800 Job Seekers At GIA’s New York Jewelry Career Fair

GIA’s New York Jewelry Career Fair 

Draws 800 Job Seekers

Recruiters from 44 companies show the business of bling is alive and well

The timeless appeal of jewelry, along with 44 companies recruiting hundreds of professionals, drew a crowd of more than 800 and some on-the-spot interviews at GIA’s (Gemological Institute of America) New York Jewelry Career Fair on July 30^th at the Javits Center in Manhattan. This year marked the return of the event to the East Coast for the first time since 2008, and job seekers as well as recruiters proved that jobs in this ‘gem’ of an industry are in high demand.

“I’m happy to report that our industry is wide and diverse – valued at over $160 billion last year; growing even through difficult times,” said Donna Baker, GIA’s president and CEO, during her opening remarks. “And the U.S. is only one market. China, India and the Middle East are expanding rapidly, and so are opportunities.”

People speak with recruiters from jewelry and gem companies during the
 Gemological Institute Of America 's Jewelry Career Fair in New York July 30, 2012.
REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton 

The event kicked off with “Job Success in Today’s Market,” a special panel presentation moderated by Baker. Panelists David Yurman, founder of David Yurman Inc.; Ann Arnold, CEO of Lieberfarb; Lex Graham, a recent GIA graduate and retail jeweler at Betteridge; and Rahul Kadakia, jewelry department head of Christie’s New York, shared their experiences in the gem and jewelry business and offered advice for newcomers. Alba Cappellieri, dean of the Fashion Design Degree at the Politecnico of Milan, and author of "Jewellery of the XX Century: from Art Nouveau to Contemporary Design," was sponsored by Fiera di Vicenza and spoke on the innovation and creativity in jewelry design and its effect on future trends. 

A man speaks with a recruiter from a jewelry and gem company
 during the Gemological Institute Of America 's Jewelry Career Fair
 in New York July 30, 2012.

There was no shortage of opportunity for job seekers at the event, with 44 recruiters on-site looking to fill hundreds of positions – from retail sales and jewelry design to diamond grading and production. Companies recruiting included Harry Winston, Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry, Montblanc, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co. and Zale Corporation. The Jewelers for Veterans Foundation was also on-hand to meet with and assist U.S. military veterans in their job search.

GIA hosted its first Jewelry Career Fair in 1991 in Santa Monica, Calif. Since then, the event has expanded and linked recruiters with future employees at more than 40 events worldwide in Bangalore, Las Vegas, Mumbai, New York and the current GIA world headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif. This year’s New York event was sponsored by JA New York. 

The next career fair will take place at GIA’s world headquarters in Carlsbad on Oct. 5, 2012.  For more information, please contact careerfair@gia.edu. 

About GIA

An independent nonprofit organization, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), established in 1931, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA invented the famous 4Cs of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight in the early 1950s and in 1953, created the International Diamond Grading System™ which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world.

Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism. Visit www.gia.edu.