By Jennifer Heebner, Editor in Chief
Austrian-born Roland Krainz of Krainz Creations has been making fine jewelry for 43 years, apprenticing in Europe before moving to the U.S. in 1989. From a stateside apartment, he made repairs and white-label designs—including some that have graced red carpet events—for others until founding his eponymous firm in 1995.
“I had two simple theories,” he recollects. “The Golden Rule or principle of treating others as you want to be treated, along with delivering the best value to anyone who chooses to work with me and my team. That is still how I run my business today.”
While those prescripts remain in place, what’s changed are his capabilities and reach. As a designer, Krainz embraced all available technology including CAD/CAM design in Rhino and Matrix, 3D printing in platinum, karat gold, and sterling silver, and other tools. Krainz appreciated traditional techniques like wax carving but also knew how powerful advancements in manufacturing were to evolve his business. Several jewelry design patents later, his innovative prowess is clear. He even has a patented self-sizing ring with technology borrowed from car racing, a side passion.
His latest triumph? A new 16,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the 580 building on 47th Street in Manhattan that opened in 2022.
Krainz has achieved so much success—think sales and an AGTA Spectrum Award, among other accomplishments—that he’s added philanthropic and charitable endeavors to his long list of pursuits.
“Nothing is more gratifying than having the opportunity to now give back to others,” he says.
Altruistic Actions
Krainz’s business is big not only on innovative designs for heirlooms but also on giving back. He does so by partnering with nonprofits dedicated to improving the wellbeing of women and children, including Safe Horizons, Coalition for the Homeless, and Jewelers for Children. Other fave organizations include the Saquon Barkley Foundation, the Big Vision Foundation, the Ascent Foundation, and the Robinhood Foundation. This fall he doubled down on this devotion to aid, telling AGTA, “We try to give back whenever possible, including helping out groups when it’s time for kids to go back to school, around Thanksgiving, and during the Christmas season.”
And for up-and-coming makers, Krainz has a different sort of offer: to use his manufacturing facility in New York City, free of charge. It’s an effort that kicked off once his factory was complete to “inspire other artisans,” Krainz told peers at the American Gem Society (AGS) just ahead of the site’s unveiling.
Krainz’s support of jewelry industry groups is also noticeable. He’s a member of AGS and AGTA and recently supported the Women’s Jewelry Association’s Ruby Gala and the 24K Club of Southern California’s 79th Annual Dinner Dance and Gala. Krainz Creations has also exhibited at the COUTURE jewelry show, at Continental Buying Group shows, and has a presence at the 2024 AGTA GemFair Tucson in booth #1775 on the GemHall floor.
Krainz’s support of CURE JM Foundation, a group that educates about juvenile myositis (JM) and supports research in the field, is another important cause. As a child, Krainz’s son Austin developed JM, an autoimmune disease affecting muscles and skin. Now a young adult, Austin is in remission, but the disease can return at any time. As part of his own healing, the young Krainz participates in monthly Zoom calls with other affected kids. Through his involvement, Austin inspires others to overcome the illness, and he even invites them to see him and his dad race in professional events, a hobby that father and son share.
Cars & Jewelry
Always interested in racecars, Krainz joined a club in New York around 2011, and by 2021, felt able to ramp up involvement. To wit, he joined a series called the Porsche Sprint Challenge, and by the end of that year, he had finished in the No. 2 spot. Now that Austin is old enough to participate, the father-son duo will compete in a series called SRO Motorsports, an hourlong race where drivers change midway through.
The Krainzes have two racecars, both Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsports, and in 2024 will compete in seven SRO series races, among others. Roland’s favorite track is the Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla., because of the skill it requires.
As for commonalities between jewelry and cars, they exist, he maintains, in patience, reliability, and calculated risks, among other traits.
In fact, the criteria to compete in the Porsche races are as precise as the jewelry he engineers. Drivers compete on skill alone by ensuring that vehicles are identical down to the nuts and bolts; similarly, he makes his state-of-the-art factory available for use to anyone in need. This sort of level playing field has allowed Krainz to flourish on the course and as a craftsman, making technologically innovative jewels rich in colored stones and with contemporary appeal. His designs celebrate the “natural brilliance” of gemstones used, he says, and insists that makers must “consider the entire value proposition of pieces including client satisfaction—not just price.”
This sort of thinking is what empowered him to win a 2019 AGTA Spectrum Award for Best Use of Platinum and Color for the stingray “Emergence” cuff, with Sapphires, Emeralds, Diamonds, and Rubies. It was his first-ever design contest and reinforced the upward trajectory of his business.
“I was hopeful to win,” he told AGTA at the time. “Now we’ll enter more.”
Fast Facts on Roland Krainz of Krainz Creations
Contact: Roland Krainz, Owner and President
Years in Business: 43 (Krainz Creations was founded in the U.S. in 1995)
Headquarters: New York City
Phone Number: 212-583-1555
Email: [email protected]
Website: krainzcreations.com
Instagram: @krainzcreations
Facebook: Krainz Creations
Trade Shows: AGTA GemFair Tucson (GemHall #1775), AGS Conclave, Continental Buying Group (CBG)
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