In The Diamond Industry, Women Mean Business, But It’s Also Personal
The diamond industry is doing something special this year to celebrate International Women’s Day. We’ve launched a story-telling series about the role women play in the business. Promoted on the diamond industry’s storytelling platform, “Stories Behind The Brilliance Of Diamonds,” the series features articles from and about women who represent different stages in the diamond’s evolution from mine to market.
After all, it’s a long journey. Diamonds take billions of years to be formed. They then have to be discovered, excavated, sorted, cut to shape and size, graded by value, sold to designers and retailers, and finally purchased by consumers.
You’re welcome to come along for the ride. Join Stefanie Loader, a geologist and mining executive, as she takes you into the mines for a behind-the-scenes look at the increasingly prominent role women play. “The diamond mining industry,” she says, “provides an excellent opportunity for women to find a stable and positive career.” As she points out, close to one-third of the workforce of the world’s largest diamond producers are female, and one-third of the labor workers at major mines are women, too. In South Africa, for example, women held 53,000 mining jobs in 2015, a more than three-fold increase since 2002. Even so, she urges the industry to make the progress toward the gender equality that’s still needed.
The line-up also features Kimi Basillie, an environmental officer at Gahcho Kué Diamond Mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories (Canada now ranks third in worldwide diamond production). Her position focuses on employee safety and environmental standards. Kimi quotes a common saying among her elders: “If you protect the land, the land will protect you.” In her role, she lives by three golden rules: “Zero harm, improve continually and always be resource-compliant.”
Join Lauren Priori of L. Priori Jewelry in Philadelphia, PA, who reveals in this video the highly personal reason why she became a jewelry designer. Here’s a clue: it enables her to participate in what often turns out to be the best day of someone’s life. “When you buy a diamond,” she says, “you can think in your head this is something my daughter is going to wear, this is something my granddaughter is going to wear.”
Learn, too, about Jennifer and Christina Gandia, the sisters behind Greenwich St. Jewelers in Manhattan. They took over the family business from their mother and father shortly after 9/11. Today, the shop has broadened its services to offer special bespoke designs in styles from classic to contemporary and from antique to avant-garde. “It’s a joy to work in a business that helps people celebrate special loved ones and life moments,” Jennifer says.
You’re similarly invited to read an interview about leadership with Tiffany Stevens, CEO of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, a 101-year-old nonprofit organization that offers education and guidance to the jewelry industry about legal compliance. Its mission is to ensure all the players in the industry follow the rules to protect consumer confidence in fine jewelry. Tiffany served as an intern in the Clinton White House, then began life as a lawyer, but after being diagnosed with cancer, decided to switch to her new career. She’s excited to be involved in the diamond industry. “You see a real passion in this industry I’ve never seen anywhere else,” she says. As for her advice to aspiring leaders, she says, “Trust yourself . . . Bring your humanity to work every day . . . and celebrate your success.”
You’ll also hear from Karen Rosengart, CEO and founder of K. Rosengart, a certified melee diamond wholesaler. Watching her father, a diamond setter, inspired Karen to go into the diamond trade almost 30 years ago. “As a rookie in a traditionally male-dominated industry, it took a lot of hard work and long hours to successfully get started on my own,” she recalls. Her advice to young women looking to be likewise entrepreneurial? “Have a mentor, someone who can help guide you through the rough patches,” she says. “Work hard, trust your instincts, and believe in yourself!”
Finally, a special treat is in store for you, too, if you read how Eve Goldberg grew up as the daughter of William Goldberg, a preeminent diamantaire — a gem-quality diamond manufacturer or producer, master diamond cutter or gemologist specializing in diamonds — to become a diamantaire in her own right. She recalls how few women worked in the industry as recently as 30 years ago, and how few female role models were available. But she points out how dramatically all that has changed, pointing out that today, three of the industry’s most important trade organizations, the Gemological Institute of America, the American Gemological Society, and the JVC, Tiffany Steven’s organization, are all being led by women. Eve now calls for women to take the lead in the industry, particularly in the design of diamond jewelry.
These are our stories today, but they only hint at how vastly instrumental women are in the diamond industry. Please read away. Like the diamonds themselves, these women and future generations are destined to shine brightly.
