American jewelry designer Fred Leighton

06.06.2020

5 1 minute read

American jewelry designer Fred Leighton
The history of the Fred Leighton brand begins with the name of Murray Mondschein. Born in Bronx, Murray went to the army after high school. When he returned from military service to New York (1959), he bought a Mexican boutique selling antique items, including silver jewelry on McDougal Street. In 1971, Mondschein renamed it to Fred Leighton in honor of the former owner.
The son of an ordinary taxi driver from Bronx, thanks to his incredible insight and ability to sell, managed to turn Fred Leighton in Manhattan into a real trading Mecca for jewelry lovers. The New Yorker newspaper in 2005 wrote that the outside of the store looks like “a huge brooch with precious stones.”
Having worked in the jewelry business for more than 40 years, Murray Mondschein died at the age of 85, on July 26, 2017.
Recognized as “jeweler to the stars”, Fred Leighton was a true legend in the jewelry business, since his jewels shone at the Oscar award ceremony, The Tony Awards and Golden Globes. His jewelry decorated Hollywood divas, such as Charlize Theron and Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Sarah Jessica Parker, Carrie Mulligan and Natalie Portman.