Events & AwardsJul 15, 2024
Halstead Announces 2024 Grant WinnerEvents & AwardsJul 18, 2024
MJSA Education Foundation Announces 3 Scholarship Winners
The winners were awarded $3,000 each to pursue a professional career in jewelry making and design.
Pictured left to right, Tahnee Barbee, Gigi Sui, and Daniela Villacorta are the winners of the 2024 “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarship.
New York—The MJSA Education Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America, has announced the winners of its 2024 “Future of Jewelry Making” scholarship.
The scholarship is given by MJSA to students pursuing professional careers in jewelry making and design.
Tahnee Barbee, Gigi Sui, and Daniela Villacorta each won a $3,000 scholarship.
They were chosen based on their course of study, career plans, academics, recommendations, and financial needs.
Tahnee Barbee is attending the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology (TIJT) in Paris, Texas, for her certificate in jewelry technology, which she expects to earn by the end of 2024.
With her certificate, she plans to work as a bench jeweler while continuing to create her own designs in her home studio.
Barbee started her professional career handling corporate finances for a weekly newspaper. In 2022, she decided to take her part-time jewelry-making hobby and turn it into a full-time job.
Related stories will be right here …
The scholarship is given by MJSA to students pursuing professional careers in jewelry making and design.
Tahnee Barbee, Gigi Sui, and Daniela Villacorta each won a $3,000 scholarship.
They were chosen based on their course of study, career plans, academics, recommendations, and financial needs.
Tahnee Barbee is attending the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology (TIJT) in Paris, Texas, for her certificate in jewelry technology, which she expects to earn by the end of 2024.
With her certificate, she plans to work as a bench jeweler while continuing to create her own designs in her home studio.
Barbee started her professional career handling corporate finances for a weekly newspaper. In 2022, she decided to take her part-time jewelry-making hobby and turn it into a full-time job.
Gigi Sui is earning her certificate in jewelry making and repair from North Bennet Street School (NBSS) in Boston, Massachusetts.
As Sui is in her second year, she expects to earn her certificate by May 2025.
Once she graduates, she would like to become a bench jeweler and eventually create custom designs.
“I’ve always enjoyed creating arts,” said Sui, who initially planned to pursue a career as a painter but went on to work as a certified nail technician and then a pharmacy technician.
While working full-time, she taught herself basic wire-wrapping skills and decided to pursue a full-time career in jewelry.
Daniela Villacorta is looking to earn her bachelor’s degree in studio design from Kean University in Union, New Jersey, with an expected graduation year of 2026.
She is currently studying metalsmithing part-time at Kean, while working in the office of Mataci Inc., a nearby jewelry manufacturer.
Ultimately, she would like to own her own business, focusing on jewelry that explores cultural motifs and follows sustainable practices.
She comes from a family of jewelry professionals, with her father having worked for Scott Kay and David Yurman, and her grandfather for major jewelry manufacturers in Peru.
Villacorta says she uses tools handed down from her great uncles.
For more information on the Future of Jewelry Making scholarship, visit MJSA’s website.
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
MajorsAug 26, 2024
Longtime Industry Sales Trainer Lenny Zell Dies at 97Said to be the first to write a jewelry sales manual for the industry, Zell is remembered for his zest for life.
WatchesAug 26, 2024
IWC Is Sending Its Watches to SpaceThe company outfitted the Polaris Dawn spaceflight crew with watches that will later be auctioned off to benefit St. Jude’s.
AuctionsAug 23, 2024
Abernethy Pearl Tops Estimates at Auction A buyer paid more than $100,000 for the gemstone known as “Little Willie,” setting a new auction record for a Scottish freshwater pearl.
Brought to you by
Watch: Natural Diamonds: A Great (but Often Untold) Geology StorySupplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA.
CollectionsAug 23, 2024
Piece of the Week: Gumuchian’s Colorful ‘Spectrum’ NecklaceAnita Gumuchian created the 18-karat yellow gold necklace using 189 carats of colored gemstones she spent the last 40 years collecting.
Weekly QuizAug 23, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingAug 22, 2024
2,492-Carat Diamond Recovered From Botswana Diamond MineThe giant gem came from Karowe, the same mine that yielded the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona and the 1,758-carat Sewelô diamond.
TrendsAug 22, 2024
Kaley Cuoco Has a Three-Stone Engagement Ring With a TwistThe three-stone ring was designed by Shahla Karimi Jewelry and represents Cuoco, her fiancé Tom Pelphrey, and their child.
Brought to you by
Watch: Forging the Next Generation of Skilled Bench Jewelers at GIASupplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA
CollectionsAug 22, 2024
Greenwich St. Jewelers Collabs with TikTok Jewelry Content CreatorThe Manhattan jewelry store has partnered with Xarissa B. of Jewel Boxing on a necklace capsule collection.
TechnologyAug 21, 2024
Instagram’s Notes Feature Expands to Posts, ReelsActing as temporary virtual Post-it notes, Notes are designed to help strengthen mutual connections, not reach new audiences.
TrendsAug 21, 2024
Carol Woolton To Release New BookThe jewelry historian discusses the history and cultural significance of jewelry throughout time and across the globe.
TrendsAug 21, 2024
Amanda’s Style File: Shimmy and ShakeFrom fringe and tassels to pieces that give the illusion they are in motion, jewelry with movement is trending.
IndependentsAug 20, 2024
Mixed-Media Jewelry Artist Jan Yager Dies at 72The designer and maker found community around her Philadelphia studio and creative inspiration on the sidewalks below it.
ColumnistsAug 20, 2024
Google Ads Payment Policy Change: What It Means For YouThe change to accepted payment methods for Google Ads might seem like an irritation but actually is an opportunity, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
IndependentsAug 20, 2024
Pat Henneberry Releases MemoirThe industry consultant’s new book focuses on what she learned as an athlete recovering from a broken back.
MajorsAug 20, 2024
Kathy Hillelson Joins Board of WJA Foundation Hillelson is a second-generation diamantaire and CEO of Owl Financial Group.
AuctionsAug 19, 2024
Scotland’s Famed Abernethy Pearl Is Up for Sale Known as “Little Willie,” it’s the largest freshwater pearl found in recent history in Scotland and is notable for its shape and color.
IndependentsAug 19, 2024
Kentucky Jeweler Closing After 89 YearsClements Jewelers in Madisonville cited competition from larger retailers and online sellers as the driving factor.
SourcingAug 19, 2024
A&C Gem Trading Corp. Relocates, Opens Wholesale ShowroomThe gemstone company is moving to the Ross Metal Exchange in New York City’s Diamond District.
CrimeAug 16, 2024
Jewels Stolen During Green Vault Heist Back on DisplayMost of the 18th century royal jewelry taken from the Green Vault Museum in Dresden, Germany, in 2019 went back on display this week.
IndependentsAug 16, 2024
Louis Anthony Jewelers Announces First Resort StoreThe Pittsburgh jeweler has opened a store in the nearby Nemacolin resort.
CollectionsAug 16, 2024
Piece of the Week: Jonne Amaya’s ‘Cat Claw’ NecklaceWith a 40-carat cabochon emerald, this necklace is as powerful and elegant as a cat.
Events & AwardsAug 16, 2024
IJO Names Jewel-Craft as VIP Vendor of the YearThe Erlanger, Kentucky-based company was recognized for its reliability when it comes to repairs and fast turnaround times.
SourcingAug 15, 2024
Greenland Ruby Is Up For SaleUnable to pay its debts, the ruby and sapphire miner is looking to restructure and become a “competitive and attractive” company.
TrendsAug 15, 2024
Paola De Luca to Debut Trendbook 2026+ at VicenzaoroThe trend forecaster’s latest guide has intel on upcoming trends in the jewelry market.
Events & AwardsAug 15, 2024
Heather Ingraham Awarded WJA Helene Fortunoff Scholarship Ingraham said she’ll use the scholarship funds to attend the Women’s Leadership Program at the Yale School of Management.
IndependentsAug 15, 2024
DC Jeweler Schools Students About Jewelry Via Summer ProgramMoijey Fine Jewelry & Diamonds held a three-week “Mine to Finger 3D Jewelry Program.”
