Page 3 - Feb2020

Senior in Action:
Senior in Action:
Senior in Action:
Senior in Action:
Senior in Action:
by Marilee Marrero Stefenhagen
Does February find
you poring over
Valentine advertisements
for diamond rings, ruby
necklaces, or heart
shaped silver lockets?
Once upon a time,
Adrienne Rubin worked
out of her car, carrying a
suitcase filled with
silver, gold or gemstone
jewelry, which she sold
wholesale to stores such
as Saks Fifth Avenue and
Neiman Marcus. Adrienne
shared that she fell into the
jewelry business by chance
on a vacation to Mexico.
While admiring silver
jewelry in a shop she and her
husband Stanford had
frequented previously, the
business owner asked for
legal advice regarding
problems with a Los Angeles jewelry
wholesaler. Adrienne says, “I was feeling was honest like her dad. Adrienne said in Los Angeles Arthritis Foundation as their or www.barnesandnoble.com, or place
bereft. Our two children were in school, and an interview for VoyageLA, “Because I top L.A. fundraiser. For ten years, Adrienne an order at your local bookstore.
my brief career as a school teacher had not
February 2020
Adrienne Rubin was naive, I made many wrong decisions, and has ridden her bike in the Arthritis
Adrienne Rubin
Adrienne Rubin
Adrienne Rubin
Adrienne Rubin
more than once I trusted the wrong people. Yet
Foundation’s California Coast Classic,
each time I fell, I got right back up again. Giving
California’s coastline from San
up was never an option. To get to where you an eight-day bicycle trip along
satisfied my ambitions or creativity. My want to go, you cannot let fear of failure get in Francisco to Los Angeles. Adrienne
volunteer work with a local your way. For me, every challenge was an reminisced, “I was a total neophyte when
hospital to compile 2 opportunity to soar even higher than before.” the bicycle tour was proposed as a
cookbooks for fundraising Rather than spoil the ending of her book fundraiser. I had to purchase a bicycle and
had ended, and I was at titled, Diamonds and Scoundrels: My Life in take lessons to learn how to operate the
loose ends. I thought, ‘I’ll the Jewelry Business, suffice it to say that gears. I was 65 the first year that I rode in
sell silver jewelry for him!’ Adrienne learned there are crooks out there, this event. Approximately 350 cyclists
It wasn’t easy AT ALL, but and she was determined dishonest people participate each year. My husband has
I learned, and grew the would NOT take advantage of her. been challenged with arthritis since his 30s,
business from part-time to Adrienne grew up in Beverly Hills from and had both hips replaced plus numerous
full-time. I did it!” the age of two after her family moved from back surgeries for arthritis complications.
In the beginning, Chicago. She graduated from Beverly Hills He served as chairman of the national
Adrienne sold only silver High School, and attended the School of Arthritis Foundation board of directors. As
jewelry from her Mexican Modern French in Lausanne, Switzerland for he became less active in fundraising, I
source. Soon the business a year where she learned to speak French became more involved.” Congratulations,
mushroomed to include gold fluently. She continued her college studies Adrienne! If NBY readers desire a
chains from the downtown at UC Berkeley, and graduated with a physical challenge for 2020, dust off
LA jewelry district, then Master’s Degree in Teaching from UCLA. your bicycles and start training for the
gemstone jewelry discovered She married Stanford Rubin, a partnership next California Coast Classic which
at gem shows in Hong Kong which has lasted over 50 years. Adrienne will take place October 3-10, 2020.
and Italy. Selling diamonds and Stanford raised a daughter Pamela and For more details, visit
is where Adrienne’s trouble son Randall, and enjoy traveling with, and www.events.arthritis.org
began. She grew up with a cooking for, their three grandsons. The most Adrienne Rubin’s memoir,
father who prided himself on requested dish from Grand-Mère is her Diamonds and Scoundrels: My Life in
being honest. Adrienne was tender brisket. the Jewelry Business is available
naïve enough to believe that In October 2019, Adrienne received the through www.Amazon.com,
everyone who bought jewelry from her Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award from the www.target.com, www.walmart.com
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