1931
1931
Gerzon Becher, father of Fanya Gandelman, establishes a dry cleaning business on the island of Curaçao
1931
1949
1949
Fanya marries Morris Gandelman, marking the start of the 2nd generation in the business. They open a luxury clothing boutique, "Elegance", along with two other stores, in Willemstad, Curacao.
1958
1958
The Gandelmans open what would become their longtime flagship store on Breedestraat in Willemstad, Curacao, called The Beehive.
1958
1964
1964
The Brazilian jeweler Hans Stern travels to Curacao and develops a close friendship with Fanya and Morris. He decides to offer them a deal as the exclusive retailer on the island for his jewelry line H. Stern, marking a new venture for the Gandelmans from high-end fashion to jewelry.
1970
1970
Morris Gandelman starts creating his own jewelry designs for the store. As a creative self-starter, he becomes fascinated by the art of making jewelry, and goes on to produce custom made rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. He trains and hires eight goldsmiths to bring his designs to reality.
1970
1970s
1970s
The Gandelmans travel frequently to New York where Morris learns about designing, casting, and molding jewelry in the city’s Diamond District, while Fanya selects and negotiates buying new gemstones for Morris’s designs.
1977
1977
Fanya and Morris’s son, Robert, joins the business and moves to the island of St Maarten to build a store in the center of the island’s capital, Philipsburg. As a graduate of MIT and UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, and the first Gandelman to attend University, Robert brings to the table a fresh outlook and strong drive to propel the company’s expanding success.
1977
1981
1981
Robert Gandelman moves to Aruba and opens the company’s first store there, on Mainstreet. Over the course of the 80s, Gandelman opens eight luxury boutiques, at one point selling 40 well known brands. Meanwhile, in Curacao, two more stores were debuted.
1992
1992
After being approached by the iconic French jewelry brand, Gandelman ventures to open the first Cartier Boutique on Aruba. With seemingly no options for a prime store front that was available at the time, Robert spends a day on the main square in Aruba’s downtown capital until he finally spots the perfect location: the site of the Renaissance Mall’s electrical closet.
1992
1998
1998
Gandelman acquires Rolex and becomes the official Rolex retailer for Aruba and Curacao, after winning the confidence of Rolex Geneva over many years of talks, dinners, and facsimiles.
Early 2000s
Early 2000s
Gandelman acquires the Bulgari and David Yurman lines of jewelry after frequent travels to Italy and New York. Robert develops a close relationship with the Yurmans after having met David in Las Vegas many years earlier.
Early 2000s
2009
2009
With the global economy shifting, Robert Gandelman decides to consolidate the company’s brands and locations over a 10 year period, from a height of 12 stores in both Aruba and Curacao, to four boutiques, each one specializing in a particular brand: Bulgari, Cartier, David Yurman and Rolex.
2015 & 2016
2015 & 2016
Robert Gandelman’s daughters join the business, marking the fourth generation. The company owns and operates four Boutiques in the Renaissance Mall in Aruba.
2015 & 2016
2025
2025
Gandelman reopens a completely remodeled and expanded Cartier Boutique after eight years of planning. The store’s re-opening marks a significant new era for luxury shopping in Aruba.
Today
Today
Gandelman is proud to be in its 4th generation, offering the top jewelry and watch brands from around the world, attracting customers from the world over, and continuing to lead the transformation of Aruba into a premier luxury destination in the Caribbean.
Today