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Events & AwardsAug 17, 2020
JCK Industry Fund Offers Grant to Support Industry Diversity
It will be awarded to a program that supports greater inclusion in the jewelry industry.
Norwalk, Conn.—The JCK Industry Fund is offering a new grant to promote more inclusivity in the jewelry and watch industries.
Organizations who want to create programs that support more inclusion for BIPOC—Black, indigenous, and people of color— designers in the jewelry industry are encouraged to apply in the fall. The grant will be awarded in 2021.
“The U.S. jewelry industry has always been international. However, social inequality in America has made the barrier to entry quite high for some talented minority jewelry professionals,” said Yancy Weinrich, COO of Reed Exhibitions USA, in a press release announcing the new grant.
Established in 1997 with the help of the Plumb Club, the JCK Industry Fund has awarded more than $6 million toward grants that benefit the jewelry industry.
RELATED CONTENT: Zales Is Scoping Out Emerging Jewelry DesignersThe Industry Fund Committee has added diversity to its list of causes, which also includes access to education and improved commerce.
Weinrich sits on the committee alongside John Green of Lux Bond & Green, Eddie LeVian of Le Vian, Michael Lerche of Goldstar Jewellery LLC, Sam Sandberg of A. Jaffe, and Sarin Bachmann of Reed Jewelry Group.
As the fund continues to grow, Weinrich said, money is directed toward the areas where it’s needed most and will have the greatest impact.
“We believe adding a new grant specifically focused on inclusivity and diversity will be beneficial to the entire jewelry industry and its consumers immediately and for the future,” she added.
Exhibitors and attendees of JCK’s virtual trade show, which ran from Aug. 11 to 14, were able to donate upon registration, either to the fund as a whole or specifically to the new diversity grant.
De Beers Group donated $10 per viewer, for up to 500 viewers, to the grant during its JCK Virtual education session “Promoting Diversity in The Diamond Industry,” presented by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., on Aug. 12.
For more information about the JCK Industry Fund, visit the JCK website or email jckindustryfund@reedexpo.com.
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