Fenix and Dholakia Lab-Grown Diamonds have jointly acquired the Israel-based company, which grows diamonds using solar power.
GIA Pledges $1.3M to Expand Artisanal Miner Education
It will provide its gem guide for evaluating rough in four additional African countries and reach 10,000 miners.
Carlsbad, Calif.—After seeing success with its pilot program in Tanzania, the Gemological Institute of America will expand distribution of its gem guide for artisanal miners.
President and CEO Susan Jacques announced during the recent ICA Congress in Bangkok a four-year, $1.3 million commitment—funded by the GIA endowment—to expand the program to Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zambia.
The gem guide project began after GIA Distinguished Research Fellow James Shigley traveled to Kenya and Tanzania in 2008 and saw the difficult working conditions of artisanal miners.
Shigley and Dona Dirlam, the director of the GIA library at the time, worked with research and library staff to create the “Selecting Gem Rough: A Guide for Artisanal Miners” booklet.
Developed first in English and then translated to Swahili, the booklet contains images of gems found in East Africa as well as illustrations of how to examine and evaluate rough material.
It’s waterproof and comes with a plastic tray to sort gems and do basic gemological evaluations.
GIA piloted the gem guide program in 2016 in partnership with international NGO Pact.
Earlier this year, staff trained more than 1,000 miners in Tanzania on how to use the guide during a two-week period
“We found that for every dollar invested, there was a 12-fold social return that will last years into the future,” said Cristina Villegas, technical program manager for Pact’s Mines to Markets program. “With their new knowledge, miners improve their income, send their children to school, invest in their mines and their communities.”
With the expansion of the project, GIA will again work with Pact to reach 10,000 miners.
“This is a tremendous step forward in our efforts to bring information directly to artisanal miners right at the beginning of the gem and jewelry supply chain,” Jacques said. “We know that this investment will bring an invaluable benefit to miners, their families and the communities in which they live.”
The Latest
The Danish brand has opened an appointment-only location on Madison Avenue in New York City.
The actor and watch enthusiast will be part of the show’s education lineup.
From protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Step inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
These punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
Sponsored by Tasha R
This fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
Three Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
A federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
Cynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
The new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
The auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
The four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
The “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
The money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
The event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
Local reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
A collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
The Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
Hampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
The group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
The collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
This year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
Senior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.