Policies & Issues

Ethical Metalsmiths Names New Board, Council Members

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.

20200812_Ethical_Metalsmiths.jpg

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

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.
Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.

The Latest

Gregory's Jewelers storefront
IndependentsApr 28, 2026
This North Carolina Jeweler Is Passing the Torch

The owners of Gregory Jewelers in Morganton, North Carolina, are heading into retirement.

Doug Hucker
SourcingApr 28, 2026
Doug Hucker Retires From ICA

The colored gemstone industry leader is heading into retirement after four years as the association’s CEO.

Natural Diamond Council Chief Marketing Officer Susie Dewey
SourcingApr 28, 2026
NDC Hires Tapestry Exec to Head Global Marketing

Susie Dewey joins the Natural Diamond Council as its new chief marketing officer.

Antique Jewelry & Watch Show
Brought to you by
Discover Timeless Treasures: A Showcase of Antique Jewelry & Timepieces in Las Vegas

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

The Ocean Dream diamond
AuctionsApr 27, 2026
12 Years Later, the ‘Ocean Dream’ Diamond Resurfaces at Christie’s

The largest known fancy vivid blue-green diamond could fetch more than $12 million at its second auction appearance.

Weekly QuizApr 23, 2026
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Smart Age Solutions CEO and National Jeweler columnist Emmanuel Raheb
ColumnistsApr 27, 2026
Stop Treating Mother’s Day Like an Afterthought

Emmanuel Raheb says jewelers need to start marketing early and make it easy for customers to pick a gift for mom.

Longnecker Jewelry storefront
IndependentsApr 27, 2026
Longnecker Jewelry Celebrates 30 Years

In honor of the milestone, the Nebraska jeweler has debuted Leslie & Co., its new in-house jewelry brand.

lvajws image 1.jpg
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the Globe

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

Jeff Corey
MajorsApr 27, 2026
JBT Re-Elects Jeff Corey as Board Chair

The trade organization, which held its annual elections earlier this year, also added five new board members.

Fourteen August Irene mom ring
SurveysApr 24, 2026
Mother’s Day 2026 Jewelry Spending to Top $7B, NRF Says

NRF’s annual survey found that 45 percent of consumers plan to purchase jewelry for a loved one this Mother’s Day.

TwentyFour Vault Locket
TechnologyApr 24, 2026
TwentyFour’s Digital-Age Locket Is a Virtual Vault

The “Vault” charm, our Piece of the Week, expands on the memories that can be stored in a locket by connecting to your phone.

Hamptons Jewelry Show exhibitors Maison Mèrenor, Jochen Leën, Studio Javo
Events & AwardsApr 24, 2026
Hamptons Jewelry Show to Return in July

The open-to-the-public luxury jewelry and timepiece show, in its second year, is slated for July 23-26.

Photos from Day’s Jewelers 2025 Mother’s Day campaign
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Meet the Real Moms of Day’s Jewelers

The jeweler’s Mother’s Day campaign highlights the women who work there—mothers, grandmothers, women who want to be mothers, and dog moms.

National Jeweler - Supplier Bulletin - April 2026 - JMSS Graphic.jpg
Supplier BulletinApr 23, 2026
JM® Shipping Solution: Smarter Shipping for High-Value Goods

Sponsored by Jewelers Mutual

Woman wearing Charles & Colvard lab grown diamond jewelry
Lab-GrownApr 23, 2026
Charles & Colvard May Sell Assets for $1.5M

The proposed agreement follows the moissanite maker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last month.

John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic pocket watch and a gold pencil case
AuctionsApr 23, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Fetches $1M

The Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece Astor brought aboard the ill-fated ship sold for double its estimate at a Freeman’s auction.

Adam Neeley Dali Garden Collection Eyris Ring
CollectionsApr 23, 2026
Adam Neeley’s High Jewelry Collection Steps Into Salvador Dalí’s Garden

The “Dalí’s Garden” collection was inspired by a surreal dream Neeley had after cooking a recipe from Salvador Dalí’s 1973 cookbook.

Natalie Feanny
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Windsor Jewelers Names New Buying Director

Natalie Feanny has been appointed to the role.

Stock image of a gavel and books
CrimeApr 22, 2026
New Mexico Couple Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Native American Jewelry

The pair falsely claimed their jewelry was made by Navajo artists, but it was imported from Vietnam.

Roberta Flack: Style, Art, & Music Auction Bulgari Collar
AuctionsApr 22, 2026
Roberta Flack’s Jewelry Is Going Up for Auction

Julien’s Auctions is selling the musician’s fine and fashion jewelry alongside her clothing, gold records, and other memorabilia.

Rachel King and The Tudor Heart book cover
CollectionsApr 22, 2026
British Museum Curator Pens Book on ‘The Tudor Heart’

Rachel King’s book dives into the history of the pendant believed to have belonged to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.

Henry Kessler, Vance Kessler, Alex Kessler, and Daniel Kessler of Sy Kessler Sales Inc.
Events & AwardsApr 22, 2026
Here’s What Sy Kessler Has on Tap for Las Vegas

The company will have deals on precious metals testers as well as the latest in lab-grown diamond detection technology and security.

Chanel Coco Game Haute Horlogerie Chessboard
WatchesApr 21, 2026
Coco Chanel Enters the Game with New Watch Collection

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel is a character in the “Coco Game” collection of watches and the queen in its first haute horlogerie chessboard.

Jewelers of America 20 Under 40 winners collage
IndependentsApr 21, 2026
Meet Jewelers of America’s 2026 ‘20 Under 40’ Class

The annual list honors rising professionals on the retail and supply sides of the jewelry industry.

Fake Fendi bangle
CrimeApr 21, 2026
Customs Nabs 1,500 Pieces of Counterfeit Jewelry Bound for NYC

Seized in Kentucky, the packages include fake Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Chanel, and Fendi jewelry.

Stock image of a judge’s gavel
CrimeApr 20, 2026
Queens Man Convicted in Bludgeoning Death of Pawn Shop Owner

Rodolfo Lopez-Portillo faces 25 years to life in prison after being found guilty in the March 2022 beating death of Arasb Shoughi.

Jewelry Creators: Dynamic Duos and Generational Gems Book Cover
TrendsApr 20, 2026
Beth Bernstein, Sonia Esther Soltani Pen New Jewelry Book

“Jewelry Creators: Dynamic Duos and Generational Gems” highlights the relationships among 22 influential designers, brands, and gem dealers.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy