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Human Rights Attorney, Jeweler Awarded WJA Scholarship
The Women’s Jewelry Association awards the WJA-Gabriel Love Foundation Student Scholarship to students interested in a career in the jewelry industry.
New York—The Women’s Jewelry Association has awarded the WJA-Gabriel Love Foundation Student Scholarship to Zulaikha Aziz, a human rights attorney and the founder of jewelry company Mazahri.
The Gabriel Love Foundation was established by jewelry brand Gabriel & Co. to provide funding for students looking to achieve professional growth within the jewelry industry as well as those who want to use a career in the industry to give back to communities.
Aziz is currently working on earning her Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) diploma at the Gemological Institute of America.
She also holds a B.A. from McGill University, an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law.
Aziz has more than a decade of experience working with various organizations, government bodies, academia, and civil society organizations for betterment of vulnerable communities.
Though new to the industry, her love of jewelry and colored gemstones runs deep.
Aziz’s family left Afghanistan in 1982 during a war and emigrated to the United States.
Her grandmother smuggled ancestral jewelry out with her, some of which was passed down to Aziz.
“I deeply felt the power and meaning of these precious jewels, not only in connecting us to the past, but in showing us the potential for future growth. My grandmother taught me never to forget where I came from and my inherent human dignity,” she said.
Her fine jewelry company, Mazahri, is driven by the idea that “business should be an important force for good in the world, and that jewelry can empower and celebrate the women and men involved in each step of its creation,” said WJA in its press release announcing the winner.
For more information about the WJA foundation or to make a donation, vist the WJA website.
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