24 Karat Club of Southern California Recognizes 3 Honorees
They will be celebrated at the annual dinner dance and gala in the fall.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is Georgie Gleim of Palo Alto’s Gleim the Jeweler.
Gleim is president of the store, which was founded in 1931. She is also heavily involved in the industry, having been a past president of the American Gem Society, past board chair of Jewelers of America, and past president of the Jewelers Education Foundation.
She’s received many accolades over her career, including being inducted into National Jeweler’s Retailer Hall of Fame. She is a Robert M. Shipley Award recipient and has a WJA Award for Excellence in Retailing.
The 2023 Excellence in Service honoree is Shelly Sergent, curator of the Somewhere in the Rainbow Collection in Phoenix, Arizona.
Somewhere in the Rainbow aims to provide education and an appreciation of colored gemstones and artisan-crafted jewelry to museums, stores, and educational facilities.
Sergent received the 2022 AGS Sallie Morton Award. She has exhibited and presented the Somewhere in the Rainbow Collection at the Smithsonian Natural History Affiliate Museum, Harvard, and the University of Arizona.
Internationally, she has presented the collection at Gem-A in London, Germany, and Scotland.
Sergent is on the University of Arizona Board of Directors for Geo Sciences and is a founding member of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Museum, which opened in 2020.
Finally, the Rising Star Award recipient is Molly Peterson of Seattle’s Ben Bridge Jeweler.
The Ben Bridge bridal buyer joined the merchandising team in 2021. Prior to that, she was a top sales associate and manager, taking home honors like “Store of the Year,” “Highest Store Sales Increase,” and “Buyer’s Choice,” from the company.
Her role as bridal buyer sees her in charge of the Ben Bridge’s proprietary bridal brand, Bella Ponte, which specializes in custom design and state of the art technology.
The three honorees will be officially honored at the 79th Annual Dinner Dance and Gala this fall.
“We are really excited about this year’s slate of honorees,” said Adam Graham, president of the Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California.
“We invite everyone out to celebrate with us on Oct. 7 at the beautiful Ritz Carlton on the water in Marina Del Rey.”
Information on the 79th Annual Dinner Dance and Gala, including tickets and sponsorship, is available online.
The Latest
Sponsored by Tasha R
Three Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
A federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
From protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Cynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
The new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
This fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
The auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
The “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
The money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Local reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
A collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
The Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
Hampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
The group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
The collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
This year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
Senior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
The latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
No. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.
Instead of its usual elaborate display, the store will illuminate its façade and frame the windows to highlight its flagship’s architecture.
The new Grand Seiko boutique is located in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood.
Eleven spots are available for travelers to visit Northern Tanzania and Southern Kenya from July 25 to Aug. 4.