Alan Perry has been in the jewelry business for more than 35 years, and says he still doesn’t get tired of coming to work. His passion for jewelry began at the age of 16, when his brother, Ernie, helped him land a job at The Jewel Box in his hometown of Charlotte. He started by polishing, cleaning and engraving. At 17, Perry moved to New York City to earn his Graduate Gemologist Degree. He spent two years co-managing and appraising for The Jewel Box in Panama City, Florida, and another two years buying and grading diamonds at Carlyle & Co. in Greensboro. He then returned to Charlotte to open a store with two of his brothers. This was the first Perry’s Jewelry Store for the Perry family, which is owned and operated by Ernie Perry.

After more than 10 years of co-ownership with his brothers in Charlotte, Alan Perry moved to the coast to open Perry’s Emporium inside Wilmington’s Independence Mall in 1991. From there, the store has grown out of the mall and become the largest jewelry store in southeastern North Carolina.