Light will be honored for his work promoting the importance of charity and giving in the industry

The Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF) will present the first Diamonds Do Good Lifetime Achievement Award to Nate Light (pictured, right) at its annual awards gala in Las Vegas on June 2.

Light is the former CEO and president of Sterling Jewelers. He joined the company in 1977 and built it from 32 stores to 880 in 1987, at which point Signet (then called Ratners) bought it. Today the retailer has more than 1,000 stores,14,000 employees, and annual revenues of nearly $1 billion.

Light’s son, Mark Light, is currently the CEO of Signet.

The Diamonds Do Good Lifetime Achievement Award is given annually to an individual who has promoted the importance of charitable giving and good works where the diamond industry does business.

“Light, who built an extremely successful business, epitomizes this idea,” according to a statement from DEF. “One of the diamond and jewelry industry’s most renowned philanthropists, Light was active beginning in the 1980s with the Foundation Fighting Blindness and then helped organize the industry’s Party With a Purpose at JCK Las Vegas in 1994, where today’s Jewelers For Children (JFC) Facets of Hope Gala has its roots.”

More information about the Diamonds Do Good Awards gala is available at diamondsdogoodawards.org. 

(Photo courtesy of DEF)

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