AuctionsApr 15, 2022
These 10 Designers Are Auctioning Jewels for Ukraine SourcingApr 18, 2022
Jewelry Auction Aims to Build Diversity in the Maker Market
Columbia Gem House will auction pieces from MJSA’s Responsibly Sourced Design Challenge to raise funds for the nonprofit Nest.
Columbia Gem House will donate proceeds from an upcoming auction of pieces from MJSA’s Responsibly Sourced Design Challenge to nonprofit Nest to build diversity and inclusion in the artisan market. Pictured is a rendering of a Design Challenge entry from Jamie Hollier, owner of Balefire in Arvada, Colorado.
Vancouver, Wash.—Columbia Gem House will host the Responsibly Sourced Design Auction and fundraiser again this fall, this time benefiting a nonprofit called Nest.
Nest supports the growth and engagement of the artisan and makers market economy to build greater gender equity and economic inclusion.
The auction will take place in November on ColumbiaGemHouse.com and feature the jewels submitted to MJSA’s Responsibly Sourced Design Challenge.
The challenge asks jewelers to design a piece based on a fictional scenario they’ve been given. This year’s prompt was to create a piece for a woman who’d been adopted and wants to learn more about her background.
Colored stone company Columbia Gem House has sponsored the design challenge since 2019 but expanded the project last year by inviting the designers involved to produce their designs and auction them for a good cause.
Proceeds from the 2021 auction went to help the Navajo Nation recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, proceeds will go toward Nest’s Jewelers United program, part of its Makers United initiative, which is focused on elevating BIPOC artisans and providing market access to ensure the maker movement in the United States is open to everyone regardless of gender, race, means, or ability.
Related stories will be right here …
Nest supports the growth and engagement of the artisan and makers market economy to build greater gender equity and economic inclusion.
The auction will take place in November on ColumbiaGemHouse.com and feature the jewels submitted to MJSA’s Responsibly Sourced Design Challenge.
The challenge asks jewelers to design a piece based on a fictional scenario they’ve been given. This year’s prompt was to create a piece for a woman who’d been adopted and wants to learn more about her background.
Colored stone company Columbia Gem House has sponsored the design challenge since 2019 but expanded the project last year by inviting the designers involved to produce their designs and auction them for a good cause.
Proceeds from the 2021 auction went to help the Navajo Nation recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, proceeds will go toward Nest’s Jewelers United program, part of its Makers United initiative, which is focused on elevating BIPOC artisans and providing market access to ensure the maker movement in the United States is open to everyone regardless of gender, race, means, or ability.
As the sponsor of the event, CGH donates gemstones to help the designers bring their renderings to life.
For the 2022 challenge, the company has donated hexagon-shaped Oregon sunstone, hexagon-shaped Montana sapphire, tapered baguettes of Australian sapphire, and Brazilian citrine baguettes.
CGH also donated silver to help produce the pieces.
In the months leading up to the auction, CGH will share designs submitted to the challenge as MJSA releases them. Submissions will be released through September.
In October, voting will take place on MJSA.org, and CGH will host the auction on its website the following month.
To stay up to date with auction announcements and designs, follow Columbia Gem House on Instagram or visit its website to sign up for the newsletter.
More on Sourcing
The Latest
GradingAug 22, 2025
Former Head of GIA India Promoted to Oversee Global Operations Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.
CollectionsAug 22, 2025
Piece of the Week: Retrouvaí’s ‘Diamond Vein Bond’ CollarThe one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.
MajorsAug 22, 2025
Kendra Scott Returns as CEO of Her Jewelry EmpireThree C-suite executives, including former CEO Tom Nolan, have resigned as part of what the company describes as a “transition.”
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Claire’s Finds Buyer, Could Save up to 950 StoresThe retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.
Weekly QuizAug 22, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Target Names New CEO as Sales Continue to Lag Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.
Policies & IssuesAug 21, 2025
JA, IDMA Talk Tariffs With Execs in DC The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Pops Up at 2025 US OpenThe pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.
IndependentsAug 20, 2025
Bellman’s Jewelers Opens Second Store After COO's TikTok Takes OffThe New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”
CrimeAug 20, 2025
Another CA Jewelry Store Rammed With Car, RobbedThe latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.
WatchesAug 20, 2025
Oris Launches Watch Benefiting NYC Harbor Oyster RestorationThe new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.
Events & AwardsAug 20, 2025
Take the Jewelers for Children ‘Trinity of Purpose’ ChallengeParticipants who attend any three Rings of Strength events will be awarded a special medal.
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry RetailSmith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.
CrimeAug 19, 2025
Customs Seizes 7,300 Pairs of Fake ‘Alhambra’ EarringsThe counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally RecognizedThe MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division ManagerCasio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on PointOriginally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.
Events & AwardsAug 18, 2025
IJO Announces 2025 Vendor of the YearAllison-Kaufman has received the honor for the fourth year in a row.
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
EditorsAug 15, 2025
Piece of the Week: Etho Maria’s Showgirl-Approved Ruby Drop Earrings Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in ManufacturerIts investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing DirectorNicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEOLongtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut DiamondModel Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.
