Creating a Brighter Future for the Differently Abled
GIA is among the supporters of a new school building for children with special needs.

Creating an integrated structure to satisfy their varied needs was no easy task, said Nishant Mehta, a Mumbai-based and Columbia University-trained architect whose family is from Palanpur and were associated with the diamond industry.
“Sahyog exemplifies our shared vision for a world where help is born out of empathy, not sympathy.” — Sriram Natarajan, GIA India
- Ceiling heights modulated with double-height spaces and triple-height corridors with bridges, to both achieve visual connectivity through the school and control the echo;
- A circulation block that spans the length of the façade to protect the main structure from heat;
- The use of brick jaalis (meshes), extensively found in the traditional buildings in Palanpur, at a height to allow hot air to be expelled from the corridor and cooler air to enter the lower level;
- Skylights to create a choreography of light, allowing visually impaired students with photosensitive skin to orient themselves;
- Openings oriented towards the north for the learning spaces, allowing soft, natural north light to permeate and helping to keep the space cool;
- Use of the floors as tools for navigation, such as rough and polished Kota stone floors along with tactile flooring used in corridors and classrooms respectively, so the change of texture helps visually impaired students differentiate the spaces;
- Use of local, low-maintenance plants on campus. Fragrant flowering plants near the entrance activate the olfactory senses and enables identification of entrances by visually impaired students; all chosen plants had rounded leaves to avoid any injuries;
- A translation of Braille script in Gujarati developed specially for signage in the school; and
- Artwork commissioned from local artists.
The Latest

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

Sponsored by Stuller


It was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.

GemText AI uses artificial intelligence to generate tailored product titles, descriptions, and tags with jewelry-specific language.

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

The 3,300-square foot location is the jeweler's largest store in North America.

Aging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.

The WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.

A longtime executive at RDI Diamonds, Rickard has served on the JBT board for the past five years.

The two organizations have signed an affiliation agreement that’s expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

The platinum and diamond watch is part of Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches sale.

Recovered in Mozambique, “The Kat Florence Lumina” was part of Bonhams’ Hong Kong jewelry auction held last week.

Get a taste of the delicious candy-like gemstones in this Amanda’s Style File.

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

From Lau’s “Love of a Kind” series, the engagement ring was inspired by the moon and holds a different meaning depending on how it is worn.

The lab has adjusted the scale it uses for nacre grading.

Sponsored by GCAL by Sarine

David Walton will serve three years’ probation after an incident in a hotel bar led to the death of West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger.

The retailer also provided an update on how the tariffs situation in the U.S. is affecting its business.

The family-owned jeweler in Great Falls, Virginia, will be celebrating its golden jubilee with a year’s worth of events.

The nonprofit elected five judges who will decide the winners of its design competition.

This year’s edition includes articles on the favorite tools of notable designers, evaluating when to outsource production, and more.

The jeweler’s high jewelry collection features extraordinary gemstones, like a 241.06-carat emerald and the world’s fourth-largest spinel.

In a special column for the State of the Majors, Edahn Golan breaks down what the top-performing fine jewelry sellers are doing right.