Neil Lane and Emily Stoehrer
A Journey in Jewels, Part 1

Neil Lane grew up in Brooklyn, drawn early to sparkle and beauty. Collecting colored glass as a child and rescuing antiques as a teen, he discovered an enduring fascination with craftsmanship. After college, he moved to Paris, where a chance purchase of a 19th-century diamond brooch sparked his lifelong devotion to period jewelry. By the mid-1980s, Lane settled in Los Angeles, launching his business on Beverly Boulevard and creating signature designs for stars like Goldie Hawn, Renée Zellweger, and Reese Witherspoon. His partnership with De Beers LVMH introduced his Hollywood Diamond Collection, reviving antique cuts and redefining modern luxury with vintage artistry. In 2010, Lane joined Kay Jewelers to launch Neil Lane Bridal™, transforming American bridal jewelry by blending glamour with accessibility. His designs brought individuality and old-world romance to a mass audience, revolutionizing the idea of what an engagement ring could represent. As the official designer for The Bachelor franchise, Lane’s name became synonymous with televised romance. Most recently, the Toledo Museum of Art premiered Radiance and Reverie, an exhibition of his historical jewel collection, accompanied by a Rizzoli book and national museum tour—a celebration of his vision and influence on American jewelry design.

Dr. Emily Stoehrer is the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Senior Curator of Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and a Visiting Lecturer at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She most recently curated Beyond Brilliance at the MFA, Boston, and co-curated Radiance & Reverie: Jewelry from the Collection of Neil Lane at the Toledo Museum of Art, for which she also served as co-editor of the accompanying Rizzoli publication. Her scholarly contributions include Brilliance: Jewelry Art Fashion and Beyond Adornment: Jewelry and Identity in Art, and Arts & Crafts Jewelry in Boston. Dr. Stoehrer holds a PhD in humanities from Salve Regina University and a master’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology.