The global jewellery industry is increasingly recognising the importance of attracting and nurturing emerging talent. Through collaborations with leading luxury houses such as Tiffany & Co. and LVMH, the Jewelry Edit Foundation is creating immersive learning opportunities that introduce young people to the industry’s diverse career pathways, creative processes and professional possibilities.
Quick Summary
- The Jewelry Edit Foundation is collaborating with leading luxury brands to attract young talent to the jewellery industry.
- The foundation partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the two-day From Bench to Blue Box programme in New York.
- A separate initiative, Designing a Responsible Future, was organised with LVMH North America.
- Both programmes provided participants with industry exposure, workshops, professional interactions and career guidance.
- The foundation aims to make jewellery careers more accessible to people from diverse educational and professional backgrounds.
- Tiffany’s social impact platform, Tiffany Atrium, shares the commitment to nurturing emerging jewellery talent.
- The foundation plans to maintain long-term engagement with participants through follow-up sessions and periodic progress assessments.
Creating New Pathways into the Jewellery Industry
A US-based non-profit organisation is joining forces with leading international jewellery and luxury brands to introduce immersive learning experiences designed to encourage more young people to explore career opportunities within the jewellery industry.
Tiffany & Co. Introduces the From Bench to Blue Box Programme
The Jewelry Edit Foundation recently partnered with Tiffany & Co. to host a two-day initiative titled From Bench to Blue Box in New York. The programme brought together 15 students and emerging jewellery professionals, selected by a panel of four industry judges. Participants visited Tiffany’s jewellery design and innovation workshop, engaged in creative activities and interacted with professionals across various departments to gain insights into functions such as merchandising and marketing.
LVMH Collaboration Explores the Future of Luxury
This initiative followed another one-day programme, Designing a Responsible Future, organised in collaboration with LVMH North America in September. Focused on the future of the luxury industry, the programme welcomed 15 participants aged between 18 and 30, representing diverse academic and professional backgrounds. Activities included panel discussions featuring representatives from Tiffany & Co. and Bvlgari, along with an exclusive tour of Tiffany’s Landmark flagship boutique on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Rosena Sammi’s Vision for the Next Generation
According to Rosena Sammi, founder of the Jewelry Edit Foundation, the central objective of these initiatives is to bring talented and ambitious individuals into the jewellery industry and create pathways for them to work with leading global brands. She observes that prestigious companies such as Tiffany and other luxury houses represent aspirational career destinations for many young professionals.
From Law to Jewellery: The Journey Behind the Foundation
Originally from New Zealand, Sammi transitioned from a career in law to jewellery design. She subsequently founded and became chief executive of the Jewelry Edit, an e-commerce platform dedicated to jewellery, with a strong emphasis on storytelling, inclusivity and social responsibility. Having experienced the challenges of entering the jewellery industry as an outsider in 2006, she recognised the need to make the sector more accessible to individuals from different backgrounds. She initially began organising industry events through the Jewelry Edit before establishing the Jewelry Edit Foundation in April last year. The foundation operates through donations and grants.
Industry Leaders Support the Foundation’s Mission
The foundation’s board brings together prominent personalities from the worlds of entertainment, fashion and luxury. Its members include actor Lynda Carter, Todd Kahn, chief executive of fashion company Coach, and Diane Mahady, president and chief executive of Hermès Americas. Beyond its complimentary immersive programmes, the organisation also conducts paid masterclasses, a catalyst series of panel discussions addressing important industry developments, and community-focused events. Previous initiatives have included speed mentoring sessions at Heritage Auctions and a pro bono legal clinic organised in collaboration with US jewellery brand David Yurman.
Making Jewellery Careers More Accessible
Sammi emphasises that the foundation’s broader mission is to create opportunities for individuals who might never have considered jewellery as a viable career path. This includes people from non-traditional professional or educational backgrounds, as well as those without established family connections within the industry. She believes that attracting a greater number of young professionals remains one of the sector’s most significant challenges.
How Industry Exposure Can Change Career Perspectives
For Sastha Tripathi, a student at Princeton University studying public policy, with minors in environmental studies and technological studies, the Designing a Responsible Future programme offered a fresh perspective on career possibilities. Although she has always appreciated jewellery, she had never seriously considered working in the industry, believing that entering the sector required prior experience and access to established professional networks. Coming from a first-generation, low-income family in the US, she initially perceived these circumstances as barriers to entry.
However, interactions with professionals who had transitioned into the jewellery business from entirely different industries helped change her perspective. Their experiences demonstrated that knowledge and skills acquired outside the traditional jewellery ecosystem could also provide valuable professional strengths.
Building Confidence Through Professional Guidance
Tripathi explains that she had previously assumed the industry would be inaccessible because she lacked familiarity with it and had not gained the experiences traditionally associated with building a career in the sector. However, discussions with programme speakers challenged this perception. Their insights encouraged her to recognise the importance of effectively presenting one’s experience, establishing a strong professional identity and having confidence in one’s capabilities. She also valued the practical career guidance provided by senior LVMH executives during an interactive lunch and learn session.
Tiffany’s Workshop Highlights the Craft Behind Jewellery
Dana Naberezny, a member of the foundation’s board and chief innovation officer for jewellery at Tiffany, oversees the brand’s jewellery design and innovation workshop. She hopes that the workshop visit organised as part of From Bench to Blue Box helped participants appreciate the extensive craftsmanship, technical expertise and creative thinking involved in producing fine jewellery.
Connecting Education with Career Opportunities
Naberezny believes that introducing young people to jewellery should extend beyond highlighting the beauty and appeal of finished pieces. It is equally important to demonstrate the processes, specialised skills and professional opportunities involved in bringing jewellery designs to life. She also stresses the importance of helping participants understand how their academic choices and educational qualifications can translate into meaningful career opportunities within the industry.
Tiffany Atrium Reinforces the Commitment to Emerging Talent
Tiffany established Tiffany Atrium, its social impact platform, in 2022 with the objective of inspiring and supporting the next generation of jewellery designers. Mary Bellai, senior vice-president and chief human resources officer at Tiffany, notes that the Jewelry Edit Foundation shares a similar commitment to developing emerging talent. She highlights that supporting professionals at different stages of their careers is an important priority for the company, helping it attract and retain exceptional talent while contributing to the industry’s continued evolution.
Long-Term Engagement to Measure Career Impact
Looking ahead, the Jewelry Edit Foundation intends to expand its collaborations and introduce additional immersive industry experiences. Its commitment to participants also extends beyond the programmes themselves. The foundation is conducting follow-up virtual sessions through Zoom and plans to connect with participants every three months over the course of a year to evaluate how the initiatives influence their professional development and career journeys.
Sammi emphasises that the foundation views these programmes as long-term investments rather than isolated events. Its objective is to remain engaged with participants, support their development and provide continued guidance as they explore opportunities within the jewellery industry.
FAQs
What is the Jewelry Edit Foundation?
The Jewelry Edit Foundation is a US-based non-profit organisation that works to make the jewellery industry more accessible through immersive programmes, masterclasses, mentoring initiatives and community events.
What is the From Bench to Blue Box programme?
It is a two-day programme organised by the Jewelry Edit Foundation in partnership with Tiffany & Co. in New York, offering participants exposure to jewellery design, innovation, creative activities and different business functions.
What is Designing a Responsible Future?
It is a one-day programme organised by the Jewelry Edit Foundation in collaboration with LVMH North America, focusing on the future of the luxury industry and introducing young participants to career opportunities.
How many participants took part in the programmes?
The From Bench to Blue Box programme welcomed 15 students and emerging jewellery professionals, while Designing a Responsible Future brought together 15 participants aged between 18 and 30.
Who founded the Jewelry Edit Foundation?
Rosena Sammi, a former lawyer who transitioned into jewellery design and founded the Jewelry Edit e-commerce platform, established the foundation to encourage greater inclusivity and accessibility within the jewellery industry.
What is Tiffany Atrium?
Tiffany Atrium is Tiffany’s social impact platform, launched in 2022 to inspire and support the next generation of jewellery designers.
How does the foundation support participants after the programmes?
The foundation conducts follow-up Zoom sessions and plans to check in with participants every three months for a year to assess the programmes’ influence on their professional development and careers.
Why are immersive experiences important for the jewellery industry?
Immersive experiences introduce young people to the creative, technical and business aspects of jewellery, help them understand potential career pathways and make the industry more accessible to individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Source: SVAR Media Network
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