Press Releases

WJA Scholarships Deadline Extended to Friday, April 27

Published

6 years ago

April 24, 2018

INSTORE Staff

(PRESS RELEASE) We received feedback after we sent out our previous email about scholarships that applications for the following scholarships were already closed:

The 2018 Student Scholarships
The Gabriel Love Foundation Scholarship

We apologize for this error and we have reopened the scholarship applications, which you can find at CallForEntry.com, and the deadline has been extended to this Friday! Read more about the scholarships below.

Student Scholarships

Scholarships for students are offered in varying amounts and are available to female students who are enrolled in fine jewelry and watch courses with classes between August 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019. Since 2012, the WJA Foundation has awarded more than $250,000 in scholarships and grants.

Student scholarships are awarded in three different categories:

Designer/Creator Category (based on images of finished pieces that are designed and created by the student)
Designer Category (based on designs by the student, includes CAD and drawings)
Non-Designer Category (essay-based for those studying to be a gemologist, appraiser, watch-maker, bench jeweler, or retailer)

The Gabriel Love Foundation Scholarship

The WJA-Gabriel Love Foundation Student Scholarship in partnership with Gabriel & Co. is a $5,000 scholarship awarded to a deserving female student enrolled in fine jewelry design courses (between August 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019). This scholarship has been established to help provide funding for students to achieve professional growth within the fine jewelry industry and in their communities at large. Consideration will be given to students who are able to clearly articulate a desire to participate in charitable efforts in the future or how they will use their career in jewelry to improve communities.

Applications for this scholarship are open to members and non-members of the Women’s Jewelry Association. Applicants must complete the online application, which includes an essay, three images, and proof of enrollment.

The Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship

The Women’s Jewelry Association established the Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship in memory of one of the jewelry industry’s most beloved and respected members who died suddenly in 2016 of cardiac arrest. Edelstein was a champion of the jewelry design community and especially understood the unique challenges that newcomers to the field faced. For that reason, the scholarship is targeted to emerging fine jewelry designers or artisans, and memorializes her tireless pursuit of educating, mentoring, and coaching these entrepreneurs.

In memory of Edelstein’s equally unwavering commitment to WJA and the careers of women, only women who are current WJA members are eligible to apply. The recipient can pursue either design or business courses, providing they are focused on improving her artistry and/or her designer jewelry business.

The Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship will be given annually in the amount of $5,000. If you have questions about this scholarship, contact Bernadette Mack at bernadette@womensjewelryassociation.com.

Initial funding for the scholarship came from Cindy’s own Future of Design Jewelry Education Fund; as well as from contributions by the WJA New York Metro chapter; the American Gem Trade Association; and the Contemporary Jewelry Design Group. To make a contribution to the Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship Fund, please contact us at info@womensjewelryassociation.com.

Apply for scholarships here.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”