PodcastsAug 20, 2026
Episode 8: Diamond Industry Update With David Bonaparte & Ronnie VanderLindenThe industry veterans join the podcast to discuss diamond marketing, the FTC Jewelry Guides, and lobbying for lower tariffs.
Policies & IssuesAug 12, 2020
Ethical Metalsmiths Names New Board, Council Members
Monica Stephenson of Anza Gems and Moyo Gems is the new president of the board of directors.
New York—Ethical Metalsmiths has added new members to its board of directors and advisory council, and elected a new board president.
Founded in 2004, Ethical Metalsmiths includes buyers, jewelers, designers and suppliers working toward a more responsible and environmentally conscious jewelry industry.
The group has named Monica Stephenson, of Anza Gems and Moyo Gems, as the new president of its board of directors for a three-year term. Immediate past board President Alexandra Hart has taken on the role of executive director.
Eric Braunwart, president of Columbia Gem House, has joined the board.
His company operates several gem cutting facilities around the world and works with governments, nonprofits and miners to ensure a more ethical mine-to-market gemstone supply chain.
Jessica Hudson, founder of The Nomad Jeweler, is a longtime member of Ethical Metalsmiths but a new addition to the board.
Hudson is an advocate for responsible sourcing and the environment, organizing trips to international supply chain sites to see responsible practices firsthand.
In addition to being a new board member, Kathleen Kennedy is an adjunct professor and metals area coordinator in the Craft/Material Studies Department at Virginia Commonwealth University.
She is also the co-director of Radical Jewelry Makeover, the international community jewelry mining and recycling program started by Ethical Metalsmiths in 2017.
Jared Holstein, co-founder of Perpetuum Jewels and owner of D’Amadeo, is a new addition to the Ethical Metalsmiths advisory council. He is also on the board of Jewelry Industry Summit and was part of the Jewelry Glossary Project.
Niki Grandics, founder of the “ethical with an edge” Enji Studio Jewelry brand, also joins the advisory council. In addition to her new role on the council, Grandics is Ethical Metalsmiths’ marketing co-chair.
Kathleen Lynagh House, a jewelry designer and creative consultant, is another addition to the advisory council.
With degrees in graphic design, jewelry, and web design, she created the group’s website and serves as its website design and development chair.
Jewelry designer Tracy Matthews, founder of consultancy group Flourish and Thrive Academy, also joined the council.
She is best known for her “contemporary, cutting-edge multi-media marketing of jewelry design companies,” said Ethical Metalsmiths.
And, finally, Pat Syvrud, program manager of the minerals, materials and society and jewelry development impact index at the University of Delaware, also is becoming a member of Ethical Metalsmiths’ advisory council.
She is the former executive director of World Diamond Council, a board member of the U.S. Kimberley Process Authority, and has worked
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
at the Smithsonian Institution on the National Gem Collection.
Artist and educator Susie Ganch, co-founder and co-director of The Radical Jewelry Makeover program, will leave the board but stay involved in the group as an advisory council member.
Robin Gambhir of Fair Trade Jewellery Co. also has left the board but will serve on the council. He was instrumental in the creation of the Ethical Metalsmiths Supplier Members self-assessments.
For more information about the organization, visit Ethical Metalsmiths.org.
Artist and educator Susie Ganch, co-founder and co-director of The Radical Jewelry Makeover program, will leave the board but stay involved in the group as an advisory council member.
Robin Gambhir of Fair Trade Jewellery Co. also has left the board but will serve on the council. He was instrumental in the creation of the Ethical Metalsmiths Supplier Members self-assessments.
For more information about the organization, visit Ethical Metalsmiths.org.
More on Policies & Issues
The Latest
TechnologyAug 20, 2026
A New AI-Powered Gemstone Identification App Is HereFounder Vik Westermann said the app is a “starting point” to inspire people to work with appraisers and gem labs, not replace them.
AuctionsAug 20, 2026
Storied Unicorn Brooch Up for Auction Gallops to New Home The Verdura brooch, which belonged to the late Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, was sold to a private collector in Asia.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
Events & AwardsAug 20, 2026
MJSA Education Foundation Names 5 Scholarship WinnersThe five students were awarded a total of $10,000 through the nonprofit’s 2026 “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarship.
Weekly QuizAug 20, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsAug 20, 2026
Plumb Club Elects 2026-2027 BoardSteven Lerche is now beginning his term as the youngest member to become president of The Plumb Club’s elected executive committee.
MajorsAug 19, 2026
Mike Alexander To Succeed Scott Murphy as Jewelers Mutual CEO Murphy will retire at the end of the year and Alexander, currently the company’s president, will take over at the start of 2027.
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.
MajorsAug 19, 2026
Zales Wants You to Wear Fine Jewelry Every DayThe new campaign, “You Are The Occasion,” discourages shoppers from saving their fine jewelry for special occasions only.
SourcingAug 19, 2026
Vasant Mehta, a Dedicated Diamond Industry Leader, Dies at 81Mehta led India’s GJEPC through the 2008 financial crisis and was respected worldwide for his wisdom, integrity, and knowledge.
CrimeAug 18, 2026
2 California Men Arrested in Fatal Vehicle Smash RobberyOne is the driver who allegedly crashed a car into a Sacramento jewelry store in April, striking a 71-year-old employee who later died.
ColumnistsAug 18, 2026
Peter Smith: The IKEA Effect and Bridal Branding In a new column, Peter Smith posits that people actually enjoy putting together IKEA furniture, and the same is true for engagement rings.
CrimeAug 18, 2026
Thieves Snatch $1M in Jewelry From New Jersey Jeweler9lakha Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, was the target of a smash-and-grab robbery on Aug. 8.
Lab-GrownAug 18, 2026
Ring Concierge, Kendall Jenner’s Tequila Brand Collab on GiveawayThe jeweler has partnered with 818 Tequila to gift lab-grown diamond studs to a bride-to-be and their bridal party.
Events & AwardsAug 17, 2026
Exhibition on Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Studios to Open at The MetThe exhibition will feature more than 100 drawings of stained-glass lampshades, windows, and more, many created by women and émigrés.
CollectionsAug 17, 2026
Marquise Diamonds Dance in Spinelli Kilcollin’s ‘Wren’ CollectionMarquise-cut diamonds in drop charms are the center of the new collection, reflecting the movement of a dancer in modular styles.
Events & AwardsAug 17, 2026
There’s a New Jewelry Show Coming to FloridaThe inaugural Fort Lauderdale Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show will be held from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, 2027.
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.
Supplier BulletinAug 13, 2026
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
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.
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.
