The suspect allegedly stole almost $800,000 worth of diamond jewelry from a store in Orlando and then swallowed it during a traffic stop.
Jewelry Industry Summit Pivots to Membership Organization
The sustainability and responsible sourcing organization will now offer a variety of annual membership options.

New York—The Jewelry Industry Summit, the not-for-profit that organizes annual conferences on sustainable practices, is becoming a membership-based organization.
By doing so, the summit will “be empowered to provide a comprehensive platform of continuous support to the fast-growing sustainability movement within the jewelry community,” JIS Chair Cecilia Gardner explained in a press release.
“Our new platform allows all individuals and entities who are passionate about positively impacting the environment and jewelry-producing communities to contribute in a variety of ways, which are affordable but will make a real difference.”
JIS, which is a not-for-profit organization, said changing its business model will allow it to increase its impact by developing more comprehensive and further-reaching strategies to make the jewelry industry more sustainable across all sectors.
Both individuals and organizations can become members.
Memberships are $60 annually, with the option to contribute more: $100 as a “contributor,” $500 as a “supporter,” $1,000 as a “patron” and $5,000 as a “benefactor.” Student memberships are available for $40.
Memberships can be paid at once or monthly. As a special introductory offer, anyone who signs up now for annual membership will have to pay no additional membership costs through the end of 2020.
JIS said it will offer benefits to members like access to webinars, as well as discounts on tickets to certain jewelry events.
Gardner said, “We want to ensure sustainability becomes a broad-based industry priority and urge everyone to visit our new website to find out how they can help and to sign up for our newsletter providing updates on a variety of efforts to sustain the jewelry supply chain.”
For more information visit JewelryIndustrySummit.com.
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