No pun intended; Sandra Went is a gem, a rare find among the jewellers in a city that’s often called the world’s jewellery capital.
What makes the story of the Barbadian so unusual is that she is among a handful of people of colour who own and operate a successful jewellery business in the highly competitive environment of New York City. And with the recent death of John David, her business partner and husband, Went is carrying the full load, managing the enterprise, appraising the stones and fashioning them into works of art that warm the hearts of men and women.
“He was an expert in stones whose skill and knowledge were widely recognized in the business,” said Went, who grew up in Kendal Hill, Christ Church, before coming to the United States more than 40 years ago. “He passed away in October after a brief illness. He was the person to whom other jewellers turned to identify and appraise stones, whether they were diamonds, sapphires or rubies, you name them. We were a team for 35 years before pancreatic cancer took his life about a year after it caused the death of Barbados’ Prime Minister, David Thompson.”
With clients from across North America and the Caribbean, La Franz Lapidary Incorporated, the family-owned business, can be found in the Jewelry Exchange at 76 Bowery in Manhattan. It’s a full-service shop that enables customers to walk in the morning with a design or a dream and walk out in the afternoon with a beautifully crafted work of art, made from any of the extensive collection of gemstones, pearls and precious jewellery.
“He was the gemologist in the business and my specialty was and is in pearls,” Went explained, “now I handle everything.”
The Bajan firmly believes that jewellery gives the appearance of wealth and elegance and should be treated with care.
“A diamond is a woman’s best friend and you recognize that from her reaction when she receives a diamond from someone she loves. It’s like magic, a source of pleasure,” she said.
That may explain why precious stones become family heirlooms, she added.
But what about the male of the species?
“Men do appreciate diamonds and pearls,” she replied. “Men opt for black pearls and they are usually worn out of sight. Originally designed cufflinks made of precious stones can go straight to a man’s heart.”
Incidentally, Sandra and John designed a set of cufflinks for Thompson, several months before he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“It was a gift to the Prime Minister and was to be presented to him at an awards function organized by the Barbados Cancer Association USA Inc. in Brooklyn where he was due to speak. Unfortunately, he couldn’t attend,” Went explained.
If her presence in the jewellery business in New York City sounds easy, nothing could be further from the truth. The Barbadian, whose business is often required to cut and polish diamonds worth well over US$100 000 (BDS$200 000), recalled the days when the colour of their skin was a major roadblock.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, suppliers were reluctant to deal with Blacks and when they did, they often charged much more than Whites. While they would leave parcels of gemstones with White jewellers and return the next day for payment, when John needed anything he had to pay immediately.
“But it was our persistence and the high quality of our work that made a difference,” she said. “As
a matter of fact, when we first started, we had to hide our presence as owners. With Whites on staff, clients would come and talk to them but not to us, assuming the Whites were the owners. Some would come and tell us they wanted to talk to the boss. After all, few Blacks were in the business.”
Interestingly, what helped to break down racial barriers was John’s surname, David.
“With that name, dealers and others thought he was Jewish,” she said. “But we were able to overcome all of that and have reached the stage where they routinely deal with us. John really knew his craft and could appraise precious stones with ease, spotting the fakes from the authentic thing.”
In a conversation several months before his death, John praised his wife, citing her work ethic and interest, not to mention their relationship.
Interestingly, although they worked together, once at the shop it was strictly business, she said.
“Our secret was that once we were at the store, it was work,” she added.
