Joseph Marchak was only 14 years old when he started as a jewelry apprentice in Kiev. Within twenty years by 1878, he had gained international renown as one of the most important jewelers in the Russian Empire. Marchak became known as the “Cartier of Kiev.” His business expanded and after the revolution the company moved to Paris.
Alexander Marchak opened a boutique on the Rue de la Paix in 1920 where his fine quality and original designs gained fame. After World War II business began to recover. Alexander Diringer, who worked at Sterlé, was brought aboard as the chief designer and remained so through the 1960s.
Another jeweler working in Paris, Jacques Verger, created for the likes of Boucheron, Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels. His sons, Georges and Henri, were also in the business. Henri’s son, Jacques, began his career working behind the counter for Ostertag and later, Sterlé. While there, he also caught attention of Alexander Marchak and went to work for him in a sales position in 1946.
The combination of Verger’s management style and the talents of Diringer and Degommier, who were added to the team in 1958, assured success for Marchak. Without a workshop of their own, pieces were produced by various other manufacturers. Unfettered by the burden of overhead borne by the jewelers in Place Vendôme, Marchack was free to follow its own muse.
Jacques Verger set out to win the American market. Verger was known for bestowing precious “objets” on his clients: Jacqueline Kennedy for instance received a black lacquer and gold desk set. Marchak was also appointed jeweler to King Hassan II of Morocco.
In 1988 the Marchak boutique was sold to Daum. 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. The grand opening in Paris on rue de Richelieu took place in April of 2005.