Events & AwardsJun 30, 2025
AGA Names Recipient of 2025 Gemological Education ScholarshipEvents & AwardsJul 01, 2025
William Goldberg Diamonds, FIT Partner for Apprenticeship Program
The company is providing the opportunity for an FIT student to work alongside master diamond cutter Willie Lopez in its workshop.
William Goldberg Diamonds has a history of mentoring and apprenticeships. Pictured are Eve Goldberg, Matthew Denatale, Willie Lopez, and Benjamin Goldberg, from the company’s apprenticeship with Denatale in June.
New York— William Goldberg Diamonds has announced its partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology’s (FIT) jewelry design department on a diamond cutting apprenticeship.
The apprenticeship will give one student from the college the opportunity to hone their skills and develop their art at the William Goldberg workshop in New York City, one of the few diamond cutting workshops remaining in the city.
The student will work alongside master cutter Willie Lopez, who has more than 50 years of experience cutting diamonds with the company.
During the three-to-four-week program slated for January 2026, the student will work one-on-one with Lopez learning how to cut diamonds.
At the end of the apprenticeship, the student will get to keep a diamond.
All applications will go through the jewelry design department at FIT, submitting a required questionnaire followed by interviews with the Goldberg family.
Candidates will be selected based on their passion for the business and willingness to learn a new skill.
Applications are due to FIT by November.
Related stories will be right here …
The apprenticeship will give one student from the college the opportunity to hone their skills and develop their art at the William Goldberg workshop in New York City, one of the few diamond cutting workshops remaining in the city.
The student will work alongside master cutter Willie Lopez, who has more than 50 years of experience cutting diamonds with the company.
During the three-to-four-week program slated for January 2026, the student will work one-on-one with Lopez learning how to cut diamonds.
At the end of the apprenticeship, the student will get to keep a diamond.
All applications will go through the jewelry design department at FIT, submitting a required questionnaire followed by interviews with the Goldberg family.
Candidates will be selected based on their passion for the business and willingness to learn a new skill.
Applications are due to FIT by November.
It is the first apprenticeship program for diamond cutting, according to the company.
“The Goldberg Family considers it essential to encourage the next generation of diamond cutters by extending our expertise,” said Eve Goldberg, creative director and partner at William Goldberg Diamonds.
“We also hope to pass on our undying commitment to natural diamonds. The future of the industry depends on it and the partnership with FIT is the ideal way to accomplish this.”
Previously, the company has held apprenticeships on a case-by-case basis and is now looking to expand the offering.
The company’s founder, William Goldberg, was known for his bold approach to diamond cutting and the creation of the Ashoka cut, highlighted in a recent book about his life.
One student will be chosen for the January 2026 apprenticeship; however, the company is looking to increase this number over time as well as offer a full-time diamond cutting opportunity in the future.
“Since the founding of the Jewelry Design Program at FIT in 1974, this apprenticeship will be the first of its kind, facilitating a direct relationship between the N.Y. diamond cutting community and our students. This remarkable opportunity will introduce our students to a very important, and extremely difficult field to enter,” said Kim Nelson, assistant chair of jewelry design at FIT.
“With the increased interest in unusual diamond cuts and styles, coupled with the advent of more accessible gem material in the form of lab-grown diamonds, I am confident there will be a major resurgence of interest in diamond cutting.”
Michael Coan, adjunct faculty in jewelry design at FIT, added, “The opportunity to study and gain skill sets in diamond cutting was for many years a very private and ‘family related’ industry here it the U.S.; William Goldberg has very graciously opened its doors and offered its diamond cutting expertise to our students, creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience that may lead for some into a full time passion and career. They will learn in three weeks how to release the inherent beauty, sparkle, and flash that only a diamond can produce.”
For more information on William Goldberg Diamonds, visit its website.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
IndependentsAug 14, 2026
Smyth Jewelers to Open Fourth LocationThe family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.
CrimeAug 14, 2026
Wife of Man Convicted in Jeweler’s Murder Sentenced for Conspiracy Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.
TrendsAug 14, 2026
Paul Morelli’s Latest ‘Wavey Vine’ Earrings Embrace ColorThe reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsRetailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.
Supplier BulletinAug 13, 2026
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
Weekly QuizAug 13, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
FinancialsAug 13, 2026
Pandora’s ‘Talisman’ Collection Shines, Lab-Grown Diamond Sales FallIn the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.
AuctionsAug 13, 2026
This Gold Cadbury ‘Conundrum’ Egg Set a World Auction RecordThe 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.
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.
SourcingAug 13, 2026
2,488-Carat Diamond, Largest Found in Botswana, Has a New Owner Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.
CollectionsAug 13, 2026
John Hardy Infuses ‘Icon,’ ‘Heishi’ Collections with ColorThe expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.
Lab-GrownAug 13, 2026
Jean Dousset Opens Third StoreThe lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Eshed-Gemstar on the Painstaking Process of Cutting ‘The Legacy Emerald’The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Elderly NYC Woman Targeted in Jewelry Swap SchemeTwo suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Another Diamond Mine Poised to CloseFinsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Jewelry Store Employee Gets 20 Years to Life in Choking Death of BossMichel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.
MajorsAug 12, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names New SVP of SalesLongtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.
AuctionsAug 11, 2026
Verdura Unicorn Brooch With Royal Connection Up for Auction The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.
MajorsAug 11, 2026
Signet Jewelers Selects Mattel Exec to Lead Zales, BanterJamie Cygielman will take on the role on Aug. 24.
IndependentsAug 11, 2026
Polly’s Fine Jewelry Co-Owner Richard Moore Dies at 69Moore, Polly’s husband, is remembered as a family man with an easygoing spirit and a love for sports and the outdoors.
ColumnistsAug 11, 2026
Creative Connecting: How to Sell Colored Gemstones to Gen ZDuvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share the best ways to display, present, and explain colored gemstones to younger customers.
TechnologyAug 10, 2026
Colorado Jeweler Launches Customization Tool He Built HimselfHonest Hands Ring Co. Founder Benjamin Bosworth shared his thoughts on jewelry technology and why AI can never replace the human element.
MajorsAug 10, 2026
QVC Exits Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Names New Interim CEOQVC Group President and CEO David Rawlinson is temporarily being replaced by a familiar face, former QVC CEO Mike George.
CollectionsAug 10, 2026
State Property Puts a Ripple in the ‘The Voyager’ CollectionThe brand also added two one-of-a-kind brown diamond pieces to the “Sanssouci” series of its “Gardens” collection.
MajorsAug 10, 2026
And IJO’s 2026 Vendor of the Year Is … Ostbye took home top vendor honors at the Independent Jewelers Organization’s show, held last month in Kentucky.
Supplier BulletinAug 07, 2026
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsSponsored by Stratus Estate Buyers
MajorsAug 07, 2026
Retail Veteran Pam Cloud Appointed President of Blue NileCloud, who will officially join Blue Nile on Monday, spent 26 years at Tiffany & Co. and founded jewelry brand Roseate.
MajorsAug 07, 2026
Pandora Appoints Paulo Garcia as New CFO Garcia will take over from the company’s current CFO, Anders Boyer, who is retiring at the end of November.
