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Norwalk, CT--JCK and its Industry Fund Committee named the 2024 recipients of its annual JCK Industry Fund grants totaling $341,000, an increase from last year. Since 1997, the fund has awarded over $7 million over a 25-year period toward program grants to benefit the jewelry industry at large.

"We are continuing to champion the pivotal endeavors of the organizations that are advancing our industry's interests. From consumer confidence to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to spearheading sustainability initiatives and beyond, the JCK Industry Fund remains steadfast in its support,” said Sarin Bachmann, group VP, RX Jewelry Portfolio, and chair of the JCK Industry Fund Committee.

The 2024 grant recipients consist of nine organizations that received grant monies in the first quarter of 2024 to advance specific projects and initiatives in key areas.

2024 Industry Fund Grant Recipients and Initiatives are as follows:

• Black in Jewelry Coalition (BIJC) will once again be granted funds for their emerging designer participation in JCK 2024 and JCK 2025.
• Diamonds Do Good (DDG) will receive grant for its consumer-confidence broadcast campaigns, targeted media distribution to drive consumers to buy diamonds.
• Gem Legacy’s grant will help them reach their goal to increase inclusiveness and diversity of socio-economic levels, tribes, places of origin, and family employment in higher education. Additionally, JCK’s Industry Fund grant will fuel their mission of providing artisanal, small-scale, colored gemstone miners with everything they need to be successful.
• Jewelers Security Alliance received a grant for its advance software technology, including i2 Analyst's Notebook, a software product to reveal relationships between data entities to discover patterns and provide insight into data.
• Jewelers Vigilance Committee grant will fund the development and launch of an ADA Compliance Guide for industry members.
• Mercury Free Mining is presented a grant for the scaling of GOLDROP technology and the development of a responsible gold supply chain. This transformational initiative, supported by the JCK Industry Fund along with large and small-scale jewelers around the world, marks a significant shift towards sustainable mercury-free gold mining and community empowerment in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities.
• MJSA received a grant to help fund the MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program intended to help with the unprecedented labor shortage of bench jewelers.
• Pure Earth, a first-time recipient of the fund, is being funded for its workshop that raises awareness on the benefit of harmful effects of mercury. This is a presentation of alternative technology for mercury-free gold extraction 3, marketing and commercialization training.
• Women’s Jewelry Association grant will support WJA in holding its Generating Community Impact Breakfast event at JCK, on May 31 at The Venetian.

For more information and to donate, visit https://lasvegas.jckonline.com/en-us/landing-pages/jck-industry-fund.html.