1893
Founding
First Generation:
Ernst Alexander and Julie Wellendorff founded the Wellendorff jewellery manufactory.
Vision of Perfection
With a vision to create perfect and magnificent jewellery, Ernst Alexander Wellendorff founded his own jewellery manufactory in Pforzheim in 1893. Very soon, he realised his dream and enchanted not only the rich bourgeoisie with his creations, but also the European nobility. Even the Russian tsar and the British royal family were among his customers.
1947
Post-War Period & Excellence
Second Generation:
After the war, Dr. Alexander Wellendorff started to use special press tools to make heavy signet rings from 18-karat gold.
The first signet rings made from solid gold
The Wellendorff family had to weather the storms of two world wars. When Dr. Alexander Wellendorff returned from the war, he found the city and the manufactory to be just rubble and ashes. During this difficult time, there was no need for high-quality jewellery. But he remembered the philosophy that his father passed down to him: “If you work with the best and noblest of materials, such as gold and diamonds, and you employ the best goldsmiths and experts in the field and then give them the best tools to work with, it is inevitable that you will produce the best and most exquisite jewellery in the world and then invariably you will be able to enchant the most distinguished jewellery aficionados.”
1960
Establishing the Brand
Third Generation:
Eva and Hanspeter Wellendorff brought the company into the modern era. Hanspeter Wellendorff took over the manufactory in 1960 and acted with business flair and creative talent.
The Diamond W became the symbol for "Genuine Values".
Hanspeter Wellendorff put in place his vision to sign each individual piece of jewellery, placing the Diamond W on it. In 1970, he established Wellendorff as a brand, and introduced the Diamond W shortly after that. Since then, all pieces have been adorned with it, symbolising the company's commitment to the highest level of quality, precision and craftsmanship – and representing Genuine Values.
1977
Silk made from Gold
Over the past 127 years, we have focused on using the finest materials, meticulous work, and on the feel. We have created a new, third dimension in jewellery: a necklace that you can recognise with your eyes closed.
The Wellendorff Rope
The design of the first Wellendorff Rope is now not just part of the company; it's part of our history: In 1977, after many years of toil, Hanspeter Wellendorff created the first rope for his wife, Eva, to fulfil her wish for a silky-soft necklace. Under reference number 4.4904, this wish was turned into the current Wellendorff classic:
The Rope
1993
Magic Rings
Fourth Generation:
When Christoph and Georg Wellendorff entered the company in 1991 and 1993, the collection underwent some changes. Since the company's centenary celebration in 1993, Wellendorff has been awarding the Ernst Alexander Wellendorff Memorial Prize, an award initiated by Hanspeter Wellendorff for outstanding practical work in the jewellery sector, in which an old craft technique comes into its very own with regard to quality.
Wellendorff-Cold Enamel
In 1993, colour entered the collection – with the special Wellendorff Enamel that in the future would emphasize the features on the spinning Wellendorff rings and the pendants, earrings and bracelets thereafter. Another milestone and an extraordinary trademark is the silky-soft and playful spinning of the inner rings: A special charm for the wearer.
1993: First ring in Cold Enamel
The cold enamel was also to adorn pendants, earrings and bracelets.
1997: Playful Spinning of the Inner Rings
1997
First Wellendorff Ring of the Year
Since 1997, Wellendorff has been presenting a limited-edition Ring of the Year – a unique design, expressing a theme in the form of a ring
Limited Edition Rings of the Year
In 1997, the first Wellendorff Ring of the Year, "Hong Kong", was created for the handing over of this British colony to China. The Rings of the Year are numbered, limited editions corresponding to the year they are made – in 2020, only 220 women worldwide will be able to call this ring their own. Today, there is a waiting list for these much sought-after Rings of the Year, which are now being sold at many times their original price.
2008
First Wellendorff Boutique
Since 2008, the company has had its own boutiques both in Germany and abroad. Wellendorff has boutiques in North America, Central Europe and Asia and is represented across the world by a network of selected jewellers.
2014
Top Jewellery Brand
Wellendorff was voted #1 Jewellery Brand by German jewellers. It has become our goal to reach this title in other countries across the world. We desire to spread Genuine Values and the special feeling of silk made from gold.
2020
127 years. From love. The best.
Even now, some 127 years after Wellendorff was founded, our standards of top quality, exceptional design and the silky-soft feel against skin remain the same. We have invested passion, precision, heart and soul into the development and production of our jewellery. But it is love that sets it apart, allowing our pieces to tell their own stories.
