We are proud to feature on this site Laykin creations from today and from each of the last 9 decades as well as fine estate jewelry which we have collected from around the world. We welcome your inquiries on any of the featured pieces. Our professionals are also available for appraisal service, repairs, consignment of unwanted jewels and custom designed special commissions.
Our History - Laykin et Cie was founded in 1932 by Solomon W. Laykin, Irving Laykin and Allen Walker on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood California. The firm originated in the 1920’s when Irving Laykin founded The Laykin Diamond Company which was located at the corner of 5th Street and Spring Street in the venerable Alexandria Hotel which at the time was one of Los Angeles’ finest addresses.
Throughout the 1930’s the Laykin et Cie firm expanded soon taking up locations at the La Quinta Hotel in La Quinta, California as well as the Arrowhead Springs Hotel, the Santa Barbara Biltmore and the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California.
Our History - Laykin et Cie was founded in 1932 by Solomon W. Laykin, Irving Laykin and Allen Walker on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood California. The firm originated in the 1920’s when Irving Laykin founded The Laykin Diamond Company which was located at the corner of 5th Street and Spring Street in the venerable Alexandria Hotel which at the time was one of Los Angeles’ finest addresses.
Throughout the 1930’s the Laykin et Cie firm expanded soon taking up locations at the La Quinta Hotel in La Quinta, California as well as the Arrowhead Springs Hotel, the Santa Barbara Biltmore and the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California.
The early success of Laykin et Cie was fostered in part by the immediate and favorable attention that it received from the film industry. In fact, the name of the firm was coined by silent film star of “Sunset Boulevard” fame, Gloria Swanson whom on a visit to the hideaway desert hotel of La Quinta informed her favorite jeweler Sol Laykin that “Laykin Diamond Co.” did not have the right “ring” to it. Sol Laykin gladly modified the name to Laykin et Cie to accommodate Swanson so long as the “ring” she wanted included diamonds.
In 1938, at the suggestion of Virgina and Darryl Zanuck of 20th Century Fox Studios; Grover Magnin invited Sol Laykin to relocate his flagship salon from Sunset Blvd to the new I.Magnin Store at 3240 Wilshire Blvd. Magnin was building a “Palace of High Fashion” in Los Angeles and Grover's mother Mary, the founder of I.Magnin insisted that the finest California jeweler be represented in their store. Sol Laykin accepted; thus displacing Grover Magnin’s favored Cartier and establishing a unique business relationship that would last for over 50 years.
Laykin et Cie has a rich design heritage spanning much of the 20th century. Dozens of the finest American and European jewelry designers have contributed to this important corpus of work. From George Headley, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and David Webb to Zolotas, Andrew Grima, and David Yurman. Laykin et Cie has also appeared through the years in publications such as Town and Country, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Architectural Digest.
The Red Box
Iconic Laykin satin-lined red boxes with printed gold lettering have been used by the firm since the 1930's.