Everything To Know About NYC Jewelry Week 2021

By Amy Elliott | November 08, 2021

Hopefully you’ve canceled most of your plans next week in order to take in the events of this year’s edition of NYC Jewelry Week (NYCJW). Held Nov. 15–21, it will feature a mix of virtual and IRL programming, loosely gathered under a broad but compelling theme: The Power of Jewelry.

NYCJW cofounders Bella Neyman and JB Jones have worked with a number of partners to explore this theme through three pillars of this year’s event: the Core Program, which focuses on presenting thought leadership the field of jewelry; the Art Programs, centered on artists and exhibitions, from contemporary jewelers to independent curators and educators; and the Community Program, which offers a platform for designers, brands, and institutions from around the world to showcase their talent.

The Power of Jewelry theme will also manifest in Here We Are (HWA), NYCJW’s strategic initiative designed to address the problems of widespread inequity and a lack of representation in the jewelry industry. As in previous years, HWA represents the diverse spectrum of emerging designers honing their craft in the United States and will offer the 60 chosen designers professional development, mentorship, and year-round programming to help promote their brands. For the second year in a row, works by HWA designers will be shoppable on a dedicated marketplace on 1st Dibs (one of NYCJW’s many sponsors).

harlin jones diamond and tourmaline ring — *The work of designer Harlin Jones will be among the designers showcased in the 2021 NYCJW HWA x 1st Dibs Marketplace*

As a special feature of this year’s HWA programming, Muzo Emerald Colombia and NYCJW have aligned on an exclusive collaboration to be unveiled in 2022.

You can view the full NYCJW event schedule here (be sure to consider the the many exhibitions that are ongoing for the event as part of your experience), and a few highlights are noted below.

On Nov. 15: Through a partnership with Salon Art + Design, a presentation of the work of world-renowned jewelry artist and innovator Wallace Chan hosted by watch and jewelry journalist Ming Liu and Emily Stoehrer, the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator of Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Wallace Chan brooch — *The Wallace Chan presentation will showcase and discuss the designer’s butterfly creations and the publication of* Winged Beauty: The Butterfly Jewellery Art of Wallace Chan. There is a virtual panel discussion and an IRL presentation.

On Nov. 16: “The New Establishment,” a panel discussion led by journalist Tanya Dukes with Khiry founder Jameel Mohammed, fashion stylist and Emmy Award–winning costume designer Zerina Akers, and Pat Dambe, head of corporate affairs with the De Beers Group
On Nov. 17: JCK editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky in a virtual conversation with Tirath Kamdar, general manager of luxury at eBay, and Brynn Wallner, founder of dimepiece.co, about the luxury watch industry
On Nov. 18: The launch of the Have a Heart x HWA edit, curated by Lorraine West