Gem Legacy Appoints Melissa Quick to Board

RAPAPORT… Melissa Quick will join the board of directors of nonprofit group Gem Legacy after committing to the organization’s mission following visits to mines in Africa.

The president of Steve Quick Jeweler in Chicago, Illinois, Quick saw the positive impact the industry can have on artisanal gem-mining communities and wanted to help with fundraising, Gem Legacy said last week. Through her jewelry store, she contributes to scholarship funds for students at the Gemology and Gem Faceting School in Tanzania, which helps train African miners and allows them to reinvest in their communities.

Quick has also raised funds for Gem Legacy’s Covid-19-inspired initiative to supply food and safety supplies to mining communities, as well as meals for primary-school students who are the children of ruby miners in the area.

“I’m ‘all in’ on Gem Legacy and its vital initiatives,” said Quick. “Jewelry is a notoriously difficult product category for those of us interested in responsible sourcing. Our customers are asking questions, and Gem Legacy helps us tell an important story about how the jewelry industry is contributing to positive change. I look forward to making meaningful contributions to the organization and furthering its mission to empower those at the beginning of the supply chain.”

Image: Melissa Quick. (Gem Legacy)