The Legacy of Rudolf Friedmann
Rudolf Friedmann was a master jeweler who learned the craft from his father, Tobias Friedmann, in Warsaw, Poland. Rudolf operated a boutique goldsmith studio in Warsaw prior to the outbreak of WWII. After the war, he eventually found his way to New York City, as a widower with two teenage daughters (the “Twins”) and $100 in his pocket. Yet, by 1950 he had the wherewithal to establish his namesake jewelry manufacturing business. His daughter, Fay, travelled the world in search of gemstones and jewelry partnerships. She fell in love with pearls in 1958 as the first female pearl buyer to live in Kobe, Japan. After the passing of Rudolf in 1979, Fay and her husband, Alexander Nadaner, took the reins of the business. Alexander transformed the production process of the firm through the innovative use of machinery. Although Fay passed away in 2017, one can still find Alexander working at his jeweler’s bench – at age 90 and her son, Glenn, managing the business.
