She describes London Jewelers as a customer service business that takes everything to heart, and just does not turn off.
As a child, Randi Udell-Alper had a different kind of after-school activity.
“Most kids went to the playground. I went to my stores and played with watch parts and gemstones, and I sat at the bench and played with the loops and strung pearls. That was my playground,” said Randi, the daughter of Candy and Mark Udell and a member of the fourth generation of the family managing London Jewelers. She and husband Scott Alper also are the parents of three daughters — Sienna, Skye and Sylvie — who are members of the fifth generation that one day is likely to be involved.
While attending Boston University, Randi created a small jewelry line and sold it to local stores. During college and after, she spent a few years working for other jewelry firms. She interned with David Yurman, studied at the Gemological Institute of America, and moved on to the Honora jewelry firm. Designing an Honora pearl jewelry line for QVC earned her the QVC Designer of the Year Award in 2004, solidifying her reputation as a talented jewelry designer with a strong fashion sense.
By then, she was more than ready to return to her family business — to play for real.
“This was an incredible privilege, and I didn’t take the responsibility lightly,” she recalled. “I grew up in this business watching my grandparents and my parents pour their heart and soul into it, and teach us the values of everything that this business is about.
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