ELLE: What made Leighton such an attractive investment for the Kwiat brand?

Greg Kwiat: The Fred Leighton brand is extraordinary and is synonymous with fine vintage jewelry. It is without question, the finest estate jeweler in the United States. We were extremely excited to be able to take over the brand with all of its growth opportunities and to have 2 distinct brands at the high-end of the jewelry market, with Kwiat and Fred Leighton. Fred Leighton will continue its focus on the finest in vintage jewelry and Kwiat’s focus will remain on classically styled diamond jewelry.

ELLE: How do you see the Fred Leighton brand growing in the next 5-10 years?

Kwiat Buys Fred Leighton - Kwiat - Jewelry

Kwiat: There are a number of growth opportunities for Fred Leighton including opening additional stores in the United States, expanding into international markets and developing a limited wholesale distribution with key retail partners. There are also many opportunities to enhance the existing Fred Leighton collection by expanding its presence in bridal and developing extraordinary limited edition collections.

ELLE: What are some recent acquisitions by Fred Leighton that you are excited about?

Kwiat: We recently acquired a collection of Art Deco bracelets by Cartier that are extraordinarily refined and beautiful. There is also a pair of flower cuff bracelets by Ostertag that are truly bold statement pieces.