When you are in the presence of rare beauty, it can be stunning, literally. The jewelry from Yafa Signed Jewels not only sparkles from its fine facets but also each piece’s unique history. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the company has a headquarters in New York City with a beautiful retail destination on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, which opened in the winter of 2019. They are renowned in trusted high net-worth circles globally for acquiring vintage pieces, focusing on the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s collections from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, and Harry Winston. Rare diamonds 10 carats and up are another specialty, even in pinks, blues, and yellow.
Principal Tyler Moradof commented, “It’s a family history. Yafa is my grandmother’s name. She and my father, Maurice, started the business together. They began on the famous 47th Street in Manhattan, which set the foundation to familiarize themselves with the industry and learn different methods to be successful.”
While the current pieces can be museum quality and range from $10,000 to multi-million dollars, the family approach is inclusionary. Moradof speaks of these jewels not only as beautiful pieces to enjoy but also as a prudent investment. “We try to educate people on what has value. We select the pieces very intentionally. We don’t just buy things because they look pretty. There is plenty of beautiful jewelry all over the world, but we focus on the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. That’s our sweet spot. There are occasional instances where we stray a little older or younger, but most of the inventory is from the golden era of these houses.”
Yafa Signed Jewels is also known for its discreet, personal service for those looking to sell. Moradof said, “For this level of clients, they appreciate we keep their information private. We may purchase from individuals or estates or even lawyers — whenever an opportunity presents itself.” While they are experts at determining the provenance of signature pieces, they are also respectful of the sellers. “We may only be able to say that the piece is from the collection of a royal family in Europe,” explained Moradof.
The company also has a motto, “Where you find the unfindable.” With 40 years of expertise, they can try to find a very expensive needle in the haystack. Moradof recounts, “A client sent me a picture of this Bulgari bracelet and said, ‘Can you help me find it?’ We are fortunate to reach out to our contacts with dealers and clients all over the world.”
Opening the retail location in Palm Beach has been a real success with a clientele who, when shown a 20-carat diamond, ask, “Do you have anything larger?” and new acquisitions arrive by armored car. It is an enclave where precious jewels are proudly worn and not relegated to a safe. The tour of the store is like having a docent at a museum. The staff has a real affection and appreciation for the story of each piece. It may be a vintage Zip Necklace-Bracelet inspired by the Duchess of Windsor from Van Cleef & Arpels, pieces from Bulgari’s ancient coin collection, or a Panthère De Cartier bracelet so finely crafted you can see his sinewy bejeweled muscles.
When asked if he has a particularly wow piece, Moradof answered, “Can you ask a mother who their favorite child is? It’s a difficult question. Honestly, all of the pieces that we have are all quite special, and you love them all in different ways.” Keep an eye out for the glitter of expansion at more retail locations.
