WESTWOOD— For many, the reputation associated with a business is a deal maker or deal breaker. For customers of Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers, a number of terms appear repeatedly when describing the business and its staff: kind, helpful, integrity, knowledgeable, efficient, affordable, good service, memorable, family-owned and community-oriented.
Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers is indeed a family operation, and has been such for more than 60 years. Sunny and Lenny Friedman, the founders of Sarah Leonard, first opened the Westwood Village store in 1946 after coming west from Chicago at the behest of a former employer. The store’s current incarnation at 1055 Westwood Boulevard was selected about 47 years ago, in 1963. The family has maintained a continued presence since that fateful mid-1940s move.
Sixteen employees are behind the magic at Sarah Leonard, seven of whom are members of the Friedman family tree, including original owners Sunny and Lenny (now 88 and 92, respectively), and Gail and David Friedman (daughter-in-law and son to the original owners), Linda and Jeffrey Abell (daughter and son-in-law) and grandson Dean Abell. Also, Gail’s brother Jon Russikoff and her children occasionally!
One of the things which have made this jewelry store so favored is its down to earth, family-centered approach. The owners have made it clear that they hope to provide lovely jewelry at affordable prices to anyone who wants it. And in a town like Westwood Village, heavily populated with students, such an approach is bound to make an impression. Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers is known to UCLA students as the spot to visit for both beautiful and affordable jewelry. At Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers, a wide range of sensibilities, tastes and groups are apt to find just what they are looking for.
“We don’t cater to a specific income level clientele,” Gail Friedman explains. “We have UCLA students that want to spend $25 on a gift for their girlfriend and Bel Air and Beverly Hills customers that want to drop 250K… We have families that have been coming to us for FOUR generations!”
From UCLA students to the rich and famous, Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers has covered it all. “We have served many of Hollywood’s most well-known names, as well as an extensive list of sports personalities,” Friedman noted. Recently, Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers provided the jewelry for the Geffen Playhouse premiere of “Equivocation.” Tiger Curran wrote of her experience wearing the borrowed gems, noting what she will not soon forget: “Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers and the beautiful diamonds that made me feel like a queen on opening night.”
The bonds formed between customers and the employees of Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers, make all the difference in the world. Notes Friedman, “We learn all aspects of their lives in order to make sure that all special moments they have are properly taken care of–from bridal events to birthdays to anniversaries, baby gifts, graduations and Mother’s and Father’s Day—and so many other events!” Friedman also points to the genuine, warm greetings customers receive (including complementary coffee, tea and Sarah Leonard signature chocolates) and the extensive and varied services offered with “a smile and a thank-you.”
The experts at Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers are members of the American Gem Society, and are known for their warmth and know-how. The award-winning business has been honored by many groups and publications such as the LA Business Journal. The fine jewelry store is also known for its close commitment to the community, illustrated by its affiliation with and support for such charities and community pillar groups as the Jewelers for Children Foundation, UCLA, Westwood Community Council, Westwood Village Rotary Club and the Friends of Westwood Library. “When a local church, synagogue, school or other worthwhile organization asks for a gift certificate for their silent auction or fundraiser, we are honored to participate,” Friedman pointed out. “We happily give back to the community that has been so good to us for two thirds of a century.”
Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers is located at 1055 Westwood Blvd. and is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. To find out more please visit the store, call 310-208-3131, or go to www.sarahleonardjewelers.com.
