New York – The Natural Diamond Council has partnered with the Black in Jewelry Coalition to launch a jewellery education program for high school students.
The program, the first of its kind, will be offered at Baldwin High School on Long Island in Baldwin, New York. It’s due to start next autumn.
The programme is designed to educate, inspire and mentor potential talent in the fundamentals of jewellery.
It will explore every facet of the jewellery industry, from bench to design to retail, and educate young people on the many different types of jobs available in the industry.
“BIJC is proud to partner with NDC to introduce a high school jewellery program at Baldwin High School,” said BIJC President Annie Doresca.
“Our goal is to inspire students and foster their passion for the jewellery industry while addressing the shortage of skilled bench jewelers. Introducing such programmes to high school students is a positive direction to increase diversity within the industry and make a meaningful impact.”
Kristina Buckley Kayel, CEO of the Natural Diamond Council, said the NDC is proud to partner with the BIJC in 2024.
“We remain committed to the growth and advancement of the jewellery industry and firmly believe in creating opportunities for diverse students to enter the field,” she said.
“It is vital that we facilitate and expand access to our traditional industry, where long-term, high quality careers are possible, from design to technology to retail and beyond.”
For the past three years, the NDC, in partnership with Lorraine Schwartz, has offered the Emerging Designers Diamond Initiative (EDDI) programme, through which a total of 18 black, indigenous or people of colour designers have received diamond credits and grants, as well as mentorship and exposure.
Although EDDI will pause in 2024 to “ensure optimal support for the [new] initiative,” NDC’s partnership with BIJC is a continuation of the organisations’ shared mission to build a more equitable future for the diamond jewellery industry, said Buckley Kayel.
She added that NDC’s goal is to eventually roll out the programme to high schools nationwide.
