Lenkersdorfer Fine Jewelers has been synonymous with luxury, quality and exemplary customer service for discerning clientele who seek the world’s finest watch brands and fine jewelry in the Washington, D.C. area.

history

Lenkersdorfer Fine Jewelers’ was founded in 1993 by Washington, D.C. native, local businessman and philanthropist, Thomas Liljenquist, who serves on the Board of St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. We are an affiliate of Liljenquist & Beckstead Jewelers – a distinguished company that has six stores and more than seventy employees under its umbrella – and has been serving the Metropolitan D.C. area for more than 30 years.

In our steadfast commitment to give back to a community that has richly embraced us, we proudly host events at Lenkersdorfer Fine Jewelers to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and frequently make donations to support this extremely worthwhile cause. In addition, the Liljenquist family is continually developing charitable activities and events to improve the quality of life for as many individuals in need as possible.

Lenkersdorfer Fine Jewelers is also taking steps towards “Going Green” and becoming eco-friendly. We re-use shipping boxes, recycle all paper, cardboard boxes, lights and batteries, and focus on minimal energy consumption to reduce our carbon footprint. We strive to be environmentally friendly by keeping our offices digital and dematerialized, re-using displays – and even our staff car pools whenever possible.

In addition to embracing social responsibility locally, Lenkersdorfer Fine Jewelers is ethically committed globally. We are acutely aware of the issue of Conflict Diamonds - diamonds whose trade funds conflict, civil wars and human rights abuses as well as bloody conflicts in Africa - and we take it very seriously. We actively work with suppliers to stop Conflict Diamonds from ever entering our inventory.

In 1998, Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada, two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from the United Kingdom and Canada, respectively, brought to the attention of the diamond industry and the world media that the illegal trade of rough diamonds was funding the activities of rebel organizations in Angola and Sierra Leone. The diamond industry immediately began cooperating with the United Nations and engaged with government and leading NGOs to seek ways to halt trade in conflict diamonds.

In May 2000, the South African Government convened a meeting in Kimberley for all interested parties to meet and discuss a way forward. These meetings have come to be known as the “Kimberley Process”. Over a period of two years following the meeting in Kimberley, an agreement on an International Certification Scheme was reached. The “Kimberley Process Certification Scheme” requires that each shipment of rough diamonds being exported and crossing an international border be transported in a tamper-resistant container and be accompanied by a government-validated certification stating that the diamonds are not Conflict Diamonds (the “Kimberley Process Certificate”).

Based on information provided by Global Witness in March 2004, the certification system was implemented by a wide majority of countries participating to the Kimberley Process (79 countries) starting from January 1, 2003.

The diamond industry reacted immediately, and in July 2000 the Federation of Diamond Bourses and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association - two entities representing the most important manufacturing and trading centers on a worldwide basis - created the World Diamond Council. This organization gathers manufacturers, traders, governments and relevant international organizations and is aimed at controlling that the restrictions for trade in conflict diamonds are applied.

In February 2003, the World Diamond Council published an “Essential Guide to Implementing the Kimberley Process” in order to promote a self-regulation system for the whole diamond industry aimed at restricting the trade in conflict diamonds.

According to this guide, all jewelry retailers should:

Require that all of their suppliers provide warranties for all polished diamonds;
Inform suppliers in writing that they will require a warranty;
Retain these warranties for at least five years.

Lenkersdorfer Fine Jewelers only buys diamonds from suppliers based in countries which have adhered to the Kimberley Process. Our commitment to the Kimberley process ensures the integrity of our diamond supply chain and works towards elimination of the trade of conflict diamonds.