Emerging Designers Take Center Stage

July 10, 2023
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We met the participants of the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) x Lorraine Schwartz’s 2023 Class of Emerging Designers Diamond Initiative (EDDI) during the Luxury by JCK show in Las Vegas.

Contributor Avi Krawitz interviewed the third group of design participants since the program’s inception in 2021. You can see the videos on our Rapaport Jewelry Pro YouTube channel.

The designers featured include:

Amina Sorel Fine Jewelry by Amina Sorel explores the intersectionality of arts, culture, and jewelry inspired by her travels throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Caribbean. (NDC)

Bernard James Jewelry by Bernard James was founded on the belief of finding the beauty in everything, emphasizing values of quality and authenticity to create unique fine jewelry pieces to foster conversation and provoke thought. (NDC)

Gwen Beloti Collection, founded by Gwen Beloti, is a women’s fine jewelry line that emphasizes accessibility and size inclusivity to empower women every day for any occasion. (NDC)

Jessenia Landrum’s brand Jevela is thoughtful jewelry inspired by one’s journey and connects people and their experiences through creative storytelling and design. (NDC)

Rosario Navia’s eponymous brand showcases a signature aspirational yet effortless style that combines modern and unexpected silhouettes inspired by the strong Latina women who have shaped her. (NDC)

Metal x Wire by Symoné Currie is fine jewelry made for all genders and gender expressions that push the boundaries of contemporary design by carefully balancing elegance and edge, inspired by the designer’s architectural engineering background. (NDC)

The EDDI program launched in January 2021 with $1 million dollars of diamond credit dedicated to supporting emerging Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) jewelry designers. The initiative was created to build a more equitable future for the diamond jewelry industry by providing opportunities, removing barriers to entry, and offering unparalleled access to industry education and resources in an effort to broaden design innovation with new perspectives and stories.

Under the stewardship of the NDC and Lorraine Schwartz, designers receive a $20,000 diamond credit at cost, retail opportunities, selling support, press opportunities, and diamond education. In addition, monetary funds for production, CADs, and sampling are provided to eliminate upfront costs to each designer. Designers are individually paired with industry mentors of their choosing for in-depth and real-time knowledge. Designers are also partnered with diamantaires to establish a line of industry diamond credit in their own names to personally select diamonds that speak to them in varying cuts, colors, and shapes.

Main image (from left to right): Gwen Beloti; Jessenia Landrum; Rosario Navia; Bernard James; Amina Sorel; Symoné Currie. (Photo montage by Nicole Bednarz/Rapaport)