(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK — The Diamond Empowerment Fund announced this week that $470,000 is being granted to nine beneficiaries spanning diamond mining and manufacturing communities across three continents.
Putting action behind the rallying cry that ‘Diamonds Do Good’, the grants will support girls’ education, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and higher education opportunites, leading to meaningful change for communities where natural diamonds are found and cut.
This year marks a first-time grant focused on a STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program for high school girls at the Ambaba Girls School in Surat, India, where nine out of 10 natural diamonds are cut and polished. The Diamond Empowerment Fund also continues to support higher education in India via Veerayatan, in western Gujurat.
In Africa, grants are being given in Tanzania to support girls education via the Flaviana Matata Foundation and the Graca Machel Trust; in Botswana, through higher education scholarship support of the Botswana Top Achievers Program, as well as empowering youth afflicted with HIV through Sentebale; while in South Africa, graduate students are supported through the Mandela Institute for Development Studies.
In the Northwest Territories of Canada, technical training scholarships for diamond industry jobs as well as entrepreneurship studies will again be given to youth from indigeneous communities through the Mine Training Society.
These programs will not only promote meaningful change in these communities, but offer more examples of the many ways that Diamonds Do Good. Jewelers who tell these stories at the counter help customers to feel good in every way about their natural diamond purchases.
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The Diamond Empowerment Fund was inspired in 2006 by Nelson Mandela to tell the world about the positive impact of diamonds in Southern Africa. Its focus today is to create meaningful change in diamond communities across the world and to tell these meaningful stories.
Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success
After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone.
Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently.
The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.
