Goldberg Family Legacy

Our father, Bill Goldberg, taught us that a diamond's inherent beauty and magic come from the cut, no matter the color or clarity.

Diamonds are a shared family passion, and Lili Goldberg is at the heart. “As the matriarch, my mother has been an inspiration for every one of us,” Eve says. “She’s an amazing woman with great energy, taste, and style. She was my father’s right hand, and our office was her second home, her life, her place to be with family.”

“We’d have Friday night dinners with my parents, uncles, and grandparents,” recalls grandson Ben Goldberg. “They’d all be talking about diamonds. I feel very fortunate to be the third generation to carry on my grandfather’s legacy. Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds. Just keep it going.”

“The very essence of diamonds is to bring joy into the lives of people.” — William Goldberg

William's wife, Lili, son, Saul, daughter, Eve, son-in-law, Barry Berg and grandson Benjamin Goldberg actively run the family business today.

Goldberg family

William Goldberg was founded over a half century ago and is now one of the most distinguished diamond jewelry houses and purveyor of some of the finest and rarest diamonds the world has ever seen.

The beauty and uncompromising quality of every piece of jewelry in the William Goldberg collection have come to define luxury and elegance. Today, highly skilled craftsmen create exceptional pieces of jewelry that are striking in their brilliance and timeless in design. It is jewelry that celebrates the power and beauty of our extraordinary diamonds.

Our Story Is Rich With History

William Goldberg is built on an appreciation for beauty, a strong sense of style and an unwavering commitment to our clients. This family-owned business has flourished into what is today one of the world's most prestigious diamond jewelry houses. Here are a few of the many milestones.


  1. 1952

    William Goldberg partners with diamond cutter Irving Weiss to form Goldberg & Weiss.


  2. 1954

    Goldberg & Weiss buy the Feldman & Rauch diamond-cutting firm, which has an exclusive contract to supply Van Cleef & Arpels with marquise and pear-shaped diamonds.


  3. 1955

    William Goldberg marries Lili Gordon and starts a family that will form the future generations of the family business.


  4. 1967

    William Goldberg forms an alliance with diamond distributor William Nelkin & Company to begin acquiring important rough stones.


  5. 1973

    William Goldberg steps out on his own to form the William Goldberg Diamond Corporation and becomes a De Beers sightholder.


  6. 1975

    William Goldberg purchases the 136.25 carat Queen of Holland.


  7. 1978

    William Goldberg is elected President of the Diamond Dealers Club. During his three terms as president, he institutes legislation accepting women members, opens the club up to the media and, most of all, builds a sense of team spirit and common purpose among an isolated group of diamond dealers.


  8. 1978

    William Goldberg acquires a one-of-a-kind rough diamond and polishes it to a 137.02 carat D Flawless, known as the Premier Rose. The stone earns worldwide recognition for Goldberg's achievements in obtaining large stones.


  9. 1980

    The vivid blue, trapezoid-shaped Blue Lili, a 30.06 carat stone, is polished from a piece of South African rough purchased by William Goldberg. It is named for William’s wife, Lili.


  10. 1983

    Forbes magazine writes a feature article on William Goldberg entitled, “Mr. Diamond.”


  11. 1988

    William Goldberg displays its internationally celebrated colored diamond collection at the American Museum of Natural History.


  12. 1990

    William Goldberg's offices move from 47th Street to a larger facility on Fifth Avenue. With the new space, Goldberg expands its growing jewelry division and manufacturing operations.


  13. 1990

    William Goldberg receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from Modern Jeweler magazine.


  14. 1992

    Elizabeth Taylor attends the annual AmFAR Gala with the centerpiece of the evening in hand — a diamond mask — to be auctioned. William Goldberg provides all 936 fine diamonds for the mask, weighing a total of 135.90 carats.


  15. 1995

    The GIA® inducts William Goldberg into the League of Honor.


  16. 1998

    William Goldberg acquires a rough stone and polishes it to become the 5.11 carat Red Shield — the largest red diamond ever graded by the GIA.


  17. 1999

    The Goldberg family introduces its patented ASHOKA® diamond cut, which takes its name from a 41.37 carat D Flawless diamond discovered in the Golconda region of Southern India.


  18. 2001

    William Goldberg purchases a 265.82 carat rough. From the odd-shaped rough emerged the Beluga, a 102.23 carat oval, which became the largest D Flawless oval-cut diamond in history.


  19. 2003

    Sophia Loren wears the newest pieces from the William Goldberg Jewelry Collection at the New York screening of Between Strangers.


  20. 2003

    After William Goldberg's death, wife, Lili, son, Saul, daughter, Eve and son-in-law, Barry Berg head the William Goldberg Diamond Corporation. The family continues William's vision and sets new standards in the diamond industry.


  21. 2005

    At the Narciso Rodriguez 7th on Sixth Fashion Week Event, Sheryl Crow debuts the newest pieces from the 2005 ASHOKA® Collection.


  22. 2005 William Goldberg and Chopard collaborate to introduce a collection of watches by Chopard using William Goldberg ASHOKA® diamonds.

  23. 2005

    Oprah Winfrey wears ASHOKA® diamond earrings on the cover of the March issue of O Magazine.


  24. 2005

    The William Goldberg family is inducted into the GIA 10th Anniversary League of Honor, and the GIA New York Student Lounge is named after the late William Goldberg.


  25. 2006

    The City of New York announces that East 48th Street, between Fifth and Madison Avenue, will be officially named William Goldberg Way. The ceremony honoring the legendary William Goldberg takes place on Father’s Day — Sunday, June 18, 2006.


  26. 2009

    William Goldberg opens its flagship showroom on William Goldberg Way in New York.


  27. 2009

    William Goldberg launches its line of ASHOKA® diamond watches.


  28. 2010

    William Goldberg creates an ASHOKA® diamond engagement ring for Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon.


  29. 2013

    William Goldberg creates the first ever, all-D Flawless ASHOKA® diamond necklace, totaling over 100 carats. It took four years to painstakingly source and expertly cut the 66 top-quality ASHOKA® diamonds — each weighing over 1.00 carat and certified by the GIA.


  30. 2015

    The largest ASHOKA® diamond ever cut by William Goldberg, 48 breathtaking carats, became the focal point of a one-of-a-kind necklace set with over 90 carats of the world's most coveted diamonds.


  31. 2016

    William Goldberg announces a strategic alliance with legendary New York diamond house Kwiat, which is producing a collection of ASHOKA® diamond jewelry to be sold exclusively in the U.S. through Kwiat and select independent jewelers.


  32. 2020

    Jacob & Co. featured William Goldberg’s proprietary ASHOKA® diamonds in the spectacular Billionaire ASHOKA® timepiece collection.


  33. 2022

    Another iconic famous diamond from the House of William Goldberg. The Rock, the largest white diamond ever to be sold at auction, at 228.31 carats (the size of an egg), fetched $21.9 million at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Auction in Geneva on May 11, 2022.

“I always encourage people to wear their diamonds every day. It doesn’t have to be a big occasion. Whether you’re at home, having a dinner party, or walking the dog, wear it for yourself because it makes you happy.” — Eve Goldberg