Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America
NYC Jewelry Week Offering Grants to Benefit Black Jewelers
The new funding program come as part of NYCJW’s Here We Are initiative to support diversity in the industry.
New York—New York City Jewelry Week has introduced a new grant program to provide financial support to Black jewelry designers.
The move comes as part of the 2020 edition of NYCJW’s Here We Are platform, an initiative created to support diversity in the jewelry community through awareness, empowerment and education.
Launched last year under NYCJW’s Director of Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Elliot Carlyle, Here We Are holds events including panels, webinars and exhibitions.
This year, it will also include new funding opportunities to further the mission of supporting equitable representation.
The Here We Are grant program will provide a financial award to two Black jewelers in the U.S. who are committed to their craft and seek funding to advance their career or business.
Applications will be available through NYC Jewelry Week’s website starting Aug. 10.
The applicants will be judged on several criteria: individual voice and aesthetic, quality and craftsmanship, drive, financial need, and goals.
A third financial grant recipient has already been named—20-year industry veteran Lorraine West.
The grant will support a solo exhibition for West during New York City Jewelry Week 2020, providing money, a space—physical or virtual—and publicity across all NYCJW channels.
West will launch her fine jewelry collection during the exhibition.
The three HWA grants will be awarded during NYCJW, which is slated for Nov. 16 to 22. This year’s iteration will include virtual and live events.
“We cannot ignore the fact that within the underrepresented designer matrix there is a financial disparity that exists,” Caryle said in a press release.
“The talent is here, the education is here, the passion and drive is here, yet the funding is not. This grant program is a way that we can help to weaken and hopefully remove this systemic disadvantage through financial empowerment.”
Here We Are already included a bi-weekly Instagram Live series hosted by Carlyle through the NYCJW account.
For a second year, NYCJW also will shoot a campaign celebrating the work of a diverse group of artists, designers, jewelers and influences in the jewelry community.
Shot by photographer Stefen Pompée, it’s slated to launch this fall.
Additionally, NYCJW 2020 will also hold a series of curated virtual presentations highlighting the work of several jewelers participating in Here We Are, supported by panels and talks from industry leaders and conversations with the jewelers involved.
“We have worked hard to develop relationships that support the
“That’s where the magic is, in the individual jewelry voices present here that have been disregarded for so long, each unique, brilliant and ready to receive the spotlight.”
The Latest

The 2025 Australian Open champion is the jewelry brand’s first athlete ambassador.

The West Village jewelry boutique’s new shop-in-shop is the cornerstone of Nordstrom’s revamped jewelry hall.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

This past year, the manufacturer said it recorded below-zero emissions per carat of natural diamond.


The brand’s “Golden Strada” statement necklace features round, marquise, and pear diamonds that sparkle like Fourth of July fireworks.

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

Located on Rodeo Drive, the store’s design was inspired by Hollywood and Los Angeles culture.

The new location continues the brand’s celebration of its 25th anniversary.

The online watch marketplace’s “Time Is Our Thing” campaign highlights the importance of time.

She will oversee strategic planning, fundraising, industry partnerships, and the launch of the Gem Legacy Campus in Tanzania.

Working with Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit and law enforcement, Pandora helped to shut down a large-scale counterfeit network in China.

The jewelry company has closed its three California brick-and-mortar stores, as well as its online shop, for now.

The company is providing the opportunity for an FIT student to work alongside master diamond cutter Willie Lopez in its workshop.

He is remembered for his successful entrepreneurship, generosity, and dedication to his family.

The jewelry store chain has reportedly been struggling with costs related to tariffs as well as tough retail competition.

Co-founders Afzal Imram and Lin Ruiyin brought their son’s story of a cosmic egg, toadstool, and railroad to life in their new collection.

The best time to prepare for the holiday season is right now, according to columnist Emmanuel Raheb.

This year’s winner is Morgan Keefe, who is currently studying at GIA to be a gemologist.

“The Jewelry Book” comes out this September.

The company is focused on modernizing the custom jewelry buying experience with e-commerce tools like product visualization and 3D styling.

Following its recent acquisition, the storied brand has updated its leadership team and regional managers.

AGS also named the recipient of its “Women in Leadership” scholarship.

The 20-karat yellow gold and diamond wrap ring is modeled after the Monstera plants in the garden of the brand’s Miami villa.

Rocksbox President Allison Vigil shared the retailer’s expansion plans, and her thoughts on opening stores in malls.

The creator of the WJA Chicago chapter is remembered as a champion for women in the jewelry industry and a loving grandmother.