Born in Ignatovka just outside of Kiev, Joseph Marchak was apprenticed to a jeweler in 1868 at the age of 14. Within ten years he had opened his own shop and, within twenty, Marchak had gained international renown as one of the most important jewelers in the Russian Empire. Winning a medal at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and one in Antwerp in 1894, Marchak became known as the “Cartier of Kiev.” After business began to recover from the effects of war, Alexander Diringer, who worked at Sterlé, was brought aboard as the chief designer and remained so through the 1960’s.

A grandson of Marchak is leading a contemporary revival of the name, with design teams being trained by Degommier and manufacturing being done by Cristofol, Paris.