Time-honored jewelry artisan still designs with distinction

New York—Beautiful things are what dreams are made of, and Louis Tamis & Sons has been making them for nearly a century.

Founded in New York in 1909 by Russian-born jewelry manufacturer Louis Tamis, the company became the country's premier producer of gold boxes, cigarette cases and unique objets d'art.

In the late 1930s, Tamis met Paul Flato, a retailer with a keen eye for design. Their association brought diversification to Louis Tamis' collection, which grew to include money clips, pens and cuff links. Verdura, called "America's crown jeweler" by The New York Times, became a client, which produced such distinctive pieces as jewel-encrusted cigarette cases for legendary American songwriter Cole Porter.

The business continued to diversify and flourish. Tamis' sons, Jack, Jesse and Sam, took over the company in 1948, expanded its staff and product line, and Louis Tamis & Sons became one of the top high-end manufacturers in America.

With a client list that grew to approximately 300, including companies such as B. Altman & Co., Black, Starr & Gorham, Cartier, Steuben and Trabert & Hoeffer, there wasn't a jewelry or giftware desire that the firm couldn't satisfy.

From gold pens designed for President John F. Kennedy to give to members of Congress in the early '60s, to a gold trophy that marked baseball great Mickey Mantle's 500th home run in the late '60s, to a gold and diamond bracelet created to commemorate past NFL coach Don Shula's record-breaking career win in the '90s, the Louis Tamis & Sons team, which by then included Jesse's son, Cliff, and Jack's son, Bill, made the most unbelievable designs possible.

According to Cliff's son, Stephen, a fourth-generation jeweler who took over the company with his brother, Jeff, and Bill in 2001, two of the most challenging pieces the company created were three gold birds that had to appear as if they were flying around a large globe of Steuben glass, and a gold serving tray for a retailer's customer.

"The large gold serving tray was very difficult to keep in shape and to solder," says Stephen. "We created the illusion of flying birds by attaching a gold band around the globe with spots for the birds to clip onto."



Louis Tamis & Sons continues to make special-order requests for its more than 500 clients either with sketches that are supplied to them or through a collaborative effort that produces workable designs and then models, tools and dies.

"We have worldwide sourcing capabilities to find virtually anything a customer might want, including precious and semiprecious stones, hand-carved stones and crests," says Stephen. "We also have our own laser, hydraulic press and CAD/CAM equipment, and the ability to supply immediate and accurate estimates."

The firm also has the ability to continually expand its creative vision. Louis Tamis & Sons is now embarking on what it considers its most exciting undertaking—the launch of its own jewelry line. Embracing current trends, the manufacturer is conceptualizing an inventive, design-oriented collection that will include such things as ladies' dress pins and men's cuff links and bracelets.

"We're collaborating with designers to dream up new and exciting products that are trend-setting and innovative," says Stephen. "We're growing our collection like never before."