparkling jewel has all the superlatives you can ask for in a diamond. Cut from the most chemically pure and crystalline Type IIa rough, this 1.37 length-to-width ratio emerald cut diamond was refined by Stephen Silver and weighs in at 29.74 carats. It is made for a client who is absolutely uncompromising in the selection of a diamond.
Multi-Color Diamond Rainbow Bracelet
This unique bracelet, crafted in our Parisian workshop, features 259 fancy color diamonds totaling 125.77 carats. The colors range from fancy light to fancy intense green, pink, orange, yellow and blue and more. Every single diamond is accompanied by a report from the Gemological Institute of America. Sold to a prominent family in venture capital.
The King’s Kashmir Sapphire
Originally sold by Cartier circa 1920, this Kashmir sapphire was acquired out of an old estate and recut by Stephen Silver to maximize brilliance, color, and clarity. The recut stone scored highly with the laboratories: Gubelin score of 95.8, AGL ‘Classic’, and SSEF Royal Blue calls make this this velvety 14.33 carat gem one of the the finest ever unearthed. Sold to a prominent Royal Family.