Erwin Pearl (d. 2023) was born in Austria and, as a Holocaust survivor, immigrated to the United States with his uncle following World War II. Pearl settled in New York City, where he studied jewelry design and became an accomplished diamond cutter. In 1952, he founded his eponymous company, Erwin Pearl, and went on to win the prestigious Diamond International Award in London for five consecutive years. After establishing himself in the world of fine jewelry, Pearl expanded into high-quality fashion jewelry for which the company is especially well known today.