Gabriel & Co.’s passion and innovation come through in its retail partner relationships, its cutting-edge technology, and its groundbreaking design. But what truly drives the firm and its principals, Jack and Dominick Gabriel, is the recognition that the fine jewelry category has enormous potential to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable populations and pave the way for a brighter future through targeted charitable-giving programs.
“In a difficult time, people are most important. We need to slow down and pay attention to that,” chief executive officer Jack Gabriel says.
In times of uncertainty, communities are uplifted by the people and organizations with the vision to give back. Gabriel & Co. prioritizes humanitarian causes with its far-ranging participation in charitable ventures. These initiatives give the company the opportunity to allocate a portion of profits to be donated on an ongoing basis to worthy causes that uplift women, children, and people afflicted with illnesses such as cancer.
Gabriel & Co. also responds quickly to changing needs in its charitable initiatives. It just demonstrated this with its 91>19 Bangle bracelet campaign, launched in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and in close partnerships with retailers. Gabriel & Co. will donate 100% of proceeds from the new and currently available 91>19 unisex bangle to Jewelers for Children.
The company’s own Gabriel Love Foundation® supports numerous charitable endeavors, such as the Gabriel Love Foundation Student Scholarship with the Women’s Jewelry Association, which helps young women seeking to enter the jewelry industry. Gabriel & Co. is deeply involved with Jewelers for Children, a nonprofit founded more than two decades ago to mobilize the social-consciousness goals of the jewelry industry in support of charity partners. Since its inception, Jewelers for Children has raised a remarkable $51 million for programs that benefit children in vulnerable circumstances.
“A company is a reflection of the collective energy of its people. We have to stand for something. It needs to have the passion and the drive,” says Gabriel & Co. senior vice president and chief design officer Dominick Gabriel.
Gabriel & Co. builds on this commitment to giving back by partnering with retailers that share the company’s internal values and helping them raise their social consciousness through their new Gabriel Omni Charity™ program. “What keeps us going is helping our retail partners be more successful, and we see them generally helping their community and improving it,” Dominick Gabriel says. “That motivates us to do more and help them be successful.”
One way Gabriel & Co. helps its retail partners raise money for charity is by donating jewelry—both fine jewelry and replica samples—that are repurposed as prizes and incentives for customers to participate in charitable fundraising efforts. These finely crafted pieces are beloved by consumers as low-fuss “vacation” jewelry.
Engaging consumers is an important way for jewelry manufacturers and retailers to convey that fine jewelry is as much about the experience as it is about the piece itself, Jack Gabriel says. “Our retailers’ customers today want more meaningful things, lasting things,” he says.
Programs that encourage stores as well as shoppers to participate in raising awareness for charitable causes are a triple-bottom-line win: Retailers get to raise money for a charity that benefits their community, and discerning buyers get to enjoy a lovely piece of jewelry along with the knowledge that they are contributing to making the world a brighter place for that charity recipient.
“We try to bring awareness in our industry to charity,” Jack Gabriel says. “We don’t just write a check. We do it creatively.”