In 1993, during my temporary stay in Geneva, Switzerland

In 1993, I spent nearly three months in Geneva, Switzerland, working with Tabbah at their location on Rue du Rhône 27, 1204 Genève (now owned by Chopard). My role involved classifying gemstones in their inventory and assisting Nabil Tabbah in making critical purchasing decisions at Christie’s auction house.

During my time in Geneva, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. William Goldberg and his wife, who had traveled from New York for business.

About William Goldberg (1930–2003)

William Goldberg was a legendary figure in the diamond industry. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he started cutting diamonds in 1948 but soon discovered his true talent lay in buying and selling. In 1952, he co-founded Goldberg & Weiss with diamond cutter Irving Weiss. By 1973, he had established the William Goldberg Diamond Corporation on 48th Street in New York City’s Diamond District.

Goldberg played a major role in the global diamond trade, dealing with some of the most famous diamonds in history. In 1978, he became President of the New York Diamond Dealers Club, serving three terms.

He passed away in 2003 at the age of 77 due to pancreatic cancer. Following his passing, his family established the William Goldberg Endowed Scholarship Fund at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to honor his contributions to the industry.

Famous Diamonds Associated with William Goldberg

Although William Goldberg was primarily a diamond dealer, his company was instrumental in cutting, polishing, and handling some of the world’s most extraordinary diamonds, including:

1. The Blue Lili Diamond – A stunning blue diamond cut and polished by his company.
2. The Guinea Star Diamond – A remarkable diamond from Guinea, shaped under his firm’s expertise.
3. The Premier Rose Diamond – A 02-carat D-flawless diamond, originally a 353.9-carat rough stone, later cut into three gems.
4. The Pumpkin Diamond – A rare 54-carat Fancy Vivid Orange diamond, later owned by Ronald Winston.
5. The Red Shield Diamond – A 11-carat Fancy Red diamond, one of the largest and most vividly colored red diamonds known.
6. The Queen of Holland Diamond – A 92-carat D-color diamond that Goldberg helped trade.