Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.
WJA Announces 2016 Female Veteran Grant Winner
It has been awarded to Tara Hutchinson of Tara Hutch Fine Jewelry in San Antonio, Texas, who served a 10-year tour in the U.S. Army as a military police officer.

New York--The Women’s Jewelry Association has awarded its 2016 Female Veteran Grant to Tara Hutchinson of Tara Hutch Fine Jewelry in San Antonio, Texas.
Hutchinson, who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, served a 10-year tour in the U.S. Army as a military police officer, retiring as a sergeant first class.
While she was deployed to Iraq in 2006, an explosive device severed her right leg, causing significant blood loss that led to severe limb movement disorder, third-degree burns, permanent back injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Hutchinson started making jewelry after an occupational therapist suggested trying a hobby that might help her gain control in her hands once again.
When she first began, she could barely string a large wooden bead onto a leather cord.
“Nonetheless, I’ve never been one to give up, and a stubborn need to succeed demanded I keep moving until I mastered this task,” Hutchinson said. “This achievement ignited a spark for jewelry creation, and practically in a frenzy, I began teaching myself everything I could about the craft. I gradually built a library of materials and techniques, and eventually my garage turned into a fully furnished jeweler’s studio. I began practicing all day, every day, and shockingly, within a year, my movement disorder had almost vanished.”
These days, she uses such techniques as forging, soldering, stone setting, chasing, fusing and patinas to make her jewelry.
Hutchinson specializes in two finger rings, open-top rings and jewelry that incorporates organic shapes. She also creates jewelry that caters to women with swollen knuckles or who have difficulty opening and closing clasps.
She sells her jewelry through her website and social media, as well as at local and national juried shows.
The WJA’s merit-based Female Veteran Grant, offered in partnership with Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co., goes to a deserving military veteran to use towards her profession growth in the jewelry and/or watch industries.
It was established last year to lend support to women veterans who continue to serve their communities through their work in jewelry. Jenifer Bellefleur, who worked as an explosive ordnance disposal technician in the U.S. Army, was the recipient of the first grant.
Hutchinson said she plans to use the grant to create custom packaging and displays. As she expands her jewelry into the wholesale business, her other goals are to open a new climate-controlled location with more space where she could teach, and, in
Another of her goals is to use part of her jewelry sales to give back to charities that help survivors. Her aim, she said, is to help women with similar issues become independent and self-reliant.
The WJA raises money for its various grants and scholarships in a number of ways, including through its annual Awards for Excellence.
This year’s awards are scheduled to take place Monday at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Awards will be given across 10 categories, including design, retail, editorial media and watches.
Two honorees will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards: Sissy Jones of Sissy’s Log Cabin and Peter Engel, president of Fred Meyer Jewelers. Ben Bridge Jeweler will be awarded the WJA Corporate Award.
More information, including how to purchase tickets and sponsorship opportunities, is available on WJA’s website.
The Latest

The one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.

Three C-suite executives, including former CEO Tom Nolan, have resigned as part of what the company describes as a “transition.”

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

The retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.


Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.

The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

The pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.

The New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”

The latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.

The new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.

The investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.

Smith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.

The counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.

The MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Casio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.

Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.

Originally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.

The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.

Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.

Its investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.

Nicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.

Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.

Longtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.

The full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.

Model Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.