Events & AwardsMar 31, 2021
Meet the First 6 Participants in the Emerging Designers Diamond InitiativeEvents & AwardsApr 21, 2021
Meet the 3 Recipients of the Beyoncé x Lorraine Schwartz GIA Scholarship
Originally intended for two Black aspiring jewelry professionals, three individuals will have their gemology education fully funded.
From left to right: Kulla Jatani, Shelton Bradford and Audriana Osborne are the recipients of the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter x Lorraine Schwartz GIA Scholarships.
Carlsbad, Calif.— Many celebrities would say Lorraine Schwartz is their jewelry fairy godmother.
Now, a few lucky soon-to-be GIA students can call Beyoncé Knowles-Carter theirs.
Thanks to the pop star, Schwartz, and the Gemological Institute of America, three promising Black professionals can pursue their graduate gemologist diplomas and know they were chosen by Queen Bey herself.
The Beyoncé Knowles-Carter x Lorraine Schwartz GIA Scholarship funds full tuition via distance education, as well as fees, equipment, and travel expenses, for the required on-campus lab class component.
The scholarships are valued at more than $20,000.
In a statement, GIA explained the scholarships are “rooted in the understanding that education builds opportunity that can lead to generational wealth.”
It was this belief that led Schwartz, arguably the leading independent designer when it comes to outfitting celebrities, to create the scholarship in honor of her longtime friend and client Knowles-Carter.
Announced earlier this year, GIA matched the scholarship for what originally was to be a total of two full rides.
Schwartz said, “It’s an honor to be part of this life-changing moment for these two young professionals; even more so because it’s in Beyoncé’s name, who has been my friend, muse, and the canvas for which I show my jewelry on for the last 20 years.
Related stories will be right here …
Now, a few lucky soon-to-be GIA students can call Beyoncé Knowles-Carter theirs.
Thanks to the pop star, Schwartz, and the Gemological Institute of America, three promising Black professionals can pursue their graduate gemologist diplomas and know they were chosen by Queen Bey herself.
The Beyoncé Knowles-Carter x Lorraine Schwartz GIA Scholarship funds full tuition via distance education, as well as fees, equipment, and travel expenses, for the required on-campus lab class component.
The scholarships are valued at more than $20,000.
In a statement, GIA explained the scholarships are “rooted in the understanding that education builds opportunity that can lead to generational wealth.”
It was this belief that led Schwartz, arguably the leading independent designer when it comes to outfitting celebrities, to create the scholarship in honor of her longtime friend and client Knowles-Carter.
Announced earlier this year, GIA matched the scholarship for what originally was to be a total of two full rides.
Schwartz said, “It’s an honor to be part of this life-changing moment for these two young professionals; even more so because it’s in Beyoncé’s name, who has been my friend, muse, and the canvas for which I show my jewelry on for the last 20 years.
“Her work for the Black community is without limit and her efforts have inspired me and made me extremely proud to be her friend and partner on this initiative. Both recipients are so passionate about furthering their education and jumpstarting their futures—not only for themselves, but for their communities and for the generations to follow.”
Knowles-Carter personally selected the scholarship winners, but then decided two wasn’t enough.
She said, “I was impressed with their passion and the knowledge of gems that so many applicants displayed. I am praying that this is just the beginning of opening more doors to diversity and raw inspiration in the jewelry industry.”
The songstress has funded a third full-ride scholarship.
WATCH: The Scholarship Winners Are Announced
The three recipients are: Audriana Osborne, Shelton Bradford, and Kulla Jatani.
Each wrote essays in their applications that spoke of their passion for gems and jewelry and how they would like to increase Black representation in the industry.
A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Osborne is interested in the intersection of creativity and her current field, legal advocacy.
From Lake Forest, California, Bradford is following his love of the science and symbolism behind gemstones to learn a trade and start his own business.
Seattle’s Jatani has a creative interest in jewelry and hopes to develop her technical skills with an eye on a potential storefront of her own.
GIA President and CEO Susan Jacques said, “The global gem and jewelry industry is fused together by specialized expertise and diversity of experiences, voices and differing backgrounds. All of these help to foster creativity, relevance and ultimately success. Diversity is essential for us to continue to thrive well into the future.
“We are honored to have worked with Beyoncé and Lorraine to create educational opportunities that can transform the course of a life—and for it to benefit three people, makes it all that more special. Congratulations to Audriana, Shelton and Kulla—we are excited to have you join us on this special journey and we welcome you to GIA!”
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
SurveysOct 16, 2026
How Inflation, Gas Prices Will Affect Holiday Sales The NRF is expecting holiday sales to increase this year, but consumers and retailers alike are facing Grinch-like headwinds.
CollectionsOct 16, 2026
Christina Puchi’s Earrings Hold the UniverseOur Piece of the Week gathers the planets, represented by a variety of colored gemstones, in a pair of 14-karat yellow gold earrings.
IndependentsOct 16, 2026
Reeds Jewelers Expands, Relocates FlagshipThe New York-based jeweler is moving its Amherst flagship store to a larger location in nearby Snyder.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
MajorsOct 16, 2026
Katy Chen Appointed Executive Vice President of Graff USA Chen, who worked at Cartier and Tiffany & Co., will lead retail sales and operations for the luxury jeweler’s 11 U.S. stores.
Weekly QuizOct 15, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsOct 15, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Amy and Elise Greenberg For 40 years, sisters Amy and Elise Greenberg have helmed their 126-year-old family business, leading with appreciation and integrity.
ColumnistsOct 15, 2026
Peter Smith: What Is the Culture REP?It’s a term Smith coined and felt compelled to share following a bad experience with an aborted flight and an unfeeling flight attendant.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
WatchesOct 15, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb’s New Movado Watches Are Made for Your Wrist StackMovado teamed up with the New York-based fine jewelry designer on a new collection of Movado Museum Velura watches.
SourcingOct 15, 2026
Signet Jewelers, Richemont May Join Bidder for De Beers, Report SaysThe two companies are reportedly in talks to join the Global Diamond Consortium, led by former De Beers CEO Gareth Penny, as per Bloomberg.
CollectionsOct 15, 2026
Wolf x Marla Aaron's New Jewelry Box Is for Some (Not All) of Your ThingsThe “Some of the Things” box follows the two larger “Everything” box designs with the look and function of antique sewing and toolboxes.
IndependentsOct 14, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Coleman and Mitchell ClarkFourth-generation jewelers Coleman and Mitchell Clark exemplify the best qualities of their predecessors: humility, modesty, and confidence.
SourcingOct 14, 2026
Manuel Marcial de Gomar, ‘The Emerald Whisperer,’ Dies at 90The gem hunter, whose 70-year career was defined by adventure and exploration, is remembered for his steadfast faith and sense of wonder.
FinancialsOct 14, 2026
LVMH’s Jewelry Brands Turn in ‘Very Good’ Performance in Q3 Tiffany & Co. continued its full-scale store renovation project while Bulgari’s high jewelry collection generated “record-breaking revenue.”
MajorsOct 13, 2026
David Webb Owner Purchases Lugano JewelryThe high-end jewelry retailer was sold to private investment firm Middle West Partners and a group of longtime clients.
Lab-GrownOct 13, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb Takes Lab-Grown Diamond Collection WholesaleThe jewelry designer has partnered with Sofer Jewelry to distribute her 85-piece lab-grown diamond collection.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Sean DunnDunn, this year’s Single-Store Independent inductee, is passionate about innovation and telling the story of natural diamonds.
AuctionsOct 13, 2026
Christie's Geneva To Auction 'Bulgari Pink' DiamondThe 24-carat fancy intense pink diamond ring could fetch up to $18 million at the November sale.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Greenwich St. Jewelers’ New Candle Smells Like HomeThe “Island Jewel” candle honors New York City and Puerto Rico and raises money for the island’s water relief efforts.
TechnologyOct 13, 2026
GemFind Is a New JA Member Benefit Partner The partnership will give JA members access to preferred pricing, exclusive benefits, technology solutions, education, and resources.
SurveysOct 09, 2026
These Will Be the 10 Busiest Days for In-Store Shopping This Holiday SeasonStores should expect to see the most customers on Nov. 27, and Christmas week is expected to be hectic too, as Dec. 25 falls on a Friday.
CollectionsOct 09, 2026
Elisa Solomon Collabs With Serendipity 3 on ‘Frozen Hot Chocolate’ CharmThe charm, our Piece of the Week, features brown diamond frozen hot chocolate topped with white diamond whipped cream and a ruby straw.
AuctionsOct 09, 2026
8-Carat Blue Diamond Goes Unsold at UK Jewelry Auction The top lot of Elmwood’s recent fine jewelry sale in London was a 1.84-carat, D color Tiffany & Co. solitaire diamond ring.
WatchesOct 09, 2026
Movado to Sell Majority Stake in Ebel for $66.5MThe watch company agreed to sell a 95 percent interest to a group comprised of F.P. Journe, Chanel, and Swiss watch exec Pierre Jacques.
Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
SourcingOct 08, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to BrooklynThe trade-only event includes buying opportunities as well as educational sessions on artisanal mining, the new Paraíba source, and more.
