Wesley Aframian '11 Reimagines the Jewelry Business

Together with his sister, Ashley Aframian ’08, Wesley Aframian ’11 founded Jewelerette & Co. in Beverly Hills, where they design and sell fine jewelry made from metals and gems whose origins can be traced back to ethical and environmentally conscious sources overseas. The stones and diamonds are purchased in their rough form before being cut and polished locally in downtown Los Angeles, which supports a transparent line of supply, one of the cornerstones of Ashley and Wesley’s business. Wesley notes, “We hope consumers continue to ask more about where their gemstones come from [in order] to help fight against unfair labor and irresponsibly mined gems.”
 
The Aframian family has been in the jewelry business for over 40 years and Wesley has always been interested in gems and jewelry. While in the process of launching their company, Ashley and Wesley knew they wanted to set their business apart by sourcing the finest materials as ethically as possible. The provenance of much of the raw materials used for fine jewelry is rarely disclosed and often unknown after the stones have passed through various supply chains. At Jewelerette, Wesley and Ashley are committed to sourcing the finest and most ethically mined materials for their stunning collections.
 
Wesley graduated from USC in 2015 with a BA in Business Administration and earned his Gemologist Degree from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), London Campus, in 2017. At Milken, Wesley was always a natural leader and entrepreneur, serving as President of the Ping Pong Club and Captain of the Boys’ Varsity Volleyball team.  Wesley’s experiences at Milken instilled within him important values like honesty, leadership and a connection to community. After graduating high school and college, Ashley completed law school and Wesley worked for a financial firm before reuniting to start their business together.
 
Wesley and Ashley have big dreams for their company, and hope to establish partnerships with miners themselves to create a more transparent supply chain from mine to market. With this business model, Wesley describes, “retailers and suppliers will be able to tell a story to their consumers about where their gemstones have come from and what steps it took to reach their hands.” Wesley is currently looking to partner with a sapphire mining company in Ilikaka, Madagascar. This partnership would provide Jewelerette with top-quality sapphires and the steady stream of orders would improve the local economy and infrastructure.
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