Chris Del Gatto

A native New Yorker, raised in a garment industry family, Del Gatto’s passion for the luxury industry started at a young age. A Graduate Gemologist by the time he was 17, Del Gatto became a diamond cutter in New York’s legendary Diamond District by the time he was 18. Although this started a life long love of fine gems, it was the business side of operations where Del Gatto truly excelled. By the time he was 20, Del Gatto was made partner in the cutting firm.

Seeing greater opportunity in other areas of his industry, Del Gatto sold his interest in the firm (that now boasted among other assets, its own diamond mine in Brazil) at the age of 23. He went on to join and become a partner in MHR Estate & Fine Jewelry, a company that supplied fine estate jewelry to high-end retailers like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and many others nationwide. It was this company that helped Del Gatto gain valuable experience in retail, merchandising, display and customer service. This was also when Del Gatto first realized that there was no real supply chain for second hand jewelry and diamonds. Convinced that this presented a global business opportunity, he created and placed his first advertisements to buy from the public under the MHR name.

However there were many jewelry buying companies throughout the country, and he realized to truly succeed he had to be more. It was his vision to create a luxury brand; one that could change the public’s perception about selling their jewelry, that changed the industry. This was the essence of the revolution that was CIRCA.

Del Gatto launched CIRCA in April of 2001, and immediately began to recast the idea of reselling jewelry not only as an acceptable practice, but a luxurious and chic service that afforded clients an elegant solution for items that they no longer wanted or wore.

Headquartered on Madison Ave in New York, in less than ten years, Del Gatto expanded the company to where it now has locations throughout the United States as well as in Hong Kong and throughout the EU. Still a major stockholder in the firm, Del Gatto resigned as Chairman and CEO in October of 2012.  He joined Jacob & Co. as CEO of Watches and Jewelry in April 2013, and is on a mission to grow the brand into a global luxury house, with unmatched product and service.

Del Gatto cares deeply not only about his industry, but about the arts and philanthropy as well. He sits on the board of New Yorkers For Children, as well as FIT’s International School of Entrepreneurship. A passionate competitor, he’s also an accomplished polo player, having competed professionally for more than six years on the Argentine, Palm Beach and Hamptons circuits.