MADE IN AMERICA

Since opening its doors in 1948, David Webb jewelry has exclusively been made in New York. In the earliest days, there were only 3 jewelers; today, more than two dozen jewelers, many second- and third-generation David Webb craftspeople, occupy the top floor of the Company’s headquarters overlooking Madison Avenue. 

David Webb jewelers uphold the House’s remarkable standards of excellence in jewelry design, busily carving coral and jade, setting diamonds and colored gemstones, polishing each piece to perfection, and hand-enameling all the many coveted animal bracelets and boldly patterned earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. The five “hallmarks” of David Webb - signature animalia, hand-hammered gold, intricate enamel, rock crystal, and the use of bold, colorful semi-precious stones - are brought to life in an intricate dance of design and engineering.

"We do everything from the raw material to the finished pieces. Every stone is cut here, except the diamond, and all the stone-carving is done here too."

–David Webb

A workshop is a quiet zone of concentration: the enamelist paints with deft precision, a carver sculpts a lapis lazuli tiger based on a David Webb drawing, a jeweler artfully sets cabochon rubies in a bracelet with an 8-inch-long tweezers, steam hisses in the polishing room, a finisher steadily hammers the surface of a gold necklace. In such a space, talent thrives. Magic happens. 

Techniques used by artisans for thousands of years have, especially over the past decade, been joined by tools on the leading edge of jewelry design. From microscopes and laser-tooling to advanced CAD modeling and rendering, the David Webb manufacturing skill set continues to grow and evolve.    

As Winfried Dohle, David Webb foreman of 40 years until his retirement in 2018, said: "Every day there's something unique to make."

David Webb workshop, circa 1956, at 666 Fifth Avenue.

Polisher Benjamin Ray has been continuously working at David Webb since 1965.

"Every day there's something unique to make."

–Winfried Dohle

The David Webb Workshop - Portrait of a Jeweler

The David Webb Workshop - Profile of a Polisher

The David Webb Workshop - Profile of a Foreman