An accessories veteran, Cindy DiPietrantonio was named president of Alex and Ani last year. Here she talks about the charm brand’s surprising plan to introduce high-end and men’s lines.

Your company is moving into ­precious jewels?
We currently have precious in our line, and we are expanding that, under the label American 925. That collection will premiere this fall. We are also coming out with a higher-end line much farther down the line. We haven’t set the price point on all the product yet. But when I say high-end, I’m talking $1,500 to $2,500. We are also planning—and this is the first time we have announced this—a men’s line, Alex and Ani Men’s, that will launch next year.

There has been talk about an IPO. Do you see that happening?
2017 is all about focus for us. I don’t see that happening in the near future.

How do you view Alex and Ani compared to Pandora?
They have a very different business model—it’s a very different company. I always go back to how Pandora is not a U.S.-based company, and one of our biggest points is that we are made in the U.S. The second is we are a meaning-based company. We connect to our customers through being meaning-based, and it’s really something that keeps our customers with us. We like to think of ourselves as a humanitarian company as well. With Charity by Design, we have 55 different partner charities that give back part of the proceeds. [This year], we will likely hit close to $50 million. That’s a big number.

Top: Alex and Ani I Love You Mom bracelet set in Rafaelian Gold ($128); inset: Cindy DiPietrantonio