PHILIOSOPHY

WE ARE A FAMILY BUSINESS 4TH GENERATION IN THE JEWELRY BUSINESS. MEYER LENTIN GREAT GRANDFATHER TO MARK AND GAVIN CURTIS CAME TO NEW YORK FROM EUROPE AND SETTLED DOWN TO WORK AS A WATCHMAKER. HE HAD FRIENDS AND RELATIVES WHO HAD GONE FROM EUROPE TO CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA. HE DECIDED TO VISIT THEM. WHILE THERE HE MET HIS FUTURE WIFE ESTHER. THEY MARRIED AND FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS LIVED IN CAPE TOWN. THEY THEN MOVED TO THE BELGIAN CONGO WHERE MEYER SET UP A JEWELRY BUSINESS AND LIVED AND WORKER THERE FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS .HE THEN DECIDED TO MOVE THE BUSINESS TO NEIGHBORING NORTHERN RHODESIA TOWN OF KITWE. THERE IT FLOURISHED AS AN ALL SERVICE JEWELERS. SERVICE HAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE A KEY ELEMENT IN OUR BUSINESS. MEYER DIED IN 1952. GERRY MIDDLE SON OF 3 TOOK OVER THE JEWELRY BUSINESS. ROY ELDEST WENT TO SOUTH AFRICA AND KEN YOUNGEST WAS KILLED IN WW2. GERRY BUILT THE BUSINESS INTO A MAJOR CONCERN. HE BECAME KNOWN AS THE DIAMOND KING AND EVENTUALLY HAD A BUSINESS IN EVERY MAJOR TOWN IN NORTHERN RHODESIA.(ZAMBIA) THE STORES HAVING ALL ITEMS OF JEWELRY PLUS GIFTWARE BRIDAL GIFTS DINNERWARE SILVERWARE AND CRYSTAL DIAMONDS AND GOLD AND PRECIOUS GEMS BEING THE BULK OF THE SALES. LARGE ENGAGEMENT RING BUSINESS BUILT UP.

GERRY HAD AN ONLY CHILD VALERIE. FROM AN EARLY AGE VALERIE WAS INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS AND FROM PART TIME IN SCHOOL VACATION JOINED THE BUSINESS FULL TIME AFTER MARRIAGE. VALERIE LEARNT THE BUSINESS AND GRADUATED TO A TOP POSITION. GERRY HAD FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH AN ACQUAINTANCE IN ORDER TO EXPAND. HIS PARTNER HAD INTERESTS IN THEN SOUTHERN RHODESIA (NOW ZIMBABWE) AND OWNED A DIAMOND CUTTING FACTORY. GERRY RETIRED AND HIS PARTNER MADE VALERIE AN OFFER TO RUN THE BUSINESS CALLED MAISON LENTIN (HOUSE OF LENTIN) SHE AGREED CONTINUING THE BUSINESS UNTIL THE PARTNER RETIRED.

GERRY CAME OUT OF HIS RETIREMENT AND AS PARTNERS GERRY AND VALERIE BUILT LENTIN JEWELERS INC THIS TIME ONLY ONE OUTLET. AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS GERRY WENT TO FINAL RETIREMENT AND MOVED TO SOUTH AFRICA. VALERIE RAN THE BUSINESS BUT IMPORTING GOODS TO ZAMBIA BECAME VERY DIFFICULT SO THEY BEGAN MANUFACTURING WITH SOME LOCAL MATERIALS. EVERYTHING WAS HAND MADE AND MOST STYLES AND DESIGNS ORIGINAL.

ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CHANGE MADE THE FUTURE UNSTABLE. MARK AND GAVIN SONS FROM VALERIE MARRIAGE NOW HAD LITTLE OR NO PROSPECT OF INHERITING AND RUNNING THE FAMILY BUSINESS IN ZAMBIA.

A FAMILY DECISION WAS MADE TO COME TO AMERICA AND GRADUALLY ASSETS WERE SOLD AND THE MOVE MADE.. MARK WENT TO THE GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA IN SANTA MONICA CALIFORNIA AND GAVIN TO COLLEGE. GAVIN ULTIMATELY STUDIED GEMOLOGY AS WELL.

A BUSINESS WAS STARTED IN BOCA RATON FLORIDA BUT DUE TO A LOST LEASE MOVED TO DEERFIELD BEACH WHERE THEY BUILT THEIR OWN STORE CALLED INTERNATIONAL GEMS AND JEWELRY WITH THE PARENT COMPANY LENTIN JEWELERS INC IN THE PALM PLAZA DEERFIELD BEACH. THEY ONCE AGAIN BECAME A FULL SERVICE JEWELRY BUSINESS. DEALING IN GOLD DIAMONDS COLORED GEMSTONES AND SILVER JEWELRY.

ALSO NOW HAVING A PRESENCE ON THE INTERNET WITH E BAY AND OUR WEBSITE.