41 Black Jewelry Designers to Support Now and Always from freeamfva's blog

41 Black Jewelry Designers to Support Now and Always

In light of the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 crisis, the summer of 2020 proved to be a tremendous period of reckoning for all industries. Within the fashion industry, this has provided a chance to think deeply about the people we champion and those whom we have historically not paid as much heed to. This is especially pertinent in the fine jewelry business.To get more news about unique jewelry online customization, you can visit jewelryhunt.net official website.

Randi Molofsky, cofounder of For Future Reference, the fine jewelry brand development agency in New York and Los Angeles, knows that the barrier to entry in the industry is high: “BIPOC designers are historically underrepresented in the fine jewelry industry. Accessibility is the first step in making meaningful change: specifically education, ongoing mentorship initiatives, and financial assistance.” Take the story of Arthur George “Art” Smith, the legendary midcentury Black jewelry designer, as an example. As a student at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in the early 1920s, Smith was one of few Black students in his class. Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against his success, he tapped into a network of mentors early on, including fellow Black jewelry designer, Winifred Mason. Those mentors encouraged him to apply to Cooper Union and supported his career as a jewelry designer.
In honor of Smith and his story, For Future Reference announced in June 2020 that it was establishing the Art Smith Memorial Scholarship Foundation at the Fashion Institute of Technology. The endowment, which was spearheaded by For Future Reference and jewelry designer Brent Neale and supported by 48 additional fine jewelry industry brands, establishes $50,000 worth of scholarships for Black students within the school’s Jewelry Design program. Molofsky’s hope is that the endowment and its impact will in turn “inspire a new generation to consider jewelry as a viable and sustainable career path.”

Large-scale initiatives such as the Art Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund are one way to amplify Black voices in the jewelry industry, but shoppers can also take direct, immediate action by buying from Black-owned brands. Below, find 41 Black-owned and-designed jewelry brands to know, love, and shop from now.Jameel Mohammed, the mind behind Khiry, is unparalleled. After a prominent CEO told him that a luxury brand could only come out of Europe, Mohammed, then an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, funneled his energy into creating a brand that celebrates the beauty, history, and culture of the African diaspora. Khiry’s bold jewelry is sleek yet simultaneously recalls the beauty of nature.