This Jewelry Auction Will Benefit the Navajo Nation
MJSA and Columbia Gem House are using their design competition to raise funds for the community, which was badly hit by COVID-19.

Held from Nov. 1-7, the event will feature the custom jewels entered in this year’s MJSA Responsible Design Challenge, sponsored by Columbia Gem House.
Held every year, the challenge asks participating designers to create a piece of custom jewelry based on a hypothetical scenario that also features gemstones provided by Columbia Gem House.
The 2021 entries are open to online voting now through Oct. 31. The winner will be announced in the MJSA Journal in December and online.
The story presented to this year’s designers focused on a wedding gift for a Native American woman dedicated to issues affecting indigenous peoples around the world.
The challenge also had a new component this year—instead of just submitting renderings of their pieces for the voting, the designers produced the pieces so they could then be in the auction.
The participating designers are: Jennifer Dewey of J Dewey Designs in Ridgway, Colorado; Betty Padilla of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Helen Chantler of Reflective Jewelry in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Dana Bronfman of New York City; Dominique Larson of DAL Art LLC in Chicago; and Donna Distefano Thomas of Donna Distefano Ltd. in New York City.
Columbia Gem House will preview the pieces along with designer insights on it its social media ahead of the event, as well as host Instagram Live events with some of the designers leading up to the auction.
The supplier first began sponsoring the MJSA Responsible Design Challenge in 2019, but this marks the first time the partnership has also included a benefit auction, designed to assist the Navajo Nation, which was hard hit by the pandemic.
The funds will give back to the community from which some of the design materials were sourced, a goal that’s at the core of CGH’s operations.
In May of 2020, the Navajo Nation had the highest per capita rate of positive COVID-19 cases in the country, and while those rates have gone down drastically since the roll-out of the vaccine, the community still struggles with a lack of resources to help it recover.
“When COVID-19 first hit, we wanted to support any way we could and were thrilled when MJSA was interested in extending the Responsible Design Competition into a fundraising auction for Navajo Nation. This is the first of many we see in the future.”
Donated materials included a small weight of silver and varying gemstones that were optional for the design, including anthill garnet from Navajo land, peridot from the San Carlos Apache Reservation, and turquoise from the surrounding region.
Pieces can be bid on beginning Nov. 1 on the Columbia Gem House website.
The Latest

Associate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.

Fordite is a man-made material created from the layers of dried enamel paint that dripped onto the floors of automotive factories.

Gilbertson has worked as a researcher, jeweler, lapidary artist, appraiser, and business owner throughout his decades in the industry.

With their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.

Located in the revamped jewelry hall at the retailer’s New York City flagship, this opening is Tabayer’s first shop-in-shop.


The new, free app offers accessible educational content, like games and podcasts, for U.S. retailers.

As the gold price rises, the manufacturer is offering a 100 percent payout through Sept. 30 for gold clean scrap.

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

Jacob & Co. partnered with the German technology company on two pairs of headphones, one set with diamonds and the other with sapphires.

Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 “Frankenstein” will feature 27 jewels and objects from the storied brand, including pieces from its archives.

The Waldorf Astoria New York’s grand reopening this past summer means a homecoming for the industry group’s annual event.

Anglo plans to merge with Teck Resources Ltd. to form Anglo Teck. The deal changes nothing about its plans to offload De Beers.

The 9.51-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, which set two world auction records at Sotheby’s in 2014, is estimated to fetch up to $30 million.

The industry veteran joins the auction house as it looks to solidify its footprint in the jewelry market.

The nonprofit awarded four students pursuing a professional career in jewelry making and design with $2,250 each.

The Texas-based jeweler has also undergone a brand refresh, debuting a new website and logo.

The two organizations have finalized and signed the affiliation agreement announced in May.

The single-owner sale will headline Sotheby's inaugural jewelry auction at the Breuer building, its new global headquarters, this December.

From sunrise yoga to tariffs talks, these are some events to check out at the upcoming inaugural event.

Smith recalls a bit of wisdom the industry leader, who died last week, shared at a diamond conference years ago.

The “Victoria” necklace features a labradorite hugged by diamond accents in 18-karat yellow gold.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback shares Hublot’s dedication to pursuing greatness, the Swiss watchmaker said.

The Type IIa stone, recovered from Botswana’s Karowe diamond mine last month, features unique coloration.

Breitling is now the NFL’s official timepiece partner, a move that puts the brand in front of the millions of Americans who watch football.

NYCJAOS is set for Nov. 21-23 in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood.

U.S.-based investment company SMG Capital LLC is the new owner of the luxury brand.