The rich history of the Friedman name goes back three generations to Louis Friedman, who in 1947, purchased Borsheims in Omaha, NE with his son, Ike. Borsheims was a small store in downtown Omaha on Farnam Street, and in 1986 the father son duo had grown the business enough to move twice, eventually settling at an anchor position on Regency Court in a 23,000 square foot lot. At the age of 9, wearing his clip-on tie, Ike’s son Alan got his start behind the counters, in a career that would later become world-renowned. In 1989 Warren Buffet, American business magnet, investor, and philanthropist purchased a major stake in Borsheims, making it a part of his famous holding company, Berkshire Hathaway.

In the early 1990’s, Alan left Borsheims to move to California after meeting and marrying his wife Layna Silvagni, who was a designer, model, and international sporting event producer. Layna’s event experience has spanned the globe from Monaco for the Royal Family to Polo in London, and includes the Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational in Palm Springs and The Vincent T. Lombardi Golf Event in Washington DC. In addition, Layna attended the Gemology Institute of America.

Together, Alan and Layna signed their first lease on a showroom in Beverly Hills, iconic 90210. The Friedman designs soon earned their place in high-end stores around the country, and the husband-and-wife team quickly became the go-to jewelers for Hollywood’s elite, including Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Dr Dre, Mariah Carey, Pierce Brosnan, Richie Sambora, amongst many others. They also created engagement and wedding rings for TV personalities such as Holly Madison and Jenny “J-Wow” Farley. The Friedmans introduced the nation’s favorite style icons with a Barbie® inspired jewelry collection Barbie Rocks™, which became a trend setting brand with celebrity clients such as the Kardashians, Selena Gomez, Paris Hilton, and Terry Hatcher, to name a few. The Friedmans have always integrated the importance of charity within their business, and they continued this with the Barbie Rocks® line by donating 5% of each sale to “Keep a Child Alive” cofounded by Alicia Keys.

On Father’s Day in 2015, Alan sadly passed away, leaving an undeniable hole in the industry. Since then, Layna has continued their shared legacy and passion for fine jewelry with Layna Friedman Jewelers, Beverly Hills. Her team continues to create high quality fine jewelry, as well as specializing in custom pieces, including engagement and wedding jewelry.