Black in Jewelry Coalition
Black in Jewelry Coalition strives for the advancement of Black professionals within the gem, jewelry, and watch industry through networking, education, representation and an abundance of resources. We promote change in our industry with the fundamental understanding that by uniting our resources and partnering with allies, we cultivate growth and create opportunities through an alliance that is for us, by us. Our strategies include providing tools and resources for professional success and growth, and recruitment for increased representation through heightened awareness.
Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference
The purpose of the conference is to foster connection, collaboration, partnerships, and passion—to engage everyone in the jewelry industry; miners, makers, professionals, educators, and students. It aims to address all the ways that individuals and companies can be involved in the responsible jewelry movement. The conference strives to make a difference by making things happen.
Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+)
CERF+ provides a safety net to help support strong, sustainable careers for artisans across the United States. Rio Grande’s “Sweeps for CERF” program accepts your donations of precious-metal sweepings from benches, floors and buffs. We contribute the sweeps from our own production work and, together, we all make a difference. Collect your sweeps and periodically send them to us; we'll take care of the rest.
National Institute of Flamenco
Established in 1999, the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts (CFA) offers year-round, community-based and pre-professional dance training as well as music programming in Albuquerque, New Mexico’s historic Sawmill District. CFA is a world-renowned flamenco school that follows a proven curriculum to offer pre-professional training, professional development, and community enrichment in an inclusive and nurturing environment. The School’s diverse and professional faculty provides comprehensive and progressive instruction. The CFA teaching faculty consists of accomplished and master resident teachers as well as invited guest artists.
NYC Jewelry Week
Each November the NYCJW platform hosts an annual jewelry week, a week-long celebration that invites a global audience to experience the world of jewelry in NYC. The hybrid program blends in-person experiences with virtual engagement and programming—hosting the best and brightest in the industry to deliver thought leadership, exhibitions, shopping experiences, retail collaborations and first look designer discovery. NYC Jewelry Week is free and open to the public. It's modernizing the way the world thinks about jewelry by bringing together everyone from the window shopper, to the avid collector.
PB&J Family Services
What began as a volunteer effort reaching out to 7 children who all had mothers with special challenges, grew into a nationally recognized non-profit serving more than 1,500 children and parents annually. Through PB&J’s advocacy, talent, and relationship building, New Mexico policies developed that have resulted in cutting-edge practices for those who frequently have no voice at policy tables. PB&J is one of the few agencies to provide intensive wrap-around services for children and their parents, including parenting education in the homes. Creating supportive communities and families has meant incorporating the spaces of prisons and jails, elementary, middle and high schools, the pueblos and far reaches of Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties – an effort with countless barriers.
Rio Cares
This team of associates provides service-based support to local organizations to directly impact a diverse cross-section of our community. They’ve inspired their colleagues to join them at food pantries, for holiday meals with families in need, and at Habitat for Humanity sites. They’ve gathered donations of school supplies and shoes, Teddy bears and books. The Rio Cares team motivates generosity in all of us. Interested in joining a team of employees who care about the work they do and the community around them? Learn more about open positions at Rio Grande, today!
Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA)
Each August, an estimated 100,000 people attend the largest juried Native American art show in the world -the Southwestern Association of American Indian Art’s (SWAIA’s) annual Indian Market. This remarkable event takes place on and around the central plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and sponsors over one-thousand Native artists from more than one-hundred tribal communities in North America and Canada. Artists show their latest work and compete for awards in SWAIA’s prestigious judged art competition. Santa Fe’s Indian Market has endured for the past 100-years and today generates upwards of 160 million dollars annually in revenues for artists and the community.
Toolbox Initiative
The passion and perseverance of metalsmiths in Senegal inspired jeweler-authors Matthieu Chemineé and Tim McCreight to found Toolbox Initiative. The program’s mission is to hand-deliver donated tools and silver ingots to artisans in West Africa, and they continue to research other safe, reliable ways to get supplies to the artisans who need them. You can help support West African metalsmiths by donating gently-used and new tools in good condition, silver scrap or cash. Toolbox Initiative will clean the tools and process the silver. Through a partnership with Rio Grande, any cash donations will be used to buy tools at a special discount.
We Wield the Hammer
Based in Oakland, California, We Wield the Hammer exists “to identify, train, track and support young women of African descent who might not otherwise choose a career as a metalsmith.” Participants in the 8-week program learn the fundamentals of fabrication and urban apprenticeships are in the works. Founder Karen Smith says, “I envision this program in places around the world. It’s an opportunity to create real change for young women and girls through art and financial empowerment.” You can join us in supporting We Wield the Hammer by donating your scrap credit.
Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA)
For more than 30 years, the Women’s Jewelry Association has been a source of support, education, and camaraderie for women working in jewelry-related industries. It also welcomes men who want to network and volunteer with influential industry friends. Across the U.S. and overseas, industry members flock to its meetings, use its networks, and gain valuable education and funds to advance in their careers.
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