THE SHIMANSKY STORY · SINCE 1991
A life
in light.
A journey of curiosity, craft
and the pursuit of brilliance.
01 / THE BEGINNING
A different way
of seeing.
Two years in Japan shaped Yair Shimansky’s understanding of diamond optics, cut and proportion. He arrived in South Africa in 1991, carrying that fascination with light.
Jewellery sold at a craft market became a small retail outlet, followed by the first Shimansky boutique in 1994.
From the Shimansky archive 0102 / THE PURSUIT
Follow the light.
All the way.
In 1998, Yair travelled to Kimberley to buy rough diamonds directly. Wanting cuts that favoured brilliance, he established Shimansky’s first polishing workshop in 1999.
The journey from rough stone to finished diamond became part of the house’s own craft.
03 / DESIGN & CRAFT
First, a thought.
Then, a thousand details.
Ideas move from paper into three-dimensional design. Traditional bench skills and digital tools work together, from shaping and polishing metal to setting the stones.
04 / A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN
A line.
A cut.
A signature.
Millennium became a defining expression of Shimansky’s contemporary design. The My Girl diamond cut followed its own path: patented in 2003, with a distinctive diamond-shaped table.
Developed over three years, My Girl begins with a crystal-shaped rough diamond. Its geometry makes light part of the design.
Discover My Girl Our Story & My Girl 01, 03
05 / THE HOUSE OF SHIMANSKY
A story to
step inside.
At the Rockwell in Cape Town, the story continues through the workshop, diamond polishing and the showroom. A private visit brings the making of jewellery into view.
The Rockwell Diamond Experience 04