AuctionsOct 24, 2025
Bonhams Under New Ownership, Top Executives ReplacedLondon-based investment firm Pemberton Asset Management acquired the auction house for an undisclosed amount.
IndependentsJul 17, 2019
WJA Announces 2019 Scholarship and Grant Winners
The Women’s Jewelry Association will award $65,500 total to 49 women this year.
The WJA will award $65,500 in scholarships and grants this year to 49 women, including (left to right) Anne Holman, Jen Townsend, Coco de Salazar, Nora Micheli Hernandez and Xabrina Michel’li Thompson.
New York—The Women’s Jewelry Association will award $65,500 in grants and scholarships to 49 women this year.
The recipients will use the funds to underwrite education and advance their professional careers.
“Our grant and scholarship winners are an impressive group,” Executive Director Bernadette Mack said. “Helping women enter and sustain careers in the jewelry business is one of the most important goals of the Women’s Jewelry Association.”
The recipients are as follows.
--The Carelle-WJA Grant Winner ($5,000): Anne Holman and Jen Townsend, The Smithery
Holman and Townsend developed their own jewelry businesses before they decided to collaborate. Together they built The Smithery, a shop and metalsmith studio focused on contemporary jewelry and modern craft located in Columbus, Ohio.
It features their own jewelry, as well as over 70 American and international artists. It also has an exhibition gallery and classroom area offering jewelry and enameling workshops.
Holman and Townsend plan to use their grant to create a separate studio space and acquire additional tools for more classes.
--The Female Veteran Scholarship ($5,000): Nora Micheli Hernandez
Micheli Hernandez is currently a student at the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas, slated to graduate later this year with certificates in jewelry repair, computer-aided design and jewelry technology.
Hernandez is a disabled veteran of the U.S. Army. She plans on creating custom jewelry and working with other disabled veterans, and will use the WJA grant money to buy the equipment and supplies needed to set up her studio.
--The Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship ($5,000): Coco de Salazar
De Salazar is a jewelry designer and artist in Miami, Florida. She has been metalsmithing for nine years and currently teaches fabrication and soldering classes at Jewelry Creations Workshop in North Miami.
Her jewelry line, De Salazar Jewelry, is designed and produced in her private Miami studio. De Salazar is also a graphic designer and fine arts photographer, focusing on branding, marketing and design needs for clients.
She
plans to use her scholarship to pursue the Comprehensive CAD/CAM for Jewelry certificate through the Gemological Institute of America.
--The Gabriel Love Foundation Scholarship ($5,000): Xabrina Michel’li Thompson
Michel’li Thompson is a 22-year-old graduate of one of South Africa’s leading girls’ schools, Epworth High School. She will use her scholarship funds toward a graduate gemologist diploma from GIA, which she is currently working toward.
Thompson currently works in the jewelry industry, traveling widely to market and source jewelry products.
She plans to develop a freshwater pearl, colored stone and sterling silver jewelry brand and also wants to establish a WJA chapter in her home country in South Africa.
--The June Herman Designer/Creator Scholarship ($5,000): Qianwen Lu
Qianwen Lu is a student at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where she is studying towards her degree in jewelry design. She plans to continue studying jewelry in a post-graduate course.
--The Peggy Kirby Designer Scholarship ($5,000): Hsinyu Chu
Hsinyu Chu received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in fashion design and Master of Fine Arts in jewelry metal art at Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She also studied at the now-closed Revere Academy.
Chu received a jewelry design and technology diploma and a graduate jeweler diploma from GIA and is a student in its graduate pearls program. In 2017, she launched her jewelry workshop, JC Art & Design, in San Francisco’s Mission District before moving it to Milpitas, California.
Chu would also like to become an appraiser and wishes to take an appraisal course.
Students scholarships also will be awarded to the following.
--Designer/Creator: Lauren Delbracco ($3,000), Xun Liu ($2,500), Zoe Larson ($1,500) and Melissa Cousins ($1,000);
--Designer: Mengjie Zhang ($2,000) and Xinchen LI ($1,000); and
--Non-Designer: Bonnie Cornell ($3,000), Jennifer Pollard ($2,500), Katie Soule ($1,500) and Laura Marsolek ($1,000).
WJA previously announced that 32 member grants of $500 each would be awarded to recipients around the country. They are as follows.
--Austin: Jen Leddy-Barnes;
--Boston: Wendy Jo New;
--Chicago: Sue Rosengard, Anne Van der Meulen and Olivia Zale;
--Colorado: Alexandra Fitzgerald;
--Dallas: Kelly Grise and Patricia Schrag;
--Houston: Maggie Segrich;
--Los Angeles: Harvinder Keila;
--Miami: Tiffany Joachim;
--Northern California: Sara Beck, Christy Comstock and Brittany Stadtmiller;
--NY Metro: Kristine Cabanban, AnnaLisa Cervi, Christine Malle, Stephanie Maslow Blackman and Annmarie Sclafani Stewart;
--Ohio/Kentucky: Christina Miller and Leslie Wright;
--Philadelphia: Christine Alaniz;
--Providence: Jennifer Skiba;
--Raleigh: Martha D'Alessandro;
--San Diego: Laura Fischer, Niki Grandics and Kathleen Lynagh House;
--Seattle: Nancy Castillo and Jessica Herner;
--Twin Cities: Jennifer Bellefleur and Dawn Bruggeman; and
--Charlotte Preston “Get’s it Done” Grant: Betsy Sanders.
Funds for WJA scholarships and grants are raised through the annual Awards for Excellence Gala, individual member donations and sponsorships.
This year’s AFE gala will be held on Monday, July 29 at Pier 60 in New York, once again featuring a silent auction and raffle. The event also will honor three industry visionaries.
Tickets to the awards gala are available at WomensJewelryAssociation.com.
--The Gabriel Love Foundation Scholarship ($5,000): Xabrina Michel’li Thompson
Michel’li Thompson is a 22-year-old graduate of one of South Africa’s leading girls’ schools, Epworth High School. She will use her scholarship funds toward a graduate gemologist diploma from GIA, which she is currently working toward.
Thompson currently works in the jewelry industry, traveling widely to market and source jewelry products.
She plans to develop a freshwater pearl, colored stone and sterling silver jewelry brand and also wants to establish a WJA chapter in her home country in South Africa.
--The June Herman Designer/Creator Scholarship ($5,000): Qianwen Lu
Qianwen Lu is a student at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where she is studying towards her degree in jewelry design. She plans to continue studying jewelry in a post-graduate course.
--The Peggy Kirby Designer Scholarship ($5,000): Hsinyu Chu
Hsinyu Chu received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in fashion design and Master of Fine Arts in jewelry metal art at Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She also studied at the now-closed Revere Academy.
Chu received a jewelry design and technology diploma and a graduate jeweler diploma from GIA and is a student in its graduate pearls program. In 2017, she launched her jewelry workshop, JC Art & Design, in San Francisco’s Mission District before moving it to Milpitas, California.
Chu would also like to become an appraiser and wishes to take an appraisal course.
Students scholarships also will be awarded to the following.
--Designer/Creator: Lauren Delbracco ($3,000), Xun Liu ($2,500), Zoe Larson ($1,500) and Melissa Cousins ($1,000);
--Designer: Mengjie Zhang ($2,000) and Xinchen LI ($1,000); and
--Non-Designer: Bonnie Cornell ($3,000), Jennifer Pollard ($2,500), Katie Soule ($1,500) and Laura Marsolek ($1,000).
WJA previously announced that 32 member grants of $500 each would be awarded to recipients around the country. They are as follows.
--Austin: Jen Leddy-Barnes;
--Boston: Wendy Jo New;
--Chicago: Sue Rosengard, Anne Van der Meulen and Olivia Zale;
--Colorado: Alexandra Fitzgerald;
--Dallas: Kelly Grise and Patricia Schrag;
--Houston: Maggie Segrich;
--Los Angeles: Harvinder Keila;
--Miami: Tiffany Joachim;
--Northern California: Sara Beck, Christy Comstock and Brittany Stadtmiller;
--NY Metro: Kristine Cabanban, AnnaLisa Cervi, Christine Malle, Stephanie Maslow Blackman and Annmarie Sclafani Stewart;
--Ohio/Kentucky: Christina Miller and Leslie Wright;
--Philadelphia: Christine Alaniz;
--Providence: Jennifer Skiba;
--Raleigh: Martha D'Alessandro;
--San Diego: Laura Fischer, Niki Grandics and Kathleen Lynagh House;
--Seattle: Nancy Castillo and Jessica Herner;
--Twin Cities: Jennifer Bellefleur and Dawn Bruggeman; and
--Charlotte Preston “Get’s it Done” Grant: Betsy Sanders.
Funds for WJA scholarships and grants are raised through the annual Awards for Excellence Gala, individual member donations and sponsorships.
This year’s AFE gala will be held on Monday, July 29 at Pier 60 in New York, once again featuring a silent auction and raffle. The event also will honor three industry visionaries.
Tickets to the awards gala are available at WomensJewelryAssociation.com.
More on Independents
The Latest
GradingOct 24, 2025
DMIA to Hold Diamond Testing Instrument DemoThe workshop will give attendees the chance to try out and ask questions about three different diamond verification instruments.
CrimeOct 24, 2025
Video Emerges of Louvre Jewelry Robbers Fleeing the Scene The footage shows two of the jewelry heist suspects descending from the second floor of the museum and then escaping via scooter.
Brought to you by
Are Earrings an Overlooked Category? What Retailers Need to Know NowAs the holiday season quickly approaches, consider stocking one category that sometimes gets overlooked: earrings.
CollectionsOct 24, 2025
Piece of the Week: Wyld Box Jewelry’s ‘Ray of Light’ EarringsFounder and designer Rosanna Fiedler looked to a vintage Cartier clutch when designing the sunlight-inspired drop earrings.
Weekly QuizOct 16, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
FinancialsOct 23, 2025
Jewelry Sales Resilient Despite Struggles at LVMH, KeringThe luxury conglomerates faced a challenging Q3 amid geopolitical and economic tensions.
SourcingOct 23, 2025
Petra Diamonds Turns to Shareholders to Raise Capital The struggling diamond mining company, which owns the historic Cullinan mine, has launched a rights issue to raise about $25 million.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
WatchesOct 23, 2025
‘Million Dollar Hip Hop Watches’ Recounts Watch HistoryThe book details the journey of watches as symbols of hard-earned success in hip-hop for artists like 2Pac, Jay-Z, and more.
AuctionsOct 23, 2025
Freeman’s | Hindman Names New VP, Senior Specialist for Jewelry & WatchesAlexis Vourvoulis, who most recently worked at Tiffany & Co., brings more than two decades of jewelry experience to her new role.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
The Taylor Swift Effect: Antique Diamonds EditionThe superstar’s August engagement put the stamp of approval on an already hot engagement ring trend.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
Don’t Forget These Diamond Jewelry Trends When Stocking for the HolidaysRetailers should offer classic styles with a twist that are a perfect fit for layered looks, experts say.
AuctionsOct 22, 2025
Pink Diamond, Vanderbilt Jewels to Headline Phillips’ Geneva AuctionThe nearly 7-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond could sell for around $9 million.
SourcingOct 22, 2025
In ‘Storied Diamond,’ Jared Jewelers Is Emphasizing the Journey The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.
CollectionsOct 22, 2025
Tiffany & Co.’s ‘Bird on a Rock’ Finds New PerchChief Artistic Officer Nathalie Verdeille has reimagined the iconic design in both figurative and abstract creations.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
JFC Kicks Off Halloween Costume ChallengeFive dollars buys one vote toward an industry professional you want to see dressed up as a hero, or a villain, this Halloween.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
Hillsborough Antique Show Gets New OwnerRecently acquired by KIL Promotions, the November edition of the public show in San Mateo, California, will be held Nov. 7-9.
GradingOct 21, 2025
GIA Examines Rare Bicolor Pink DiamondThe stone’s two zones, one pink and one colorless, may have formed at two different times, the lab said.
MajorsOct 21, 2025
Pomellato Brings ‘Global Attitude’ to Rodeo Drive FlagshipHollywood glamour meets Milanese sophistication in the design of Pomellato’s new store in Beverly Hills, California.
Lab-GrownOct 21, 2025
Grown Brilliance Opens First FlagshipThe New York City store showcases a chandelier with 1,500 carats of lab-grown diamonds designed by an FIT student.
Events & AwardsOct 21, 2025
‘Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture’ Opens at MADThe Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.
AuctionsOct 20, 2025
Sotheby's To Auction 10-Carat Vivid Pink DiamondMaking its auction debut, "The Glowing Rose" is expected to fetch $20 million at the November jewelry sale in Geneva.
SourcingOct 20, 2025
2 Mozambique Police Officers Killed at Gemfields’ Ruby MineThey were attacked on Oct. 15, as approximately 40 miners without licenses marched on the mine’s gate.
CrimeOct 20, 2025
See the ‘Priceless’ Jewels Stolen During Daytime Heist at the Louvre It took the masked thieves less than 10 minutes to steal eight irreplaceable jewels from two display cases in the museum’s Apollo Gallery.
SourcingOct 20, 2025
Pristine Gems Names New Director of European SalesGemologist Lauren Gayda has previously worked at The Clear Cut, Taylor & Hart, and Effy Jewelry.
Events & AwardsOct 17, 2025
An Edit of Italian Jewels Is Coming to NYCThe new showcase dedicated to Italian jewelry design is set for Oct. 29-30.
TrendsOct 17, 2025
Piece of the Week: Judi Powers Jewelry’s ‘Stella’ EarringsTake a gaze at the sky with this pair of platinum diamond-set star earrings with blue lace agate drops.
