Fred Leighton

This superb Art Deco Bracelet dating to the 1920s reached a new generation of collectors when it was retailed by Fred Leighton, a jeweler who has been instrumental in the popularization of antique and vintage jewelry. When Murray Mondschein bought a Mexican crafts store in Greenwich Village named Fred Leighton in 1959, he began to diversify its offerings, eventually finding particular success selling fine antique jewels. The 1960s were not an era when nostalgia and vintage aesthetics were at the forefront of most mainstream fashion, but Mondschein was able to cultivate a growing audience of enthusiasts and style mavens. In the 1970s he moved his store to the Upper East Side, and in 1986, after years of responding to requests to speak with “Mr. Leighton,” Mondschein officially changed his name to Fred Leighton to match his now-famous business.

It is no exaggeration to say that Fred Leighton transformed the perception of historic jewels, bringing them to public prominence through his collaboration with fashion designers, stylists, magazine editors, film directors and celebrities. In 1996, Miuccia Prada borrowed an opal necklace for Nicole Kidman to wear to the Academy Awards, beginning an ongoing tradition of Leighton’s jewels appearing at important red-carpet events. Over the years, the company has handled many important collections and notable jewels spanning a wide variety of periods and styles. Fred Leighton, still known to his friends as Murray, died in 2017 with his enthusiasm for all things jewelry reportedly undimmed. In 2009 the company was purchased by the jeweler Kwiat, which continues to offer extraordinary jewelry from its home in New York’s Upper East Side. 

這條可追溯至 1920 年代的精絕裝飾藝術（Art Deco）手鍊，由在古董與復古珠寶推廣中起到關鍵作用的珠寶商弗雷德·雷頓（Fred Leighton）經售，將其魅力延伸至新一代的收藏家。

1959 年，當莫里·蒙德賽因（Murray Mondschein）買下位於格林威治村、名為「Fred Leighton」的墨西哥工藝品店時，他開始推動業務多元化，最終在銷售頂級古董珠寶領域取得了非凡成功。1960 年代並非懷舊與復古美學盛行的主流時尚時代，但蒙德賽因仍成功培養了一群日益壯大的珠寶愛好者與時尚名流。

1970 年代，他將店面遷至上東區；到了 1986 年，在多年順應顧客要求與「雷頓先生」對話後，蒙德賽因正式將自己的名字改為弗雷德·雷頓，以匹配他當時已聲名大噪的品牌事業。

毫不誇張地說，弗雷德·雷頓（Fred Leighton）改變了人們對歷史古董珠寶的認知。他透過與時裝設計師、造型師、雜誌編輯、電影導演及知名影星的合作，將這些歲月珍品推向了大眾視野的中心。

1996 年，繆西婭·普拉達（Miuccia Prada）向其借用了一條蛋白石項鍊，供妮可·基德曼（Nicole Kidman）佩戴出席奧斯卡金像獎頒獎典禮，自此開啟了雷頓珠寶頻繁亮相於重大紅毯盛會的輝煌傳統。多年來，該品牌經手過無數跨越不同時期與風格的重大私人收藏及知名名鑽佳作。被朋友們親切稱為莫里的弗雷德·雷頓於 2017 年離世，據悉他直到生命終點，對珠寶世界的一切熱情皆絲毫未減。

2009 年，該品牌由知名珠寶商 Kwiat 收購，至今仍立足於紐約上東區，持續為世人呈獻品質卓越的非凡珠寶。