Smith recalls a bit of wisdom the industry leader, who died last week, shared at a diamond conference years ago.
JFC to Honor Jeffrey Cohen, Bill Luth at Facets of Hope
The Citizen and Signet executives will assist Jewelers for Children in raising funds for children in need.

Las Vegas--Jewelers for Children has announced Jeffrey Cohen of Citizen Watch America and Bill Luth of Signet Jewelers Ltd. as this year’s Facets of Hope honorees.
Cohen entered the watch industry 36 years ago. He began as a sales trainee at Movado, and ended his time with the brand as president worldwide.
Today he is president and CEO of Citizen Watch America. He has been on the JFC board for over a decade and was recently appointed vice president of charity programs.
Luth, who also has more than 30 years of experience in the jewelry industry, began working at Signet as a part-time sales associate while still in college. He worked his way up to roles including senior vice president of store operations at Zales North America, including strategic integration; senior vice president – transformation leadership team; and executive vice president of sourcing, distribution and logistics, repair, manufacturing and transformation leadership.
This year, Luth began his current role of executive general manager/executive vice president of Kay Jewelers. He has served on the Diamond Council of America board since 2011 and is the current board chairman.
The 2018 edition of the Facets of Hope gala marks the 20th anniversary of the event, which was held for the first time in June 1999 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
Cohen and Luth’s roles as honorees entail assisting JFC in raising funds to support its charitable partners, all of which serve children in need.
Facets of Hope helps to raise awareness about the organizations JFC supports, plus celebrates the charity’s contributions over the previous year. Last year, 1,750 people attended the event.
For the 20th anniversary, JFC said it will provide updates on some of the children the organization has helped over the past two decades.
JFC Board Chair Pamela Mortensen said: “What an accomplishment and what a special celebration this Facets of Hope will be for Jewelers for Children. Jeffrey and Bill are the perfect honorees for us as we mark this important milestone for the industry and the support of children in need. ”
This year’s Facets of Hope gala will take place on Sunday, June 3 at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. Those interested in attending the event or sponsorship opportunities can contact JFC at 212-687-2949 or info@jewelersforchildren.org.
The event will begin with cocktails at 6 p.m. on the third
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