Joden World Resources

Joden World Resources and The Vanderbilt Diamonds!

 

 

North Hills Journal

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Joden World Resources
144 S. Broad Street
Grove City, PA 16127

 

In the late 1800's, nouveau riche American families faced a problem. Though extremely wealthy, having made millions in industry, they were snubbed by old-money American families. Among these socially ambitious millionaires, it became common practice to marry off their daughters to cash-poor European aristocrats. The European nobles would receive a handsome cash settlement, and the American heiress would receive the title and social status of European nobility.

One of the most famous of these alliances was between Consuelo Vanderbilt, the only daughter of William and Alva Vanderbilt, and the Duke of Marlborough. After a lavish society wedding, William Vanderbilt signed a check over to the groom for - $2.5 million plus 50,000 shares in one of his railroad companies.

The Duke of Marlborough presented his new wife with a wedding gift; an elaborate diamond breast belt. The piece of jewelry, encrusted with nearly 200 carats of diamonds, was passed down through the family, stored with Cartier for safekeeping during World War II, and later refashioned into a necklace. Lady Sarah Spencer-Churchill, granddaughter of Consuelo Vanderbilt, eventually sold the necklace to a jewelry dealer, and Joden World Resources, a jewelry company in Grove Ciry, bought the antique heirloom.

Joe Murawski is the founder and owner of Joden World Resources He started the business in 1970 after studying at the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles, and specializes in antique and estate jewelry. "We have an unusual company." Murawski explains. "We have such a wide range of types of jewelry." His company is especially unique among jewelers, as it has a jewelry store in Grove City, an on-site jewelry manufacturing facility and also collects and sells antique, estate and modern jewelry.

'We do a lot of business in custom-made, one-of-a-kind engagement rings. Our business is unique in that you can come here and have the ring designed and made on the premises, from beginning to end," Murawski says. "We also sell many colored diamonds. The most popular are the fancy natural yellow diamonds. Pink and blue are also popular."

"We sell antique and estate jewelry all over the US. and Europe, and have one of the largest and most renowned collections of Victorian pieces. Our collection has been featured in national jewelry magazines and we've entered pieces in various design competitions." Joden owns one of the largest collections of the work of Carlo Giuliano, Queen Victoria's favorite jeweler. One of the Joden signature pieces is a bracelet by Giuliano; the piece, in mint condition, has an amethyst in the center, with white and black enameling and pearls. Another famous piece is a garnet cameo by Giuliano.

Joden also owns the finest Golconda diamond in the world. Golconda diamonds come from the Golconda region of India, the only source of diamonds in the ancient world. Diamonds were later discovered and mined in other regions of the world, but Golconda diamonds are still considered some of the finest, whitest diamonds in the world.

Murawski explains that the biggest problem his business faces is that people don't believe a Grove City jeweler could have such an extensive and varied collection. Their shop in Grove City offers a museum case filled with beautiflul antique and estate jewelry. "Our museum case is a signature part of our business," says Murawski They promise they can put the finest piece of jewelry you've ever seen in your hand. Their motto holds true; "you can go to a museum and look or you can come to us and touch."