Carolyn Rafaelian
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Carolyn Rafaelian | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966 or 1967 (age 59–60)[1] |
| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater | American College in Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder and 80% owner, Alex and Ani |
| Children | 3 |
Carolyn Rafaelian is an American-Armenian entrepreneur and businesswoman. She is the founder of the accessories and jewelry company Alex and Ani,[2] and the owner of the Belcourt of Newport and Bar and Board Bistro in Newport, Rhode Island.
Rafaelian's father opened a jewelry factory in 1966, Cinerama Jewelry, in which Rafaelian and her sister worked.[3] Over time she helped her father design pieces and produced original designs herself for her father's jewelry manufacturing company.[4] She attended Prout Memorial High School for Girls (later known as The Prout School). She attended the University of Rhode Island between 1987 and 1989, and then she transferred to and graduated from the American College for the Applied Arts in Los Angeles.[5][6] In 1994 she joined her father's business, and eventually began to work on her own line. In 2002 Rafaelian became co-owner of Cinerama with her sister. Rafaelian's designs became the main seller for the company,[7] and in 2016 Alex and Ani bought the manufacturing facility for an undisclosed sum.[8]