A hippie learns to embrace jewelry
The American Gem Society honored Dione Kenyon, Hank Siegel, and Stewart Wicht at its annual Circle of Distinction awards, held July 26 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Kenyon, the former president and CEO of the Jewelers Board of Trade, won the group’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I can only see a bright future for the jewelry industry,” she said, recounting how when she got engaged, as a young “hippie,” she didn’t want a diamond engagement ring, but got one only at the urging of her mother. After all these years of working in the business, of course, her jewelry collection has grown substantially.
“We living in a changing world,” she said, “but so much of human nature is constant.”
In receiving the organization’s Triple Zero award, Siegel, president of Princeton, N.J.–based Hamilton Jewelers, said that the industry “has always been my passion” and that he hoped the industry “could get the word out about [its] responsible sourcing and responsible business practices.”
“In this industry relationships matter,” he added. “My relationships have contributed to my success and to me being here tonight, and for those relationships I am most grateful.”
Wicht, president of Rolex Watch USA, also received a Triple Zero award. In his speech, he said that “what AGS does is amazing and often underestimated.”
He called the Rolex jewelers “the best group of jewelers in the industry.… The people here in this room represent the future of the industry.”
(Photo: American Gem Society)
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
