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Week in Photos--January 10, 2014
It’s a January tradition that members of the jewelry industry flock to New York following the holiday season for a flurry of events.
DEF’s Senior Strategic Director Dr. Benjamin Chavis, DEF board President Phyllis Bergman, Forevermark’s Charles Stanley, JCK’s Yancy Weinrich, Fred Meyer Jewelers President Peter Engel, DEF scholar Nadine Zoro, Standard Chartered Bank’s Ana Martins, JCK’s Mark Smelzer and DEF Executive Director Nancy Orem-Lyman at the DEF Awards.
It’s a January tradition that members of the jewelry industry flock to New York following the holiday season for a flurry of events.
This year was no exception, as retailers, designers and manufacturers braved the elements to travel to New York for the annual slate of events, beginning with the Diamond Empowerment Fund’s Good Awards Thursday night.
The Good Awards recognize individuals and companies for good corporate citizenship, sustainability and promoting opportunity in Africa. This year’s honorees were Fred Meyer Jewelers, Forevermark and JCK.
Friday afternoon was the Jewelers Vigilance Committee’s annual luncheon, which was followed by the industry equivalent of the Oscars, the Jewelry Information Center’s annual Gem Awards, that night.
On Saturday afternoon, industry players gathered at The Harmonie Club near Central Park for the Jewelers’ Security Alliance’s annual luncheon before heading back downtown for the week’s final event, the 24 Karat Club of New York City’s annual black tie gala at the Waldorf-Astoria.
Flip through this slideshow to relive the week that was in New York.
DEF’s Senior Strategic Director Dr. Benjamin Chavis, DEF board President Phyllis Bergman, Forevermark’s Charles Stanley, JCK’s Yancy Weinrich, Fred Meyer Jewelers President Peter Engel, DEF scholar Nadine Zoro, Standard Chartered Bank’s Ana Martins, JCK’s Mark Smelzer and DEF Executive Director Nancy Orem-Lyman at the DEF Awards.
Jewelers Vigilance Committee President and CEO Cecilia Gardner presents Brad Brooks-Rubin, who used to work for the U.S. State Department representing the United States in the Kimberley Process, with an award at the JVC luncheon held last Friday.
The 12th annual Gem Awards took place at Cipriani 42nd, across from Grand Central Terminal. Cipriani’s occupies the ground floor of the building, which is 110 E. 42nd St. Constructed in Italian Romanesque Revival style in the 1920s, the building was once the headquarters for the Bowery Savings Bank.
Puerto Rico retailer Marie Helene Morrow, who received this year’s Gem Award for Lifetime Achievement, with Jewelers of America President and CEO Dave Bonaparte, left, and David Yurman. The designer Yurman, a past Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, introduced Morrow on stage.
Among the evening’s attendees was 92-year-old businesswoman and interior designer Iris Apfel. The Queens, N.Y. native and fashion icon currently has a line of costume jewelry sold on HSN called Rara Avis.
Jewelry designer Alex Woo, far left, with Alexis Bittar and retailer Jen Gandia, who co-owns New York’s Greenwich Jewelers with her sister, Christina Gandia Gambale.
Decked out in Rina Limor, television personality Audrina Patridge, who got her start on The Hills and now hosts NBC’s 1st Look, presented the Gem Award for communications to Tiffany & Co.
Good Morning America’s Lara Spencer hosted the Gem Awards for the second year in a row, wearing a necklace of Zambian emeralds from Gemfields.
Gem Awards Committee Chair Rachel Branch, left, is joined on stage by the Jewelry Information Center’s Amanda Gizzi on Friday night.
Designer Alexis Bittar on stage before presenting the Gem Award for Design to Kara Ross. This year marked the first time that the names of winners were kept secret until the event.
The Gem Award for Media Excellence went to JCK Editor-in-Chief Victoria Gomelsky, far left, who mentioned her “other half,” her twin sister Julia (center), in her acceptance speech. The sisters, both wearing emerald jewelry from Gemfields, are pictured here with industry consultant Beth Ann Bonanno of The EAB Project.
Morrow shares a light moment with Yurman after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. In introducing the jeweler on stage, Yurman called her “the mother” of the industry for her long history of finding and developing new talent, including himself many years ago.
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