Yafa and Maurice Moradof founded Yafa Signed Jewels in 1985.

The 200 block of Worth Avenue is full of hidden gems. Shoppers along the famed street don’t even have to hunt for them. They are all waiting behind the doors of 234 Worth Avenue — the Palm Beach home of Yafa Signed Jewels.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025, the New York-based company is renowned for its ever-changing collection of museum-quality signed jewelry, widely regarded as some of the best pieces in the world.

“We are one of the strongest buyers for vintage pieces in the marketplace right now,” says Mauricece Moradof, co-owner of Yafa Signed Jewels. “At some point anything that’s a major signed piece of jewelry will come through our hands.” The company has bought and sold pieces owned by the Rockefellers, Barbara Sinatra, Estee Lauder and even royalty. Asked to share some of his most memorable pieces over the years, Maurice replies “I bought a crown that belonged to the Sultan of Brunei and a mask from Elizabeth Taylor.”

Yafa Moradof, Maurice Moradof and Tyler Moradof of Yafa Signed Jewels on Worth Avenue, Palm Beach. YAFA SIGNED JEWELS/COURTESY PHOTOS

Yafa Signed Jewels is the namesake of Maurice’s mother —Yafa Moradof. Yafa and Maurice founded the company in 1985. Twenty-four-year-old Tyler Moradof, Maurice’s son, is now the third generation to learn the business of how to source some of the world’s most distinctive jewelry for the world’s most discriminating buyers. It is a craft that has been honed by the family for over four decades and was an unlikely success story at the beginning.

The Moradof family immigrated to New York City from Iran in 1970 when Maurice was just one year old. New York City, at that time, was plagued with inflation, high crime rates, widespread blackouts and a financial crisis. By the early 80s, the family was also in crisis. “My dad was in the business, but my parents got divorced,” says Maurice. “So, my mom and I started our own business.” Maurice was 15 at the time.

Despite the city’s woes, New York was home to the bustling world-famous Diamond District. By 1985, the district was the global hub for the diamond industry. Back then the district operated largely on a trust system with merchants from varied backgrounds buying and selling expensive jewels with no more than a handshake and the traditional blessing “mazel und brucha” (“luck and blessing” in Yiddish) to close the deal.

The jewelry collection at Yafa Signed Jewels is regarded as some of the best pieces in the world. 

Navigating this high-stake industry would have been challenging for anyone, but breaking into the jewelry trade was next to impossible for a newly divorced woman and a 15-year-old boy in the mid-80s. Nonetheless, Yafa and Maurice decided to stake their claim. “We started out primarily with gold jewelry and a little bit of diamond jewelry, but it didn’t work out,” says Maurice. “Then, my mother was very persistent that we go towards the vintage estate jewelry.” Little by little the mother-son team carved out a niche in the competitive industry.

Maurice had to develop an eye for fine jewelry early on and understand the nuances of how to identify authentic pieces amid a sea of imposters. He very quickly learned how to recognize the signatures of brands like Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Harry Winston and Bulgari. “Each piece is signed by the house’s name and the house’s serial number, but the signatures change a little bit over the years,” he says. He explains that a Cartier piece from the 1960s and a Cartier piece from today will both have signatures, but the font or style might be different. Often, only an expert like Maurice can successfully verify the authenticity of these signatures.

• A Cartier diamond, sapphire, onyx and emerald Panther Ring.

The company opened a storefront on 47th Street in 2008. Five years later, it moved to Fifth Avenue, where it remains today. Over the years, Maurice and Yafa built a reputation as the leading purveyors of museum-quality signed vintage jewelry. Today, collectors worldwide look to Yafa Signed Jewels for one-of-a-kind pieces.

Like his father, Tyler started learning the business at a young age. “When I was five years old, I went with my father to a Christie’s auction in St. Moritz. I was very adamant that I wanted to do the auction myself,” recalls Tyler. Maurice gave him the auction paddle and instructed him to raise it each time he tapped Tyler’s leg. Tyler was the successful bidder. “They stopped the entire auction and the auctioneer who was the head of Christie’s jewelry said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen we have the youngest successful bidder in Christie’s history.’”

• A Graff ballerina brooch handcrafted in 18K yellow gold and diamonds.

Tyler attended numerous auctions with his father and two younger brothers growing up, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to join the family business. While at home from college during the pandemic, Tyler worked in the new Palm Beach store. “It really opened my eyes to this valuable and interesting experience. You meet such interesting and creative people from all over the world. It’s a privilege to meet such respected individuals.”

Tyler graduated from George Washington University in 2022 and now works full-time in the business. He hopes to open more retail stores in the future. Until then, he is learning everything he can from his father. “When you’re buying a piece of jewelry, always look at the back. It’s like [the adage of] don’t judge a book by its cover,” he says. “Sometimes you look at a piece from the front and it looks beautiful, but then you flip it over and the gold has marks or is rough on the back. A brand like Cartier or VanCleef will never release a piece without being 100% perfect.”

Tyler is quick to encourage shoppers to visit the store and shop not just for the beauty of a particular piece but for its value. “People often question why they should pay a certain amount of money for a piece. We focus on pieces from the 1960s, 70s and 80s so they are past the point of depreciation. The piece will hold its value.”

Regardless of why a customer comes into Yafa Signed Jewels, the experience is guaranteed to be memorable. “You don’t just wake up one day and have the level of inventory we have,” says Tyler. “We are very fortunate to quite literally have pieces of history.” For more, visit yafasignedjewels.com. ¦