Responsible for some of the most iconic jewelry moments of the 21st Century, Lorraine Schwartz is an American high jewelry designer and third-generation diamond dealer whose pieces have adorned some of the world’s most influential individuals – from royalty, to industry icons, and A-list celebrities.
As a third-generation diamond dealer, Lorraine Schwartz’s journey started early. Her grandfather was regarded as one of the most successful diamond manufacturers of his time, with his business expanding to a global scale at its height. Lorraine relies on the expertise she inherited and cultivated as a diamond dealer to this day. Initially asked to assist the family business with administrative work following her graduation from NYU, Lorraine sold a 10-carat diamond shortly after starting. It wasn’t long before Schwartz stepped out on her own. She set up shop in New York City’s iconic Diamond District as an independent diamond dealer, joining a predominately male dominated industry.
In 1992, Schwartz was tasked with sourcing a stone for David Bowie, who was planning to propose to super model Iman. Not only did Lorraine source the perfect 10 carat yellow diamond, she also designed the ring, as well as a pair of convertible diamond and pearl earrings that could be worn three different ways. The experience ignited something in Lorraine, and she found herself inspired to seek new and interesting ways to set the stones that came across her desk each day. Her focus was to ensure that every aspect of a piece, whether it was the curve of a band, the placement of a prong, or the combination of diamonds and gemstones, lent itself to intensifying the natural beauty of the materials. In 2000, Lorraine released a collection of bracelets that featured blue topaz evil eyes with diamonds and called it the “Against Evil Eye” collection. Her unique designs, initially created with only herself in mind caught not only the attention of her industry peers, but of clients as well. It wasn’t long before Hollywood took notice as well.
Schwartz gained serious notoriety when her work began appearing in pop culture and on red carpets. In the 2001 Friend’s episodes centered around the wedding of Monica (Courtney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry), Monica can be seen wearing a suite of Lorraine Schwartz diamonds throughout the ceremony. The following year Halle Berry accepted the award for Best Actress at the SAG Awards in a diamond necklace designed by Lorraine Schwartz. In 2003, P. Diddy donned a 60-carat diamond ring to the MTV Video Music Awards. At the 2005 Oscars, Cate Blanchett won for Best Supporting Actress for the film Aviator while wearing full Lorraine Schwartz look including a one-of-a-kind brooch. It wasn’t long before her roster of famous friends and clients began to grow. She counts Barbra Streisand, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian West, Pharrell Williams, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara among some of her dearest friends and credits them with inspiring her throughout her career. Her relationship with the late Elizabeth Taylor, a true icon and jewelry connoisseur, was forged through a mutual love of gems. Elizabeth Taylor had said of Schwartz, "She's a lovely, lovable being, and it's reflected in her shimmering, dancing gems."
Another relationship Lorraine considers to be one of her most special is Beyoncé, who she has often credited as being her “muse”. The two have collaborated since the start of the singer’s career, creating iconic moments again and again. Schwartz is mentioned in Beyoncé’s 2006 song “Upgrade U” and designed the titanium handpiece worn by the star in her 2008 “Single Ladies” music video. The design was made up of three independent parts – a ring, a glove and a forearm bracelet. The construction required her entire arm to be cast in wax to ensure the piece fit flawlessly. Over the last two decades, they have worked together to create each of Beyoncé’s show stopping red carpet moments, from the 2005 Oscars to multiple Met Galas, MTV Video Music Awards and Grammy Awards.
The 2009 Academy Awards would prove to be one of Lorraine’s most notable red carpet moments. Angelina Jolie stunned on the carpet in a pair of bright Colombian emerald drop earrings. Considered one of the most iconic red carpet jewelry moments of all time, it introduced the idea that lighter emeralds could brighten the face. The industry experienced a significant increase in the demand for lighter-hued emeralds following their red carpet debut - a demand that is still going strong a decade later.
Not only has Schwartz created unique pieces for red carpet and other press worthy moments, but she has also worked closely with clients to mark the most important of occasions. Lorraine is the mastermind behind some of the most iconic celebrity engagement rings of the last few decades, including those belonging to Beyoncé, Heidi Klum, Pharrell Williams and Lady Gaga. Ryan Reynolds proposed to Blake Lively with a light pink oval diamond with pavé set diamonds in rose gold and a matching diamond band. In 2013, Kanye West flew Kim’s friends and family to the AT&T Baseball Park in San Francisco, where he proposed to Kim with a D flawless cushion cut Type II A diamond ring he had designed with Schwartz. The ring was prominently featured on the cover of the April issue of Vogue in 2014. Schwartz is also responsible for redesigning Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s engagement ring, which incorporates two stones from the late Princess Diana’s personal collection. Schwartz also collaborated with Prince Harry on an eternity ring to mark the couple’s one year anniversary. The ring incorporates the birthstones of Harry, Meghan and Archie – an emerald, sapphire and peridot.
The curiosity that inspired her initial experimental technique has remained at the heart of Lorraine’s process throughout her career. Schwartz continues to work with an array of diamonds including blue, pink, red, green and yellow and manages to constantly find refreshing and unique ways of setting her stones, using not only precious metals, but also wood, old ivory and jade. While the sources of her inspiration range from the movement of fabric, to the curiosities of nature, Schwartz credits her late mother, Shulamit Sandberg Benjamini, as being her primary inspiration behind her passion for design. Lorraine attributes her sharp eye, creative flare and unique taste level to her mother.
“Growing up, my mother always wore diamonds but had such a unique take on styling them with her other pieces. She always made wearing jewelry appear effortless. When she walked into a room, everyone would take notice – she exuded this confidence by creating her own style.”
Lorraine Schwartz pieces are painstakingly constructed by her team and workshops in New York and Los Angeles. She continues to search the globe for the finest materials and workmanship – forever pushing the boundaries of what jewelry design can be.
Her designs are high jewelry for the everyday modern woman who makes a point of treating herself, seeking out beautiful things that make her feel her most beautiful.
