Events & AwardsJul 15, 2024
Halstead Announces 2024 Grant WinnerEvents & AwardsJul 18, 2024
MJSA Education Foundation Announces 3 Scholarship Winners
The winners were awarded $3,000 each to pursue a professional career in jewelry making and design.
Pictured left to right, Tahnee Barbee, Gigi Sui, and Daniela Villacorta are the winners of the 2024 “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarship.
New York—The MJSA Education Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America, has announced the winners of its 2024 “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarship.
The scholarship is given by MJSA to students pursuing professional careers in jewelry making and design.
Tahnee Barbee, Gigi Sui, and Daniela Villacorta each won a $3,000 scholarship.
They were chosen based on their course of study, career plans, academics, recommendations, and financial needs.
Tahnee Barbee is attending the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology (TIJT) in Paris, Texas, for her certificate in jewelry technology, which she expects to earn by the end of 2024.
With her certificate, she plans to work as a bench jeweler while continuing to create her own designs in her home studio.
Barbee started her professional career handling corporate finances for a weekly newspaper. In 2022, she decided to take her part-time jewelry-making hobby and turn it into a full-time job.
Related stories will be right here …
The scholarship is given by MJSA to students pursuing professional careers in jewelry making and design.
Tahnee Barbee, Gigi Sui, and Daniela Villacorta each won a $3,000 scholarship.
They were chosen based on their course of study, career plans, academics, recommendations, and financial needs.
Tahnee Barbee is attending the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology (TIJT) in Paris, Texas, for her certificate in jewelry technology, which she expects to earn by the end of 2024.
With her certificate, she plans to work as a bench jeweler while continuing to create her own designs in her home studio.
Barbee started her professional career handling corporate finances for a weekly newspaper. In 2022, she decided to take her part-time jewelry-making hobby and turn it into a full-time job.
Gigi Sui is earning her certificate in jewelry making and repair from North Bennet Street School (NBSS) in Boston, Massachusetts.
As Sui is in her second year, she expects to earn her certificate by May 2025.
Once she graduates, she would like to become a bench jeweler and eventually create custom designs.
“I’ve always enjoyed creating arts,” said Sui, who initially planned to pursue a career as a painter but went on to work as a certified nail technician and then a pharmacy technician.
While working full-time, she taught herself basic wire-wrapping skills and decided to pursue a full-time career in jewelry.
Daniela Villacorta is looking to earn her bachelor’s degree in studio design from Kean University in Union, New Jersey, with an expected graduation year of 2026.
She is currently studying metalsmithing part-time at Kean, while working in the office of Mataci Inc., a nearby jewelry manufacturer.
Ultimately, she would like to own her own business, focusing on jewelry that explores cultural motifs and follows sustainable practices.
She comes from a family of jewelry professionals, with her father having worked for Scott Kay and David Yurman, and her grandfather for major jewelry manufacturers in Peru.
Villacorta says she uses tools handed down from her great uncles.
For more information on the Future of Jewelry Making scholarship, visit MJSA’s website.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
Policies & IssuesJul 24, 2026
New Trump Tariffs: What They Mean for Jewelry The new sweeping slate of tariffs impacts 60 countries, including India, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Ode to ‘The Odyssey’From coin pendants to diamond shields, these old world-inspired jewels are the perfect accessory for an epic journey.
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Courtney Leidy’s Silk Cord Pendants Center Unexpected Pairings Our Piece of the Week pairs a checkerboard-cut amethyst with an ivy green silk cord.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
PodcastsJul 23, 2026
Episode 7: Reinhold Jewelers on the Power of RelationshipsMildred Marcano Abrams and Yael Reinhold join the podcast to talk community connections, holiday plans, and preserving Reinhold’s legacy.
Weekly QuizJul 23, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingJul 23, 2026
De Beers’ Production Jumps 88 Percent in Q2 Production also was up in the first half of 2026 but is expected to “substantially” decrease in H2 as two key mines undergo maintenance.
CollectionsJul 23, 2026
Silvia Furmanovich’s New Collection Travels Back to the 1920s“Art Deco” fuses ancestral techniques, rare materials, and modern perspectives as a tribute to the optimism and curiosity of the movement.
Brought to you by
Building the Future of Jewelry Retail: DCA Expands Education, Leadership Development, and Workforce SolutionsDCA is preparing the next generation of professionals by supporting workforce development, leadership growth, and career advancement.
IndependentsJul 23, 2026
Sissy's Log Cabin Opens Casino StoreThe jeweler’s newest store is inside Arkansas’ Saracen Casino Resort.
WatchesJul 23, 2026
Movado Inks Licensing Deal With Kate Spade New YorkThe watch company will design, manufacture, and distribute Kate Spade New York watches.
Policies & IssuesJul 22, 2026
Trump to Put 50% Tariff on Canadian Goods The higher tax is set to go into effect in August and will apply to loose polished diamonds as well as precious and base metals jewelry.
CollectionsJul 22, 2026
Monica Rich Kosann’s High Jewelry Is FruitfulThe “Enchanted Garden” series features a cherry, lemon, and pear that each hold a little secret inside.
IndependentsJul 22, 2026
Liljenquist Beckstead Opens Rolex New BoutiqueIt’s located in Tysons Galleria, an upscale shopping center in the Washington, D.C., metro area.
ColumnistsJul 21, 2026
Sherry Smith: Shattering the Illusion of the ‘Either/Or’ Diamond MarketSmith offers retailers guidance on creating an environment where natural and lab-grown diamonds can both thrive.
CollectionsJul 21, 2026
Graff’s New Butterfly High Jewelry Brooches MetamorphosizeThe 12-piece capsule collection transforms from brooches to pendants.
SourcingJul 21, 2026
Anglo Reportedly Selects Gareth Penny’s Consortium as Top Bidder for De BeersA Botswana government official told lawmakers Anglo has selected The Global Diamond Consortium, an entity chaired by Penny, to buy De Beers.
Policies & IssuesJul 20, 2026
Tariffs on Brazil to Increase But Rough Gemstones ExemptThe new tariff, imposed after a Trump administration study, is 25 percent and will stack on top of existing tariffs.
CollectionsJul 20, 2026
Vhernier Transforms ‘Freccia’ Collection Into High JewelryThe collection from 2014 has been reinterpreted into high jewelry with its signature triangular-shaped elements.
MajorsJul 20, 2026
Krista Collins Walters Promoted to Publisher of InstoreShe will also take on the role of vice president of jewelry for SmartWork Media, a newly created position.
Events & AwardsJul 20, 2026
TJS Accepting Speaker Proposals for 2027 EventOrganizers are looking for presentations on topics like manufacturing, technology and research, bench work, gemstones, and sustainability.
CollectionsJul 17, 2026
HOWL Taps Shailene Woodley for ‘Home Sweet Home’ CampaignWoodley is seen in the campaign wearing our Piece of the Week, the “Frida” collar featuring 13 pieces of hand-carved Venetian glass.
SourcingJul 17, 2026
U.K. Woman Pays £5 for £15K Diamond Ring at Car Boot SaleA WeBuyVintage jewelry expert uncovered how much the flea market find was actually worth.
SourcingJul 17, 2026
Diamond Dealer Jeff Pancis Pens MemoirThe founder of natural colored diamond wholesaler Pancis Gems shares stories from his five decades in the industry.
Events & AwardsJul 17, 2026
Gem Awards Opens 2027 Nomination PeriodSubmissions for the milestone 25th annual Gem Awards will be accepted across three categories from now through July 31.
EditorsJul 16, 2026
Q&A: Guzema’s Co-Owners On Its US Expansion, 10-Year AnniversaryValeriya Guzema and Mariana Lenha look back on the last decade and discuss the Ukrainian brand’s first U.S. store.
SourcingJul 16, 2026
Ekati to Close, Leaving Canada With One Diamond Mine The diamond mine, which opened nearly 30 years ago in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is expected to shut down by mid-August.
FinancialsJul 16, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Sales Soar for the Seventh Quarter in a RowJewelry sales for the company, which owns Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vhernier, and Buccellati, rose 21 percent in the first quarter.
