From a Jewelry Bench in Berkeley to Ritzy Couture
In 1973, I hitchhiked from New York to Berkeley, California, and landed a job in a jewelry factory. I sold my earliest designs as a street artist in Berkeley and San Francisco before moving to New York in 1982, where I founded Lunch at the Ritz. Over the following decades, my designs sold internationally through department stores, exclusive boutiques, and art galleries — worn by Cher, Diana Ross, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Janet Jackson, Barbara Bush, and Hillary Clinton, among others.
I was the sole designer behind every Lunch at the Ritz piece from its founding until my departure in 2011, and I hold lifetime, royalty-free rights to that body of work under my original separation agreement.
From 2011 to 2016, I worked at Gem-Craft in Cranston, Rhode Island, alongside the design teams behind Kenneth Jay Lane (KJL) and Oscar de la Renta jewelry lines. In 2016, I founded Ritzy Couture by Esme Hecht, LLC, producing my own limited-run designs. When Gem-Craft closed in 2024, I acquired their remaining archive — thousands of original vintage samples from the Lunch at the Ritz, KJL, and Oscar de la Renta lines.
What You're Buying
Every vintage piece we sell traces directly back to that archive. These are not reproductions, replicas, or reissues — they are genuine, deadstock and gently-used pieces manufactured during each brand's original production run, sourced through the same supply chain I worked within for decades.
- Lunch at the Ritz pieces come from the line I personally designed and led from 1982–2011.
- Kenneth Jay Lane (KJL) and Oscar de la Renta vintage pieces come from original Gem-Craft production stock, acquired directly when the company closed in 2024.
- All pieces are sold as vintage/pre-owned designer jewelry — we are not an authorized retailer of current-season Oscar de la Renta or KJL merchandise, and we make no claim to be.
Authentication
Signed pieces are marked with their original maker's hallmark. Where available, we note metal composition, plating, and country of manufacture in each listing. If you have questions about a specific piece's history or provenance before purchasing, reach out — we're glad to share what we know.
Questions or Concerns
If you have any questions about a piece's authenticity, sourcing, or history, contact us at esme@ritzycouturejewelry.com or through our contact page.