H Stern Multi Color
Vintage 1980s Brazilian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Multi-gemstone, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
1960s Conceptual Abstract Prints
Screen
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2010s Turkish Modern Fashion Rings
Garnet, 14k Gold
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Antique 1880s Link Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, Natural Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
2010s Turkish Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Tourmaline, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Band Rings
Sapphire, Tsavorite, Ruby, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Stud Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Turkish Modern Cocktail Rings
Opal, Black Opal, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1870s French Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Opal, Rose Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Multi-gemstone, Opal, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Retro Cuff Bracelets
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s French Baroque Revival Link Necklaces
White Diamond, Diamond, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold
2010s Italian Modern Band Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Peridot, Garnet, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
1990s American Retro Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, Cultured Pearl, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow ...
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Vintage 1980s Brazilian Drop Necklaces
Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Garnet, Peridot, Topaz, Tourmaline, 18k G...
21st Century and Contemporary More Rings
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Necklaces
Yellow Gold
1990s Solitaire Rings
Citrine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Solitaire Rings
Citrine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Link Necklaces
Citrine, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Brazilian Contemporary More Earrings
Multi-gemstone, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Brazilian Contemporary Brooches
Multi-gemstone, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Necklaces
Pearl, Yellow Gold
1990s Solitaire Rings
Citrine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Natural Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century Brazilian More Necklaces
Citrine, Diamond, Topaz, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Brazilian More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian More Rings
Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian More Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
H. Stern for sale on 1stDibs
Born into a Jewish family in Essen, Germany, Hans Stern (1922–2007) fled with his parents to Rio de Janeiro at the onset of World War II. There he landed a job working for the precious stone and mineral exporter Cristab. Thus began Stern’s rise to become “the king of the colored gems,” as the media would dub him, and founder of the family-owned H.Stern jewelry business that now has over 150 stores worldwide.
While working for Cristab, Stern regularly visited mines on horseback. At the remote mines of Minas Gerais, Brazil, he cultivated relationships with many of the miners, developing professional connections that would endure for decades. He also embraced a fascination with the colorful semiprecious stones harvested in the area. In 1945, he started his own company, H.Stern, with the goal of marketing Brazilian gemstones — then virtually unknown on the global stage — to an international audience.
Though the company began as a trader in gemstones, it soon expanded to jewelry, with Stern assembling and training a team of young jewelers. A frequent motif in the company’s designs was the star, as Stern is “star” in German. In 1949, H.Stern opened its first jewelry shop in Rio de Janeiro, but a storefront was not his customers’ only view into the brand’s jewelry-making process. In the 1950s, Stern became one of the first major jewelers to offer tours of his workshop, showing off the creative process and elevating the role of craftsmanship in jewelry design.
Stern’s approach and his vibrant jewels, which favored organic settings designed to show off colorful gems, earned international recognition and put Brazil’s topaz, amethyst and tourmaline on the map. Tourmaline was reportedly Stern’s favorite, and the company’s Rio de Janeiro vaults are also home to Paraíba tourmalines, which are mined in the mountains of Paraíba, Brazil. He recognized the burgeoning tourism industry in the country as an opportunity to promote the beauty of these stones, opening stores in the lobbies of Brazil’s leading hotels and investing in vehicles to bring visitors to the H.Stern headquarters. By the mid-1990s, the company was opening stores abroad and selling jewelry at international department stores.
In the 1980s, the brand debuted its first celebrity collaboration, with French actress Catherine Deneuve. Since then it has worked with partners such as designer Diane von Fürstenberg and architect Oscar Niemeyer. In 2016, Assouline published a book on the 70-year history of H.Stern, from its humble founding to its worldwide acclaim. Today, the company is run by Stern’s son, Roberto, who has introduced a broad range of new collections and styles.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of H. Stern necklaces, rings, earrings and other accessories.