Jewellery company, H. Stern, is one of the best-known names in the industry. Its jewels are worn by film stars and supermodels, and co-designed with fashion icons and beauty industry legends. But the glittering, glamorous façade is built on a foundation of hard work, dedication and solid family values.

“Listen more than speak” was the advice CEO, Roberto Stern, was given by his father Hans Stern, the founder of the firm who sadly passed away in 2007. It’s a lesson he’s incorporated into the family empire and his business career. He says the company’s success has grown from this simple philosophy. “Many years ago one of my mentors told me I had to learn to think like a woman, to know what they were looking for in their jeweller. I started to realize that globalisation and the beginning of the new millennium changed modern style. I had to learn to think like a woman ‘who was not trying so hard’ to style herself.”

He also enjoys the relationship between jewellery and the arts. He says their influence is part of his own design inspiration. “I just try to stay current, ahead of the curve. I try to anticipate where the fashion industry is going even before they show collections. Art, architecture, music, dance and design usually highlight shifts in society before fashion.”

His zealous interest in fashion design has led to a collaboration with industry legend Diane von Furstenberg, a woman with a passion for jewellery who says “Jewels are a punctuation to a woman’s style. They are beyond fashion. They are a timeless investment and a signature.” Her collection for H. Stern is handmade and designed for “the woman who is bold, stylish and strong.” Roberto says “Diane is an icon in many ways, and her life is so inspiring that from the moment I got to know her, the collection became inevitable”.

Another unique collaboration was with renowned international hairstylist, Frederic Fekkai. On how the partnership came about, Roberto says: “I was very intrigued by this new idea of ‘effortless beauty’. Frederic invented the concept of ‘fresh beauty’ and I asked him to explain that idea to me. From there we found so much synergy and a collection was born.”

Roberto’s passion for jewellery and design is surpassed only by his passion for the company his father built, which he has expanded in his own unique way. “My goal, from the beginning has been to expand on my father’s legacy and build on his reputation to create a whole new way of being a fine jeweller. I envision H. Stern as a jeweller that creates innovative, original jewellery that best fits the lifestyle of our clients - the modern, independent, self-purchasing women. We are her partner and her trusted advisor. I always want to make sure that our jewellery is accessible, that we can cultivate the young, stylish woman to become a fine jewellery expert later in her life.”

The challenge has been to preserve the traditions of the firm his father founded while modernising the designs, the concepts and the company. He says, “I am passionate and adventurous like my father. I learnt from him to see this business as a pioneer in the industry, although my focus is different from his. He created a new model of fine jewellery based on coloured gemstones in the ’40s. I came in the mid ’80s and started the process of repositioning the business as a house of design, before anyone else even thought about designer jewellery, or women buying jewellery for themselves. But I think my vision is successful now because it rests on the solid foundation that my father built all his life.”

The company’s foundations in Brazil are also a big influence. “The two main national influences are from Germany, my father’s birthplace, and from Brazil, where we reside. We get the obsession for quality of craftsmanship, efficiency of processes and controls from the German side, but being Brazilian makes us flexible, open to exterior influences, in sync with the body’s curves and movements, and free to explore the relationship between woman, body and jewellery.” In fact, one of his favourite designs is the Cobblestones bracelet, which interprets a famous cobblestone street in Buzios, a resort located in the north of Rio.

The H. Stern journey, having already come so far, continues with excitement for Roberto. His aim, “to continue to innovate, challenging ourselves and the industry to new ideas and new ways of bringing modern, unique jewellery into the life of women everywhere”, seems well on its way to being realised.