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(NEW YORK) – Luxury jewelry brand David Yurman has announced the donation of special gemstones, pearls, and beads – valued at over $675K – to the Fashion Institute of Technology. The stones were utilized by students in the Jewelry Design Class of 2023 at FIT, a college of the State University of New York. The students had the opportunity to use these one-of-a-kind gems in their final projects, which were featured on display during FIT’s Graduating Student Exhibition this spring.
The gemstones, donated from the Yurman family’s personal collection of stones and beads, were each carefully hand-selected by Mr. Yurman for their extraordinary color, shape, and unique qualities. The donation – the second made to the school on behalf of the company – was made with the objective of enhancing the learning experience of FIT’s Jewelry Design students, and to inspire them to create their own signature pieces.
Continuing the longstanding relationship between David Yurman and FIT, senior members of David Yurman’s design, merchandising and marketing teams participated in a panel for the senior class of jewelry students at FIT in November of last year. Students were presented in-person with the most recent donation of stones and gems and had the opportunity to speak with the David Yurman team about the teams’ career paths, their current roles at David Yurman, and their passion for the jewelry industry.
This gift supports one of the brand’s key missions to encourage young creatives in the arts and in education. As a company founded in and inspired by New York, David Yurman is passionate about supporting the city’s local academic, creative, and cultural institutions, while providing the next generation of jewelry designers with the tools to pursue a creative career.
Mari Robins Strong, a student in the Jewelry Design Class of 2023, shared that the experience was extraordinary. Strong mentions how “the cuts are extremely inspirational, as is the panache that they are David Yurman stones!”
Kimberlee John, another graduating senior who created a chain link bracelet using donated green quartz, said that “it was an amazing experience to work with a David Yurman stone. The stone would not normally be an option for my work, so it was wonderful to make it the inspiration and centerpiece of my collection.”
In 2019, David Yurman delivered the commencement address for FIT’s graduating class, and received the degree of Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from FIT.
The post David Yurman donates gemstones to F.I.T. for use by Jewelry Design Class of 2023 appeared first on Southern Jewelry News.
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