Events & AwardsJul 31, 2025
These Are the 2025 CASE Award WinnersEvents & AwardsAug 04, 2025
Gem Awards, David Yurman Introduce $50K Grant for Emerging Designers
The winner of the inaugural David Yurman Gem Awards Grant will be announced live at the 2026 Gem Awards gala.
The application period for the new David Yurman Gem Awards Grant is open now through Oct. 7. The grant will go to an emerging fine jewelry designer and includes a $50,000 financial award plus mentorship opportunities.
New York—Jewelers of America and the Gem Awards committee announced the launch of the David Yurman Gem Awards Grant, a $50,000 grant and mentorship program created specifically for emerging jewelry designers.
The application period for the grant opened today, Aug. 4, and will close Oct. 7.
The grant recipient will be revealed live at the 24th annual Gem Awards, scheduled for March 13, 2026, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York.
“Everyone involved in creating this grant passionately believes supporting emerging talent is a great path to strengthening our jewelry community in the future,” Gem Awards Chair Marion Fasel said.
“We are all looking forward to the selection process and the presentation of the David Yurman Gem Awards Grant, which promises to add another memorable moment to the always moving and emotional Gem Awards ceremony.”
Related stories will be right here …
The application period for the grant opened today, Aug. 4, and will close Oct. 7.
The grant recipient will be revealed live at the 24th annual Gem Awards, scheduled for March 13, 2026, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York.
“Everyone involved in creating this grant passionately believes supporting emerging talent is a great path to strengthening our jewelry community in the future,” Gem Awards Chair Marion Fasel said.
“We are all looking forward to the selection process and the presentation of the David Yurman Gem Awards Grant, which promises to add another memorable moment to the always moving and emotional Gem Awards ceremony.”
JA and David Yurman created this new grant to support and foster an emerging fine jewelry designer who has been in business for at least three years and shows “exceptional promise,” JA said.
The recipient of the grant will receive a one-time financial award of $50,000, mentoring meetings with executives at David Yurman, and consultative meetings with other industry executives.
To qualify for the grant, applicants must demonstrate “unique talent” in fine jewelry design and have a solid business plan for expansion; have operated their own jewelry design company for at least three years; and be based and manufacture in the United States.
A selection committee will review all applications and select five finalists, who will be notified in December.
The finalists must deliver in-person presentations to the committee, after which the committee will select the grant recipient. The winner of the grant will be announced publicly at the 2026 Gem Awards.
For more information on the Gem Awards and the David Yurman Gem Awards Grant, visit the event’s website.
Information on the grant is listed under “The Event.”
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
GradingAug 22, 2025
Former Head of GIA India Promoted to Oversee Global Operations Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.
CollectionsAug 22, 2025
Piece of the Week: Retrouvaí’s ‘Diamond Vein Bond’ CollarThe one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.
MajorsAug 22, 2025
Kendra Scott Returns as CEO of Her Jewelry EmpireThree C-suite executives, including former CEO Tom Nolan, have resigned as part of what the company describes as a “transition.”
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Claire’s Finds Buyer, Could Save up to 950 StoresThe retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.
Weekly QuizAug 22, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Target Names New CEO as Sales Continue to Lag Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.
Policies & IssuesAug 21, 2025
JA, IDMA Talk Tariffs With Execs in DC The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Pops Up at 2025 US OpenThe pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.
IndependentsAug 20, 2025
Bellman’s Jewelers Opens Second Store After COO's TikTok Takes OffThe New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”
CrimeAug 20, 2025
Another CA Jewelry Store Rammed With Car, RobbedThe latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.
WatchesAug 20, 2025
Oris Launches Watch Benefiting NYC Harbor Oyster RestorationThe new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.
SourcingAug 19, 2025
Dubai’s Jemora Group Buys Diamond Miner LucapaThe investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry RetailSmith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.
CrimeAug 19, 2025
Customs Seizes 7,300 Pairs of Fake ‘Alhambra’ EarringsThe counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally RecognizedThe MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division ManagerCasio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on PointOriginally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
EditorsAug 15, 2025
Piece of the Week: Etho Maria’s Showgirl-Approved Ruby Drop Earrings Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in ManufacturerIts investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing DirectorNicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEOLongtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.
SourcingAug 14, 2025
West Coast Orgs to Host Trading Event, Mixer in LAThe full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut DiamondModel Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.
