“At Famille, exceptional estate jewelry is thoughtfully paired with contemporary designs, including pieces from storied houses such as Verdura, Seaman Schepps, Norman Silverman, and Cicada, alongside fully bespoke creations and unique pieces.”
BY TED HILDNER
When three friends and longtime colleagues opened jewelry boutique Famille in 2023, they didn’t anticipate just how rewarding the experience would be for themselves and for their clients. Founded by Greenwich jewelry veterans Randy Lapointe, Warren Lagerloef, and Kimberly La Du, Famille (family in French), represents the very best of what three consummate jewelers could create through a shared vision.
The name says it all. Famille reflects the founders’ close bond—“a chosen family” —as well as the deeply personal, familial relationships they have built over decades with a close-knit community of clients.
The foundation was built at Betteridge Jewelers, the iconic Greenwich institution led by Terry Betteridge, a fourth-generation jeweler whose name is synonymous with discretion, craftsmanship, and old-world service. Working side by side with Terry Betteridge, Mr. Lapointe, Mr. Lagerloef, and Ms. La Du helped grow and shape the business, contributing directly to the culture, client relationships, and standards that defined Betteridge for years.
The triple-threat team didn’t just master the art of fine jewelry and exceptional design; they helped establish a philosophy of excellence and relationship-driven service rooted in trust and care. That same level of service continues at Famille, where relationships evolve into multigenerational bonds and where the line between client and family can be hard to define. “That bond is one of the most important and rewarding aspects of our work,” Mr. Lapointe says.
“In a world of fast trends and loud luxury, Famille is about trust, craft, and pieces that stay with you long after the moment they were made for.”
In 2021, following Betteridge’s acquisition by UK-based Watches of Switzerland Group, Mr. Lapointe and Mr. Lagerloef chose to retire. Around the same time, Ms. La Du stepped away to pursue another jewelry venture. But stepping away proved short-lived. Their phones kept buzzing, and not with casual check-ins, but with familiar voices seeking guidance for engagements, anniversaries, and once-in-a-lifetime moments. It quickly became clear that the deeply trusted, almost familial advice that was sought could only come from them. The calls came so often that reuniting and continuing their work together felt not just natural, but inevitable.
As with any great family, each member brings a distinct strength. Mr. Lapointe, a lifelong diamond authority, was trained at Tiffany & Co. and naturally gravitates toward bespoke engagement rings and singular milestone pieces. Mr. Lagerloef, guided by a collector’s eye and decades immersed in estate jewelry, chases rare pieces and creates hand-drawn designs so refined they could hang on gallery walls. And Ms. La Du, renowned for her industry relationships and uncanny ability to source the exceptional, no matter how elusive, completes the trio, making the partnership seamless and formidable.
“The atmosphere at the Famille shop at 23 Lewis Street in Greenwich is refined yet warmly inviting, feeling more private salon than traditional showroom.”
At Famille, exceptional estate jewelry is thoughtfully paired with contemporary designs, including pieces from storied houses such as Verdura, Seaman Schepps, Norman Silverman, and Norman Silverman, alongside fully bespoke creations and unique pieces.
The atmosphere at the Famille shop at 23 Lewis Street in Greenwich is refined yet warmly inviting, feeling more private salon than traditional showroom. They continue to work with multiple generations of clients while forging new relationships with those fortunate enough to be “in the know.”
Joined by Betsy Welke, Andrew Handschin, and Theresa Sutton, Famille offers appraisals, estate evaluations, restorations, and fully bespoke creations, often reimagining cherished heirlooms for a new generation or searching the globe for the perfect piece. In a world of fast trends and loud luxury, Famille is about trust, craft, and pieces that stay with you long after the moment they were made for.
