Alexander Hasenfeld’s relationship with Institute stretches nearly 50 years

By Larne Boyles

Alexander Hasenfeld has vivid memories of the 1960s when the practice of submitting diamonds to a laboratory for grading was still new. While others tried to grasp the concept, he’d stroll down to the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory to visit with Bob Crowningshield and Bert Krashes to discuss the value of GIA Diamond Grading Reports.

As the founder of the New York diamond manufacturer and supplier Hasenfeld-Stein, Hasenfeld strongly believed in the value of reports and became one of the first dealers to regularly offer them to his clients, said his son, Hertz, vice president of Hasenfeld-Stein.

The company has remained a loyal client of the GIA Gem Laboratory since then, and recently chose to show its continued support by committing a generous contribution toward the Institute’s nonprofit education and research mission.

“We still consider GIA to be the foremost lab in the industry, both with regard to its integrity and the accuracy of its grading, and we enthusiastically support its initiatives to improve industry quality standards,” Hertz Hasenfeld said. “Today, more than ever, when labs are the frontline of defense against treatments and synthetics, it is important to support those who protect our industry.”

The elder Hasenfeld founded the company in 1950. Initially, he submitted only high quality (D, IF) diamonds to the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory. But by the 1970s, he began to submit a wider variety of diamonds, eventually becoming among the first diamond manufacturers to request reports for nearly all his stones.

Hertz continued to maintain his father’s close working relationship with GIA when he joined the family business in 1976. In addition to being a loyal client of the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory, he also shared his expertise with industry leaders when he spoke at the Institute’s International Gemological Symposium in 1999.

Both father and son served on the New York Diamond Dealer’s Club’s (DDC) Gemological Committee, which meets to discuss issues facing the industry. Alexander served as chairman for more than 10 years, while Hertz has held various leadership roles over the last 12 years.

Alexander will be inducted into the League of Honor in recognition of the company’s gift during a ceremony Sept. 19 in New York City.

“The Hasenfelds’ contribution demonstrates their ongoing commitment to GIA as a leader in the gemological research community and we are grateful for their continued support,” GIA President William E. Boyajian said. “It will be a special pleasure to recognize a long-time friend and patriarch of the family, Alex Hasenfeld, at our League of Honor Dinner.”