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Gem Legacy Expands Advisory Council
The nonprofit focused on mining communities in East Africa has added three new members to its advisory council.
Gem Legacy has added three new members to its advisory council with backgrounds in law, colored gemstones, and the international auction market.
Ferndale, Mich.—Gem Legacy, the industry nonprofit focused on mining communities in East Africa, has expanded its advisory council.
Its three new members are:
Sara Yood, president, CEO, and general counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee;
Raja Shah, president of Color First; and
Mélanie Matthes, junior specialist at Christie’s.
“Each of these new members brings a unique lens on the industry,” said Rachel Merisheki, executive director of Gem Legacy.
“From law and ethics, to marketing and sourcing, to valuation and impact—their individual perspectives will help us build stronger bridges between the global gem trade and the communities that drive it.”
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Its three new members are:
Sara Yood, president, CEO, and general counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee;
Raja Shah, president of Color First; and
Mélanie Matthes, junior specialist at Christie’s.
“Each of these new members brings a unique lens on the industry,” said Rachel Merisheki, executive director of Gem Legacy.
“From law and ethics, to marketing and sourcing, to valuation and impact—their individual perspectives will help us build stronger bridges between the global gem trade and the communities that drive it.”
As a leader in legal compliance and industry ethics, Yood’s expertise will aid the organization in responsible industry engagement, said Gem Legacy.
Shah brings decades of experience in colored gemstone marketing and global distribution and can support Gem Legacy in forging strategic partnerships and provide better insight into evolving consumer preferences.
Matthes has a deep knowledge of gem valuation and international auction markets, said Gem Legacy, and can lend her expertise to its long-term view of sustainability and legacy in gem sourcing.
Gem Legacy’s advisory council helps to advance the organization’s mission to equip, educate, and empower mining communities in East Africa.
Founded in 2018, Gem Legacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports vocational training, entrepreneurship, and community development in East Africa’s artisanal gem mining regions, aiding those areas through scholarships, education programs, mining toolkits, and local partnerships.
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