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Industry News: Grant Honors Memory of Brooke McGrath; Jewelers’ Mutual Contest Winner Named, More June 19, 2013 (0 comments)
WJA Awards First Carelle-WJA Grant Honoring the Memory of Brooke Tivol McGrath
New York, NY—The Women’s Jewelry Association has awarded its first Carelle-WJA Grant, in honor of Brooke Tivol McGrath, an employee of Carelle who died at age 28 from a rare blood infection. McGrath, who had a background in a family retail jewelry business, was active in WJA as a way to help introduce Carelle to the industry on a wider scale. She was an invaluable asset and a driving force in the launch of Carelle, says a company representative. “Brooke’s character was defined by strength, innovation, and the will to lead.”
The grant was presented to Lisa Kim of Crown & Nadir, a fine jewelry and accessories company based in Los Angeles. The $5,000 merit-based grant is intended to aid in the establishment of a designer’s business. Eligible candidates must be current members of the WJA, and in their first five years of business. Applicants are required to submit an essay explaining why they deserve the award, placing an emphasis on personal dedication, determination, and a positive attitude toward the industry.
Kim, the winner of the grant, was evaluated by the WJA Scholarship Jury, which included WJA representatives from across the country, representing all levels of the industry. She was found to embody the character of Brooke Tivol McGrath, in her training, her short- and long-term goals for her business, and her involvement in the jewelry industry.
“As director of the luxury jewelry company Crown & Nadir,” says Kim, “I work constantly to design and promote a line of jewelry specifically for the hero that resides within each of us. We are all familiar with myths and sagas where a hero triumphs over unimaginable obstacles with strength and courage. Like the heroes of these stories, I rally against my obstacles; the greater the challenge, the harder I work to overcome it. Hardship is a fact of life, but enduring a challenge yields heroic transformation in all people.”
$30,000 in additional WJA scholarships were awarded to 12 students from seven schools across the United States.
(Top image: 18k rose and white gold and diamond earrings are from the Brooke Leaf Collection by Carelle. The collection was designed to honor the memory of Brooke Tivol McGrath.)
Jewelers Mutual Announces Winner of the Everlasting Love Contest
Neenah, WI—To celebrate its centennial, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company partnered with celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss to honor and reward couples' commitments with the "Everlasting Love" contest to help promote its Perfect Circle Jewelry Insurance.
Earlier this month, couple Ariela and Matthew of South Florida were named the Grand Prize winners. Ariela will receive an $11,000 pair of Erica Courtney platinum diamond earrings for her story of everlasting love: "For Better or For Worse, We're Always Better Together."
JMI's winning couple.
The "Everlasting Love" contest showcased couples that exemplify everlasting love in celebration of JM’s 100-year history of insuring jewelry that represents that love. To enter, contestants were invited to share what everlasting love means to them through the contest website between April 30 and May 21. Then, the public voted on the entries to narrow down the competition to five finalists. Jewelers Mutual and Erica Courtney chose the winner based on originality, creativity and representation of everlasting love.
"We're thrilled to announce Ariela as the contest winner. Her story exemplifies the power of true and everlasting love and, frankly, why we're in the business we are - to help protect the symbols and memories of a couple's love," said Patrick Drummond, vice president of sales and marketing at Jewelers Mutual.
Ariela's story speaks to her growing relationship with her fiancé Matthew, and how they overcame unforeseen hardships together. The first was a long-distance relationship. Then, shortly after they moved to the same city, a medical tragedy struck and the pair, rather than having time to discover each other and the things they liked to do, found all their attention and time needed at the hospital where Matthew’s father was critically ill. There they realized how strong their relationship was and four months later, Matthew proposed. He took Ariela for her first Ferris wheel ride and when the car accidently got "stuck" at the top, he nervously surprised her with a ring. Their story was viewed 1,736 times and America cast 379 votes to make Ariela a top five finalist.
"Winning this contest means so much to my fiancé and me - it marks a major milestone in our relationship! We sincerely thank Jewelers Mutual and Erica Courtney for believing in us and our everlasting love story," said Ariela. "I told my fiancé the first thing we're going to do is insure the earrings. Beyond my engagement ring, this is the most valuable piece of jewelry we now own!"
For more information on Perfect Circle Jewelry Insurance, to review a sample policy or to add jewelry to a current Jewelers Mutual policy, visit www.PerfectCircleInsurance.com.
New Organization Seeks To Help Disabled Veterans Become Watchmakers
Oceanside, NY—With the unemployment rate for disabled veterans at a staggering 82%, a new organization is seeking to help these wounded warriors find a new purpose in life as watchmakers, writes Roberta Naas of A Timely Perspective.com.
Veterans Watchmaker Initiative (VWI) is a new 501(c)3 organization that wants to offer disabled veterans both training as watchmakers and help them find employment in the watch industry. The concept isn’t new—following World War II, the Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking was established to provide disabled veterans with watchmaker training, then a skill in high demand. Over the years, the school successfully trained more than 700 watchmakers, who also found work as instrument repairers, micro-machinists, and more, but the introduction of quartz watches and subsequent decline of mechanical timepieces forced the school to close in the 1960s.
Now, however, with the rise in luxury mechanical timepieces among cognoscenti and collectors, skilled watchmakers are in short supply. VWI is hoping to build a new school to train today’s disabled vets for a career they may not have ever considered.
Similarly, the Jewelers For Veterans Foundation was established last year under the leadership of former Cartier chairman Ralph Destino, to try and provide returning Iraq and Gulf War (or any other) veterans with training and jobs in the jewelry industry. John Politi is its executive director. Click here to learn more about J4V and click here to read more about VWI.
Diamond Salesman Robbed At Upscale Pittsburgh Condo Complex
Pittsburgh, PA—Police are searching for three men in black hoodie sweatshirts who robbed a diamond salesman in the parking garage the upscale Gateway Towers condominium complex last Thursday night.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the victim was an independent diamond dealer who believes he was targeted. He was threatened with a knife and sustained a cut on the hand but was unharmed otherwise. The Associated Press said the thieves took a backpack containing a “significant” and “considerable” but unspecified amount of diamonds; then slashed the victim’s tire. The robbery occurred around 9:30 p.m.
The thieves did not take any of the man’s other belongings; only the backpack full of diamonds, which the victim says were insured.
The latest robbery comes on the heels of two other robberies in the western Pennsylvania area: a $1 million heist in Wexford in May, and another $250,000 theft in Monroeville in April. Pittsburgh detectives are examining a surveillance video that recorded the event, but anyone with information is asked to call (412) 263-1968.
DEF Designer Ambassadors Launch New York Debut Of Empowerment Jewelry
New York, NY—The Diamond Empowerment Fund’s New York debut of its new line of empowerment jewelry takes place tonight at the atelier of Donna Distefano, principal of Donna Distefano Ltd., one of the designer ambassadors featured in the collection. Lita Asscher from Royal Asscher and Derrick Holmes from Banneker Watches also will showcase their firms’ new jewelry and watches created as ongoing fundraisers for DEF, and share their vision for how they can further DEF’s mission.
DEF’s mission is to provide higher education opportunities for youth in diamond producing countries in Africa. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, noted civil rights and business leader and DEF co-founder of (with Russell Simmons), Phyllis Bergman, DEF board president, and Nancy Orem Lyman, DEF executive director, will discuss the global impact of DEF’s vision.
Distefano will present her new line of “Illumination” bracelets depicting symbolic African designs in sterling silver with diamonds. Each bracelet represents core values of DEF: transformation, tranquility, and strength.
The first pieces in DEF's Empowerment Jewelry collection, clockwise from left: Banneker Watches, Donna Distefano Ltd., and Royal Asscher.
Asscher will present the DEF Green Tsavorite and Diamond Pendant, part of the Shining Stars of Africa Collection by Royal Asscher. The pendant contains tsavorite and diamonds encased in a fluid-filled natural sapphire dome, allowing the jewels to fall freely like snowflakes in a snow globe. With every pendant purchase, a $125 donation is made to the Diamond Empowerment Fund.
Holmes will present three new Benjamin Banneker watches designed to raise awareness and funds for DEF. The watches feature a Royal Asscher diamond at 12 o'clock, green crystals on the face and bezel, and natural ebony from Indonesia or mahogany from Madagascar on the face and bands. All Banneker watches contain real wood as a way of paying homage to namesake Benjamin Banneker who, in 1753, engineered and built the first working clock in America constructed entirely from parts he carved of wood.
MJSA Launches Bench Conference and Trade Fair
Providence, RI—MJSA announces the new Jeweler’s Bench Conference and Trade Fair, Sept. 12-13 at the Sheraton Providence Airport, near Rhode Island’s T.F. Green Airport.
The conference will focus on all aspects of bench work—from traditional techniques to technological advancements—as well as business strategies for success. The event will feature two educational programs, “Better Business Strategies” and “Better Bench Work.”
“Jewelry companies of all types and sizes—artisans and designers, volume manufacturers, contractors, retailers with repair services—view their bench operation as a foundational part of their business,” says MJSA president and CEO David W. Cochran. “Our conference will ensure they have access to not only needed technical and business expertise, but also to world-class tools, technologies, and other resources that can help take them to the next level of success.”
The “Better Business Strategies” program will focus on topics like social media basics, website development, search engine optimization, and managing growth. The “Better Bench Work” program will cover the technical issues faced by bench jewelers every day, such as choosing the best tools, working with specific alloys, and smoothing snarled production routes. Technical sessions will be developed and run by Metalwerx, a Waltham, Massachusetts–based school and community studio for jewelry makers and metal artists.
An accompanying trade fair will feature dozens of suppliers offering everything from traditional tools to CAD/CAM, laser, and business software technologies, as well as contract services.
Pre-registration is now open. Click here for information.