History of
Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry

Stephen Silver Establishes 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 $6.8 million 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.

Published in “The Cartier Collection” Plate no. 57.

LaCloche Freres 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Discovered in San Diego, CA, in very poor condition, this bracelet was originally made by La Cloche Freres one of the great Parisian makers of Art Deco jewelry.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 S.H.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+ carat 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 carat 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 Vivid 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 carat 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 three 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 demantoid garnets that have passed through the house.

The Million Dollar Pumpkin

With only slight modifications made during a recut, the 1.50 carat 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 6.21 carat Pigeon’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.

Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry Opens First Retail Location

Thanks in part to his close relationship with legendary Silicon Valley developer John Arillaga Sr., Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry opens their first retail store in the Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel in Menlo Park, CA. The small ~100 sq ft space, originally designated as the hotel’s coat closet, soon became one of the top performing independent jewelry retail locations in the country.

Cartier Kroc Sapphire Panther Brooch

Made by Cartier expressly for the prominent collector Joan Kroc, and designed along the same lines as a famous piece made for the Duchess of Windsor, this brooch features an exceptionally large untreated Burma cabochon sapphire underneath one of the company’s classic panther sculptures.

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 7.05 carat untreated Kashmir sapphire.

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. According to Janet Zapata, Tiffany & Co.’s in-house historian, it is one of the greatest examples of Tiffany & Co. Art Deco.

50 carat D Flawless Diamond

The superlative quality of this D- Flawless Type IIa diamond weighing 52.82 carat is emphasized by its elegant emerald cut that was then set into a platinum necklace. This spectacular stone was mounted into a Stephen Silver designed necklace and 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's son, Jared, proposed an expansion of their showroom with a new twist: fine watches. The company 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 sapphire is 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.

Burma Star Ruby

An exceptional 11.11 carat 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. This exceptional ring was acquired by a family in the technology sector.

Large Padparadscha Sapphire

This 10.07 carat oval cut Padparadscha sapphire is exemplary for this special category of gemstone, being both untreated, highly saturated, and exceptionally crystalline in nature. The unique gem was acquired by a prominent 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 Rotschild 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: a rare beauty of its type that has never been subject to oil treatment.

Classic Colombian Emerald Ring

This 28.51 carat 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.

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.

Emerald & Diamond Earrings

Stephen Silver creates this 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

One of the finest emeralds to come through Stephen Silver inventory, this 19.50 carat Vivid Green Colombian Old Mine emerald was recut by Stephen Silver to enhance its symmetry and set the highly crystalline stone.

Asscher Cut Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond

This 31.32 carat Fancy Vivid 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 rubies 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. This magnificent bracelet was 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's 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. These earrings were sold to a prominent shipping magnate.

The Aurora Emerald Necklace

The Aurora Emerald offers a rare glimpse into the historic legacy of Colombia’s legendary emeralds. This antique pear-shaped gem originates from the famed Old Mine in Muzo—the oldest and most revered emerald source in the world. Weighing 29.88 carats, the Aurora Emerald displays the quintessential, true Vivid Muzo Green color with remarkable clarity and has received only minor oil treatment. It stands among the finest emeralds 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 collectability. The rare ring was 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. This ring was 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 three-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, with a center stone weighing over 10 carats.

Three-Stone Kashmir Sapphire Ring

The sapphire version of the three-stone ring features meticulously matched Kashmir sapphires, totaling 13.65 carats of “Classic Kashmir” sapphires. All three stones are notable for their clarity and purity of color. All stones were recut by Stephen Silver's master gem cutter to maximize their beauty.

Stephen Silver's Ruby Encrusted Jeroboam 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 four 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 of 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 carat stone and carefully recut to 5.05 carat 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, Gubelin, GRS, and GIA have called it one of the rarest rubies in the world, and wrote Appedices and a JewelFolio on this historic gem.

‘The Perfect Riviera” Sapphire & Diamond Necklace

This riviera necklace 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 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. This one-of-a-kind bracelet was sold to a prominent family in venture capital.

The King’s Kashmir

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 velvety 14.33 carat gem one of the finest ever unearthed. The rare gem now belongs to a notable Royal Family.

Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry Opens The Villa Menlo Park

Stephen and Jared Silver launch The Villa Menlo Park and relocate Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry's global headquarters back to Menlo Park, California. The Villa Menlo Park's inception was driven by the desire to offer Silicon Valley a world-class space where people can gather, discuss, and explore life's shared delights and passion points. Nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, the Villa is a world-class dining, shopping, and social destination which provides an environment for discovery and intellectual exchange.

Learn more about The Villa Menlo Park

MB&F LAB opens at The Villa Menlo Park

Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry and prestigious independent watch partner MB&F open the 'MB&F LAB Silicon Valley'. The celebrated Swiss watchmaker expands its offerings beyond timepieces – to present a wide selection of mechanical art. Collectors enjoy an expanded selection of MB&F timepieces and art, and access to the exclusive MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO Silicon Valley edition.

Explore the MB&F LAB Silicon Valley boutique at The Villa Menlo Park

H. Moser & Cie. Opens its First North American Boutique at The Villa Menlo Park

Punctuating a growing relationship with Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry, prominent independent watchmaker H. Moser & Cie. selects The Villa Menlo Park as the site for their first North American boutique. The space boasts a broad selection for the growing number of collectors who are attracted to the Swiss watchmaker’s contemporary designs, including an exclusive Skeletonized Yellow Gold Streamliner Tourbillon released for the occasion.

Explore the H. Moser & Cie. Boutique at The Villa Menlo Park

Ulysse Nardin Open their First North American Boutique at The Villa Menlo Park

The unique opportunities presented by the Villa Menlo Park are also recognized by Ulysse Nardin, a legacy watchmaker with an impeccable record of innovation in the modern era. Their first North American boutique opened at The Villa Menlo Park frames their technical achievements through storytelling elements and a broad selection of complicated and sports watches. The assortment highlights Ulysse Nardin’s Silicium infused timepieces – affirming the brand’s choice of Silicon Valley as its first flagship boutique in the Americas.

Explore the Ulysse Nardin Silicon Valley Boutique at The Villa Menlo Park