MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
SourcingOct 02, 2017
Jean-Paul Tolkowsky’s Diamond Co. Files for Bankruptcy in US
Exelco North America Inc., Diamond Trading USA, Exelco NV and FTK Worldwide Manufacturing BVBA all filed for Chapter 11.
Wilmington, Del.--Exelco NV, the diamond company co-owned by master cutter Jean-Paul Tolkowsky, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Antwerp-based Exelco NV and FTK Worldwide Manufacturing BVBA, along with U.S.-based affiliates Exelco North America and Ideal Diamond Trading USA, filed on Sept. 26 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, listing up to $100 million in liabilities, court papers show.
The filing follows Exelco losing its status as a De Beers sightholder in April and lender KBC Group NV seizing goods from Exelco’s office in Antwerp over the summer in an effort to recover some of the money it’s owed.
An Antwerp court later ruled that KBC had to return the goods because Exelco was on track to repay its loans, but the company’s U.S. bankruptcy filing shows that the bank isn’t giving up.
According to court documents, Exelco originally filed the rough equivalent of Chapter 11 in Belgium but then withdrew that and filed in the United States, informing KBC of what it had done.
Despite this, court documents state, KBC continued to pursue legal action in Belgium that would allow it to seize and liquidate Exelco NV’s assets.
Exelco filed a motion for a temporary restraining order, invoking protections afforded under U.S. bankruptcy to block KBC’s actions overseas.
A U.S. bankruptcy court judge granted the TRO Friday, in an order that states in part that KBC is enjoined from “seeking to seize and/or liquidate [Exelco’s] assets and from further attempts to use the Act on the Continuity of Enterprises in Belgium or other legal proceedings to seize and/or liquidate [Exelco’s] assets. KBC is hereby directed to immediately withdraw all pending requests for relief against the debtors or their assets in the Antwerp Commercial Court (and any other court).”
A spokesperson for KBC said the company cannot comment on the case, as it is a pending legal issue involving a client.
Neither Exelco nor the attorney listed as representing it in the case, Wilmington, Delaware-based Michael R. Nestor, responded to request for comment.
Documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court list Exelco NV’s creditors as numbering between 50 and 99, and puts its assets at $10 to $50 million.
According to a filing made by the company in Belgium and cited by Bloomberg, among the company’s biggest creditors are KBC and another former diamond industry lender, Standard Chartered Plc, which are owed $15 million and $35 million, respectively.
The largest unsecured creditors include a number of
Antwerp-based diamond companies, like Eurostar Diamond Traders, Trau Bros. NV and N. Shah & Co. BVBA, as well as Rosy Blue Sales Ltd. in Israel and Mahendra Brothers in India, according to U.S. court documents.
Tolkowsky, a member of the family of famous diamond cutters, started Exelco in 1993 with Leon and Lior Kunstler.
The company is a mid-stream supplier of diamonds, buying rough from miners and then cutting, polishing and/or setting the stones and selling them to retail jewelers.
Among the company’s clients is Signet Jewelers Ltd., which carries Tolkowsky-branded collections at its Kay Jewelers and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry chains.
Tolkowsky, a member of the family of famous diamond cutters, started Exelco in 1993 with Leon and Lior Kunstler.
The company is a mid-stream supplier of diamonds, buying rough from miners and then cutting, polishing and/or setting the stones and selling them to retail jewelers.
Among the company’s clients is Signet Jewelers Ltd., which carries Tolkowsky-branded collections at its Kay Jewelers and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry chains.
More on Sourcing
The Latest
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Weekly QuizMar 26, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th AnniversaryCohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.
IndependentsMar 26, 2026
Peter Smith Pens Book on Human Behavior in Sales“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
NAJA, Instappraise Introduce New ScholarshipIt’s the third scholarship to be launched as part of the partnership to help appraisers advance their professional credentials.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
JA Still Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE AwardsThe deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.
SourcingMar 25, 2026
Rob Bates Steps Down as JCK News Director After 28 years with JCK, the veteran industry journalist is launching his own publication on Substack called The Jewelry Wire.
GradingMar 25, 2026
New York’s Natural History Museum, Wiley To Build Minerals DatabaseWiley said the project will give scientists worldwide access to the American Museum of Natural’s History renowned mineral collection.
CollectionsMar 25, 2026
Boochier Turns Flower Friendship Bracelets Into Fine JewelryThe “Flower Puff” collection looks to beaded flower friendship bracelets from childhood, turning the silhouette into nostalgic fine jewelry.
Policies & IssuesMar 25, 2026
Community for Ethical Jewelry to Host Bench Jeweler Shortage WebinarSet for April 2, the webinar will discuss how the jewelry industry can address the workforce gap.
IndependentsMar 24, 2026
Lisa Bayer, Illustrator and Beloved Member of the Muse Family, Dies at 64Bayer, founder of Lisa Bayer Designs, is remembered as “a bright light in every room.”
