Firestone and Parson was founded in 1946 by Edwin I. Firestone and Kenneth B. G. Parson, Jr., at 344 Boylston Street in Boston.
The company continues to be owned and operated by Mr. Firestone’s son, David, and grandson, William, who is a graduate gemologist. Supporting them in management is Farley N. Sullivan, who joined the firm in 1992.
Since our founding, we have offered a curated selection of modern jewelry items alongside two specialist categories of goods: rare jewelry and gemstones from the 18th century to the present, and antique English and Early American silver from the 18th century and earlier. We find these items to be immensely interesting, and we are serious about connoisseurship and market knowledge. The result is a collection distinguished for its consistency, depth, and quality.
The purchase and sale of estates and individual jewels remains central to our business, and we take great pride in the role we have played in developing significant private collections. We have sold historic diamonds, superb colored stones, and rare signed jewels. A timeline of our company history, which also highlights a few of the more significant items we have handled over the years, is included below.
Firestone and Parson’s knowledgeable staff provides a full range of services related to jewelry and fine antiques, including valuations, consultation, custom orders, and repairs. We also have significant experience of handling diverse materials outside our core focus and advise clients on decorative arts, Americana, and fine paintings.
As we enter our 80th year, we are proud to operate a business that at its core is unchanged since its founding. We enjoy our work and our trade, and we are grateful to Firestone and Parson's customers for their confidence and support.
We look forward to learning about you and how best we can serve you.
From left: Davis Moore, Alex Bitzel, Jessica Lincoln, David Firestone, Ilene Borr, Farley Sullivan, and William Firestone
Notable Milestones
1946
Edwin I. Firestone and Kenneth B.G. Parson opened the business at 344 Boylston Street, on the second floor.
1955
Firestone and Parson moved to premises at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Arlington Street, occupying a space that was designed for a jewelry store when the hotel was built in 1927.
1967
Firestone and Parson paid a record price for gold at auction in its purchase of a George II Scottish gold teapot engraved with the Royal Arms, by James Kerr, 1736.
1973
Firestone and Parson paid a record price for silver at auction in its purchase of a George II Irish silver bowl engraved with a racing scene, by William Williamson II, 1751, now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
1975
David Firestone joins the firm.
1976
Firestone and Parson purchased and sold an extraordinary emerald and diamond necklace, once thought to have been lost on the Titanic, created by Frédéric Boucheron for Mrs. William Astor in 1896.
1979
Firestone and Parson paid a record price for Early American Silver at auction in its purchase of a silver punch bowl made by Hugh Wishart, New York, c. 1800, now in the collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
1979
Firestone and Parson purchased and sold "Nymphéas: Passage d’eau," by Claude Monet, c. 1908.
1989
Frederick P. Parson Jr., nephew of Kenneth B.G. Parson, joins the firm (and retired after 36 years.)
1990
Firestone and Parson exhibited at the inaugural International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show at New York’s Park Avenue Armory, and stayed on as an exhibitor for twenty years.
1991
Firestone and Parson paid a record price for Early American Gold at auction in its purchase of a gold Freedom Box presented by the Corporation of the City of New York to John Jay, made by Samuel Johnson, New York, in 1784, with a length of 3 3/8 inches.
1992
Farley N. Sullivan joins the firm.
1993
Firestone and Parson purchased and sold an extremely unusual invisibly set jewel by Van Cleef & Arpels, made in 1938 and formerly of the collection of King Farouk of Egypt.
1995
The business moved to a store on Newbury Street.
2004
Firestone and Parson set a new auction record for Early American Silver in its purchase of a silver coffee pot by Paul Revere, Boston, c. 1770.
2006
Firestone and Parson purchased and sold an immensely rare 22-carat antique cushion-cut vivid blue diamond, which had once been set into the Maharaja of Nawanagar’s ceremonial necklace, designed by Cartier in 1931, and the inspiration for the heist target in the Hollywood film Ocean’s 8.
2012
William Firestone (pictured with Eddie Firestone) joins the firm after completing the graduate gemology program at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
2020
Firestone and Parson purchased a rare 16th century gold and black enamel rectangular link chain necklace made for the Spanish Habsburg court, measuring 44 inches in length, and loaned it to the Art Institute of Chicago for display in the Renaissance Arms and Armor Collections, Gallery 238.
2021
The business moved to its current location at 17 Arlington Street.
2025
In concert with the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Firestone and Parson offered for sale one of the last known coffeepots by Paul Revere still in private hands.