Manhattan’s Diamond District is an entire city block full of old-world charm and the most experienced and knowledgeable jewelers around. In the heart of one of the biggest and most bustling cities in the world, the Diamond District in New York City has withstood the constant changes of the surrounding city. Located between Times Square and Rockefeller Center, this single block of 47th Street in Midtown Manhattan has a rich history and an incredible story. Decades after it was first established, it continues to overcome challenges and remains the foremost diamond hub of the United States.
Given the hustle-and-bustle of the Diamond District, it should come as no surprise that accidents can and do happen.
January 5, 2012: A worker was injured at a Diamond District Construction Site and emergency crews responded to calls about a construction accident at W. 47th Street, New York City. The construction worker on a Diamond District worksite was seriously injured after falling two stories, according to reports. The man identified only as Carlos fell from the 26th floor inside the International Gem Tower which was being constructed at 44 W. 47th St., FDNY officials had said.
“He was bleeding from the head, but he was moving,” said Ricardo Flores, who worked at a jewelry store across the street. Witnesses reported that a crane was utilized to lower him to safety. He suffered injuries to his shoulders and legs and was in serious condition at Bellevue Hospital, an FDNY spokesman said. Fire officials investigated the cause of the fall. Construction subsequently resumed at approximately 11 a.m. that same day.
September 16, 2015: According to officials, two construction workers remodeling a Diamond District office building had to be treated for minor injuries after falling from a second-floor mezzanine. The two workers were inside the Fifth Avenue building near West 47th Street at about 10:15 a.m. when they fell, according to reports. Paramedics treated the two men at the scene. The building, known as the World Diamond Tower was undergoing a fifty million dollar renovation, officials said.
February 14, 2018: A Diamond District jeweler was killed in a hit-and-run vehicular accident. The well-known jeweler was regarded for his celebrity clientele. He was killed in a hit-and-run incident in the Forest Hills area of Queens on Sunday and his death had been ruled a homicide.
According to news reports, Aron “Eric” Aranbayev, 40, a founder of the New York-based jewelry company Rafaello & Co., was struck by a Dodge just before midnight, with reports that he had been seen arguing with another man, apparently over a parking spot. He was transported to Jamaica Hospital, but unfortunately died of his injuries. Police were looking for the driver who hit him.
The company that Mr. Aranbayev owned had sold to and dressed many high-profile clients, including Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, musicians Drake, Chris Brown, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, and the Saudi royal family, according to the company’s website.
Earlier in 2018, Rafaello & Co. filed a lawsuit against the rapper and record executive over a number of high-end jewelry pieces they had sent to him on a trial basis and which, they claim, he never paid for or returned. Thereafter, news had surfaced that DJ Khaled had filed a countersuit denying that he owed them any money for any jewelry and then further alleged that it was actually Rafaello & Co. that cheated him out of money by lying about the value of the jewelry that they sold to him.
If you have been injured in the Diamond District as the result of another’s negligence, contact the Diamond District Injury Attorney at Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. PC by dialing 212-240-9465 and schedule your free, no-obligation, in-office consultation.