Alex and Ani Founder Is Now the Richest Self-Made Woman in the Jewelry Industry

Her estimated net worth is $700 million.

After Alex and Ani’s sales reached $500 million in 2015, Forbes ranked the jewelry label’s founder, Carolyn Rafaelian, No. 22 on its annual list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. The business news outlet says that she is the richest self-made woman in the world to derive her wealth from jewelry, estimating her net worth at $700 million. “Rafaelian’s success can be partly attributed to her mastery of the supply chain. Alex and Ani’s pieces — like its bestselling $28 zodiac-themed charm bangles — are mainly made of recycled materials like scrap metal and vintage or surplus jewelry, keeping costs low and margins high.” Alex and Ani now has 65 freestanding stores.

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