Raymond Yard – American Jeweler (1885 to 1964)
Raymond Yard began his career in fine jewels at the age of thirteen as a door boy at Marcus & Co. In 1922 he opened his own shop at 522 Fifth Avenue where his first commission was a Rockefeller wedding. His business was an instant and continued success, and discretion was his hallmark. Even with little to no advertising and making clients wait to obtain the perfect stone to complete a jewel, Yard was able to attract several elite New York families, including the Woolworths, DuPonts, Flaglers and Havemeyers. After sixty years of business, Yard offered his company to three of his employees for a down payment of ten thousand dollars each. With some difficulty, each of them obtained the money but then later had it returned to them by Yard who had only wanted to test their desire for acquiring the company.
Information courtesy of Sotheby’s, September 2008.