A look at Los Angeles–based jeweler Martin Katz and his penchant for making personal items for his clientele.
A few years ago, while Los Angeles–based jeweler Martin Katz was showing his collection in Monaco, a client who wished to see important diamonds summoned Katz to his yacht late one evening. Katz found the man immersed in the vessel’s hot tub. The client promptly offered Katz a swimsuit and invited him and his cache of rare stones to join him. “It was the most unusual place where I’ve made a sale,” recalls Katz, who sold a 20-carat diamond during the late-night soak. This level of personalized service is not unusual for Katz. On another occasion, he finished a specially commissioned, six-figure-priced necklace the day before Mother’s Day and had a staff member fly overnight from Los Angeles to New York at the request of a loyal client, who greeted the staffer outside his house in a bathrobe at the crack of dawn to receive the piece in time for the holiday. Long-term relationships with clients such as this—and the understanding that arises out of that intimacy—have enabled Katz’s business to flourish over the past two decades. Rather than follow trends and dictate styles, he carefully observes his clients’ changing lifestyles and interests to create fine jewelry that is not only beautiful but also personally relevant. – From Robb Report