At 5 he was sweeping the shop floor and by 10 he was clipping on a tie and helping customers. In a few years time, Alan had become a Borsheim's in-house designer and one of the top salesmen.
The sale of the store to billionaire Warren Buffet allowed Alan the freedom to put into action a dream that was dear both to him and his late father: to change direction from quantity to quality.
Soon after earning his Graduate Gemologist degree from GIA, Alan relocated to California and began creating exceptional jewelry. By the mid '90s, Friedman's designs were available in high-end stores throughout the country. It was during this time that Alan took one of the biggest risks of his career: a seven-figure purchase of natural pink diamonds. The demand for jewelry featuring color diamonds was slim, and in Alan's words, "I knew I had either stumbled onto something huge or I had just lost my shirt. "Friedman's instincts paid off. His natural color diamond jewelry is now in high demand internationally and regularly sets the standard for diamond jewelry designs.
Although his work features diamonds of many natural hues, Alan is best known for his first love: pink diamonds. Dubbed "King of Pinks" by the industry, he is regarded as the world authority on these precious stones.
Pink diamonds represent less than 1/10 of 1 percent of the world's diamond supply, which on rarity alone makes them highly desirable. Yet to Friedman, their true value lies in their aesthetic appeal.
His work has received praise not only from consumers but also from his peers. Among numerous design awards Alan has won the prestigious Spectrum 'Best of show' and Spectrum 'First Place.'Today, Alan Friedman is hard at work creating jewelry referred to by his loyal clientele as modern classics.
As enthusiastic as he was when he first started, Alan and his love and appreciation for beautiful jewelry is clearly evident. "Before GIA certs, we sold on beauty. Period. Only beauty sold, and that's a lost art. Selling beauty. Selling excitement."
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Layna's events in the U.S. have included the Great Chefs of New York Food & Golf Event and the Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational in Palm Springs and The Vincent T Lombardi Golf Event in Washington DC. Layna has worked with numerous top brands and event sponsors including New York Times, MGM Grand Air, Louis Roederer Cristal, Davidoff, Smart Car and Mercedes.
Beginning in the early 90's Layna lent her expertise in marketing, public relations and eye for innovation to the design, creation and launch of the Beverly Hills based fine jewelry company Alan Friedman Company. Now an award-winning industry leader, Alan Friedman Company has created one-of-a-kind pieces for Hollywood's elite. Layna & Alan Friedman are sought after by many in the entertainment industry, including Mariah Carey, Richie Sambora, Nick Lachey, Queen Latifah, Pierce Brosnan, Lady Gaga, Regina King and many others.
Layna introduced the jewelry industry to one of the nation's favorite style icons with her Barbie®-inspired jewelry collection Barbie™ Rocks. Barbie™ Rocks has become a trendsetting brand with celebrity clients including Teri Hatcher, the Kardashian sisters, Denise Richards, Gabrielle Union, Jenni "JWoww" Farley and Taylor Armstrong, who featured the line on an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The Friedman's also integrate the importance of charity within the Barbie™ ocks line by donating 5% of every sale to Alicia Keys' "Keep A Child Alive".
Layna Friedman have been featured on a variety of shows including The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Snooki & JWoww, E! Entertainment Television's "Holly Has A Baby", Shannen Says, Swedish Hollywood Wives, Hollywood Unwrapped, and The View. Layna is a regular celebrity guest judge on the Emmy Award Winning Variety Show Community Auditions. Layna is also requested frequently for radio interviews on women in business and celebrity fashion trends and can often be seen on the Hollywood Red Carpets. |
