JCK Industry Fund Announces 2024 Grant Recipients

Norwalk, Conn.—The JCK Industry Fund Committee has announced the recipients of its 2024 grants.

The committee awarded a total of $341,000, a slight increase from the year prior, which will be doled out to nine organizations.

Winners received their awards in the first quarter of 2024 to advance specific projects and initiatives in key areas, the committee said.

The Black in Jewelry Coalition (BIJC) will receive funds to continue its emerging designer participation in the JCK Las Vegas shows for 2024 and 2025. The BIJC Collective designers launched at JCK in 2022 and, thanks to a previous grant, showcased again in 2023.

Diamonds Do Good (DDG) will use its grant for consumer-confidence broadcast campaigns and targeted media distribution to drive consumers to buy diamonds.

Gem Legacy will put part of its grant toward its goal of increasing inclusiveness and diversity of socio-economic levels, tribes, places of origin, and family employment in higher education. 

The grant will also help the nonprofit provide for the needs of artisanal, small-scale, colored gemstone miners and equip miners with essential tools for self-protection. It will offer college scholarships for children of mining communities as well. 

Gem Legacy also plans to send gemologists to artisanal mining regions to provide gemstone education. 

The Jewelers Security Alliance (JSA) was granted for their advance software and technology, JCK said.

The i2 Analyst's Notebook is software for data analysis, used to reveal relationships between data entities to discover patterns and provide insight into data.

LexisNexis Accurint for Law Enforcement is an investigative technology the provides instant access to a comprehensive database of public records.

TLOxp is a database used by private investigators and law enforcement that contains personal information such as physical addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and relatives’ contact details.

The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) will use the grant to fund the development and launch of an ADA Compliance Guide for industry members, as well as guides on compliance for physical locations. Both will be included in an online guide and training materials.

Mercury Free Mining will use the funds to continue scaling its GOLDROP technology, a part of its mission to develop a responsible gold supply chain.

The technology, patented in 2018, uses the elutriation process to separate gold, including all heavy elements and minerals, from mineral concentrate and tailings. It is designed to eliminate the need to use mercury in artisanal gold mining.

MJSA will use its award within its MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program, which helps with the bench jeweler shortage. 

The grant will help MJSA develop 150 hours of educational training and information for the industry, as well as trade schools and community colleges, to supplement existing jewelry programs and to be used in the development of new ones.

Pure Earth is a first-time recipient of the fund. It will put the money toward their workshop that raises awareness about the harmful effects of mercury. 

The Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) will use its JCK grant to support its Generating Community Impact Breakfast event at JCK, which will be held Friday, May 31 at 8 a.m. at The Venetian.  

The session will focus on increasing access to the industry through diversity, equity, and inclusion, specifically as it relates to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, WJA said. 

"In our ongoing commitment to the industry, spanning the past 25 years, 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 vice president of RX Jewelry Portfolio and chair of the JCK Industry Fund Committee.

“We want to express our gratitude to the JCK community whose contributions have propelled the Fund's growth and commend the 2024 grant recipients.”

Recipients are selected due to their “synergy with the core goals of the fund,” JCK said.

The grants are funded primarily by JCK with additional support from the industry through donations collected year-round from JCK exhibitors and attendees. 

The JCK Industry Fund was founded in 1997 and has since awarded over $7 million toward program grants.

Its mission is to support the jewelry industry by providing grant funding to organizations driving improvement in the industry.

The committee of industry leaders that selected this year’s winners is comprised of Bachmann; Lisa Bridge, president and CEO of Ben Bridge Jewelry; John Green, president and CEO of Lux Bond & Green; Michael Lerche, president of Goldstar Jewellery LLC; Eddie LeVian, CEO of Le Vian; and Roger Forman, president of Marathon Company.

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