Our Pieces of the Week honor the 2026 nominees for the Gem Award for Jewelry Design, Silvia Furmanovich, Cece Fein-Hughes, and Catherine Sarr.
Fifth-Generation Jeweler Awarded Beatrice Shipley Scholarship
Madelaine Genna is the first recipient of the scholarship, which covers the cost of a Graduate Gemologist diploma from GIA and a Certified Gemologist diploma from AGS.
“Beatrice is someone I greatly admire as she represents all the amazing things that a woman can be, and I’m so proud to be associated with her in this way,” Genna said in a press release announcing the award winner.
The scholarship covers the full cost of a Graduate Gemologist diploma from GIA and a Certified Gemologist diploma from AGS as well as the cost of attending 2020 AGS Conclave in Denver.
The debut of the award was announced by GIA CEO Susan Jacques at 2019 AGS Conclave in Seattle during the Shipley Luncheon.
Genna’s interest in jewelry began when she was young, spending time in her family’s jewelry store, Genna’s Jewelers, in Florida.
She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in public relations and advertising, her LinkedIn profile shows.
Genna is an AGS certified sales associate and holds a GIA Diamond Essentials certificate.
She previously worked in the family store, overseeing management and sales as well as organizing trunk shows and coordinating with local charities.
Currently, Genna handles training and visual merchandising at Effy Jewelry, appearing as a brand ambassador on Gem Shopping Network and training retail sales associates.
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