(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK – The Diamond Producers Association has launched a content series about women working in the diamond industry on DPA’s newest platform, Stories Behind the Brilliance of Diamonds. The series sheds new light on the positive impact the industry has on women around the world and includes personal accounts from individuals working at mine sites, jewelry manufacturers, jewelry designers, and retailers.
It launched on International Women’s Day, March 8.
“The Diamond Producers Association launched this storytelling series on International Women’s Day to celebrate the professional, economic, social and cultural contributions and achievements of women in the diamond industry,” said DPA Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Marquardt. “We embrace this year’s theme, ‘Press for Progress,’ which calls on whole communities and industries to think, act and be gender inclusive. Gender-equity issues are also business issues, and the diamond industry directly and indirectly supports the livelihoods of millions of women around the world.”
As reported by many during the last 20 years, including Ernst & Young’s Has Mining Discovered Its Next Great Resource, “Women’s advancement and leadership are central to business performance and economic prosperity. Profitability, return on investment, and innovation all increase when women are counted among senior leadership.”
The diamond industry champions the values of International Women’s Day year-round within its own workforce and via its international development programs around the world. Furthermore, it helps to create economic opportunities that improve the lives of women and communities around the world by offering an array mentoring, micro-commerce grants and academic scholarships, as well as teaching trade skills that enable women to start their own businesses.
Click here to learn more about a few of the remarkable women working in diamonds.
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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.
