A Son Cares for a Fatherʼs Legacy in Jewelry

In July 2022, the jewelry designer Terry Castro was riding a wave of high-profile successes.

The designer, whose collection sold under the name Castro NYC, had been tapped for a collaboration with De Beers; several of his creations had been chosen for Sotheby’s “Brilliant & Black” exhibition, a 2021 show spotlighting the work of Black jewelry designers; he had cultivated a following of collectors; and, according to his son, Sir King Castro, he had recently sold a piece for more than $100,000. All of which were reasons that his sudden death from a heart attack at age 50 seemed particularly cruel, threatening the legacy of an independent designer who had recently hit his stride.