Mayer Ziefer, founder of Mayer’s Jewelry, Hollywood, Fla., died Jan. 13. He was 93. Ziefer immigrated to the United States from Europe to avoid the Holocaust, arriving with $5 in his pocket. He founded Mayer’s Jewelry in New York City in the late 1940s, moving the company to south Florida in the early 1970s. He also owned several other jewelry firms, including W.C. Edge, D.M.C., U.S. Chain, and Merano Watches.
Ziefer leaves a family legacy in the jewelry industry. Son Sam Ziefer is president of W.C. Edge, daughter Zina Sherman is the founder of Zina Sterling Silver of Beverly Hills, Calif., and grandson Andrew Goldstein is the primary jewelry designer for Zina Sterling Silver.