Ritzi Jewelry Consultants
143 Years of Expertise
Story of Ritzi
Ritzi Jewelers was established in 1881 in Ohio, when Casper Ritzi imigrated to the United States from Switzerland. He opened the first family jewelry store there and the family business flourished for many years, in Ohio. William Ritzi, his grandson, eventually brought the business to Florida. William A. Ritzi & Sons was opened in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1947. It has been a fixture in Downtown Daytona for 76 years. Fourth generation sons, Thomas and David Ritzi continued in the family business for years until their passing. Currently, fifth generation daughter, Cynthia continues to this day as owner of the jewelry business.
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The Ritzi Family has an impressive history of dedication to their beloved industry, including serving on industry boards and inventing equipment and devices to enable jewelers to operate better in their businesses. Cynthia Ritzi has designed and produced many materials and trademarked products to address Jewelry Security and was the founder of the NJSA (National Jewelry Security Association). Please read below for further details on the history of the Ritzi Family.
Thomas F. Ritzi, fourth generation jeweler, invented and patented the ColorMaster, for industry use by jewelers and appraisers. It was the first product of it's kind to allow communication of color to jewelers worldwide. Each jeweler, dealer or appraiser could quantify any of a million colors, by utilizing this design which gave a numerical value to color. That value could be used to purchase, appraise or match gemstones worldwide with anyone having this machine. The patent was eventually sold to Gem Instruments, the industry leader in jewelry related equipment and products and marketed worldwide. William A. Ritzi & Sons, Inc., was given the first machine in production, marked by a plate that states Serial Number 1. This product was sold for many years until an updated product for quantifying color was developed.
The Ritzi Innovators
Cynthia Ritzi
5th Generation Jeweler
Custom Jewelry Designer
Use this space to introduce yourself and share your professional history.
Cynthia Ritzi is a fifth generation jeweler and current owner of Ritzi & Co. Jewelers. She has dedicated many years developing trademarked products for the jewelry industry and consumer protection use. She founded the NJSA, an organization designed to offer protections for the jewelry consumer and the jeweler alike. The NJSA (National Jewelry Security Association) has produced numerous products surrounding jewelry security, jewelry inventorying and consumer education. The KeepSafe Jewelry Portfolio and Keepsafe Jewelry Inventory are trademarked products that help to catalog and safeguard fine jewelry. Cynthia was also the co-host of the PBS TV program, Antiques and Collectibles that featured a live studio audience and weekly experts in all categories of collectibles, including jewelry.
Thomas F. Ritzi
4th Generation Jeweler
Clock Maker, Appraiser
David W. Ritzi
4th Generation Jeweler
Master Watchmaker, Appraiser
David W. Ritzi was a 4th Generation Jeweler and Master Watchmaker. He worked in the family retail business for over 40 years. David did many appraisals for customers and developed a set of micro-gauges, called The Meleemeeter, which were used as an aid in appraising mounted diamonds. These gauges were sold throughout the industry for many years and are still used to this day.
David W. Ritzi
