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Key Takeaways Galgano founded Serpentine Jewels after her ecommerce jewelry brand was acquired.
She launched Serpentine to be a modern private jeweler focused on lifelong relationships.
Here’s how she establishes trust to meet high expectations for ongoing growth.
This as-told-story is based on a conversation with Ali Galgano, founder of Serpentine Jewels.
Image Credit: Serpentine Jewels. Ali Galgano.
After graduating from Cornell University, Galgano launched her career at Goldman Sachs and developed her passion for jewelry on the side. Galgano earned her Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) diploma from the Gemological Institute of America and completed formal training in jewelry design. In 2008, she started ecommerce jewelry brand Charm & Chain, which was acquired in 2015. Her experience building her first company, alongside another business consulting with clients on engagement rings, laid the foundation for Serpentine Jewels, with locations in New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. Founded in 2016, Serpentine Jewels hit seven-figure revenue within its first year.
The piece has been edited for length and clarity.
My journey building Charm & Chain and consulting with clients on engagement rings taught me everything about the mechanics of the industry and client service. Around the same time, many of my friends were getting engaged, and I realized a void in the market. Clients lacked a trusted advisor to guide them through diamond sourcing and custom design. I distilled what I wanted to see in the market into the DNA of Serpentine Jewels: a modern private jeweler centered on expertise, deep customization and lifelong client partnerships.
When I was thinking about what I wanted Serpentine to be, I had enough clients at that point to start and self-fund the business. But I had to start small. Because it was self-funded, I couldn’t put millions of dollars into inventory. Today, I am still the sole owner of the company. I’ve grown it into an established fine jewelry house independently. That’s allowed me to maintain full creative and strategic control while still shaping every aspect of the brand’s growth and evolution.
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