(PRESS RELEASE) ROYAL OAK, MI — Gem Legacy, a nonprofit organization established in 2018 and dedicated to supporting gem mining communities, is launching its 2019 campaign to transform the Arusha Gem Cutting School located in Tanzania. The $50,000 goal will replace all of the 30-year-old, outdated machines that are not used in most African workplaces with new American-made Facetron machines, the most widely used modern machine in East African cutting centers.
The Arusha Gem Cutting School has graduated over 700 students with training in gem faceting, gemology and gem grading. The education has quickly become obsolete as the global mechanics and standards for faceting have dramatically improved. Today, most students graduating are unable to find work because their skills do not meet the standards of the workplace.
“The school has done a remarkable job of fostering the underprivileged of society and equipping them to support themselves,” said Roger Dery, executive director of Gem Legacy Inc. “Peter Salla, the founder, believes in teaching them to facet gems so that they can provide for themselves, have confidence in their abilities, and dream about their future.”
For more information about Gem Legacy or to donate, email info@gemlegacy.org or visit gemlegacy.org. To learn more, follow Gem Legacy on Instagram @thegemlegacy and on Facebook @thegemlegacy.
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
