I was very sorry to hear today about the death of Kurt Einhorn at age 77 …

A former DTC sightholder, Kurt was widely respected in the industry. Someone once described him as part of an older generation of diamantaires, who really loved the business, and would really get excited when they saw a beautiful diamond.  I am not sure how many of that breed we have left. Many of his family followed him into the business; his son now runs this Internet diamond site, based in England.

I should note that I was actually related to Kurt by marriage. (I believe his wife was my mother’s cousin.) On one of my first trips to Antwerp, I had a very nice Shabbat dinner with he and his wife, and he hosted me in his office several times. At that dinner, Kurt told me about how he and his family spent time in a concentration camp, but ended up escaping. It was a harrowing but fascinating tale. Hopefully, someone has recorded it because stories like that should not be lost to history. 

I hope to have more information as it becomes available. Anyway, again, very sorry to hear, and my thoughts are with his wife and family …

UPDATE:  Longtime friend Alan Kleinberg, former president of the DMIA, told me this: “Kurt was an icon of the industry. His integrity and diamond knowledge were outstanding, as anyone who worked with him could attest. He represented all the good things that one talks about in this industry.”

Rob Bates

JCK News Director