Gems Keep Giving, an organization dedicated to supporting colored stone mining and cutting communities, has been restructured and appointed a new board.
The group, which originated as an initiative of the International Colored Gemstone Association, is now an independent nonprofit charity, registered in the state of New York.
Hayley Henning, former chief commercial officer for Greenland Ruby, has been named Gems Keep Giving’s new chair. Other members of the new board are Damien Cody, Clement Sabbagh, Ruth Benjamin-Thomas, Brian Cook, Rocco Gay, Cecilia Gardner, Robert Weldon, and Henry Ho.
“The international gemstone industry and trade fully depend on these mining communities and the people that comprise them, without whom we wouldn’t have gemstones,” said Henning in a statement. “It is in the interest of all stakeholders to support and help sustain these communities, ensuring that they thrive and develop for future generations.”
She added that the organization intends to seek tax-deductible contributions from “socially conscious industry stakeholders,” corporations, foundations, and “gem-loving” donors.
Top: A miner holding tsavorite rough in Kenya (photo: Robert Weldon © GIA/courtesy of Gems Keep Giving)
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
