Columbia Gem House to Hold Fundraiser

Columbia Gem House has announced that its fourth annual fundraising event will benefit the National Forest Foundation, which supports reforesting in places across the United States.

For the aptly named Pebbles to Pines fundraiser, nine jewelry pieces will be raffled off. The jewels, donated by designers participating in the MJSA Responsibly Sourced Design Challenge, were made with gemstones provided by Columbia Gem House—Montana sapphires, Oregon sunstones, Yogo sapphires, and Mesa Verde peridot.

Raffle tickets will be sold Oct. 1–31 at a price of $25 each. One hundred tickets are available for each piece, with no limit on the number of tickets an entrant can buy.

“While direct environmental reclamation at mining sites may not always be feasible, this project demonstrates how we can still make a positive impact by intentionally offsetting some of the environmental effects through collaboration and support for local communities,” said Natasha Braunwart, brand and corporate and social responsibility manager at Columbia Gem House. “We are excited to work with the National Forest Foundation to help restore critical-need areas, some of which are in states where we source our American gemstones.”

The National Forest Foundation will plant one tree for every dollar raised in the raffle. Columbia Gem House has set a goal to plant 10,000 trees, which would require the sale of 400 tickets.

Diamonds Direct Partners With Jewelers Mutual

Through Diamonds Direct’s new collaboration with industry insurance supplier Jewelers Mutual, the jewelry retailer’s customers can access insurance from Luxsurance powered by Jewelers Mutual.

Diamonds Direct will raise consumer awareness of Jewelers Mutual with in-store brochures and website content, and plans to integrate the option in a more digitally immersive point-of-sale experience. The chain also plans to enhance technology with improved capabilities for storing, managing, and viewing jewelry collections.

“Our relationship with Jewelers Mutual reflects our mutual commitment to impeccable service, transparency, and integrity,” said Tom O’Rourke, chief operating officer of Diamonds Direct, in a statement. “Each of us is deeply committed to putting the customer first, which shapes our joint purpose and mission.”

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