The Beyoncé Knowles-Carter x Lorraine Schwartz GIA Scholarship
This scholarship is an homage to Beyoncé for the inspiration she's given me throughout my career. It’s about the love formed from relationships and knowing that at the end of the day, we are all the same. Now I have the opportunity to bring that inspiration full circle and show the community the endless possibilities that are in this industry, especially for Black professionals.
Renowned jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz has teamed up with GIA to create a scholarship dedicated to her longtime friend and client – the multi-talented performer, record producer and philanthropist, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. The Beyoncé Knowles-Carter x Lorraine Schwartz GIA Scholarship will award two members of the Black community the opportunity to earn the most esteemed credentials in the industry – the GIA Graduate Gemologist® diploma. The recipients of the scholarship will be selected by Beyoncé herself and will be awarded full tuition and paid expenses for the program, which will be studied primarily online through distance education. Applications for the scholarship will be accepted March 1st through March 16th.
Thank you for your interest. The application period for this scholarship has closed. Scholarship award recipients will be announced by the end of April. Stay tuned!
This scholarship is an homage to Beyoncé for the inspiration she's given me throughout my career. It’s about the love formed from relationships and knowing that at the end of the day, we are all the same. Now I have the opportunity to bring that inspiration full circle and show the community the endless possibilities that are in this industry, especially for Black professionals.
Renowned jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz has teamed up with GIA to create a scholarship dedicated to her longtime friend and client – the multi-talented performer, record producer and philanthropist, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. The Beyoncé Knowles-Carter x Lorraine Schwartz GIA Scholarship will award two members of the Black community the opportunity to earn the most esteemed credentials in the industry – the GIA Graduate Gemologist® diploma. The recipients of the scholarship will be selected by Beyoncé herself and will be awarded full tuition and paid expenses for the program, which will be studied primarily online through distance education. Applications for the scholarship will be accepted March 1st through March 16th.
Thank you for your interest. The application period for this scholarship has closed. Scholarship award recipients will be announced by the end of April. Stay tuned!
Long known as "Jeweler to the Stars," Lorraine Schwartz is a world-renowned high jewelry designer who has created red carpet pieces for the likes of Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Will Farrell, Jennifer Lopez and, of course, Beyoncé herself. They first collaborated in 2003 when Schwartz, a diamond dealer at the time, designed the earrings that Beyoncé wore on her first solo album cover – Dangerously in Love. Their careers have since risen together, with Beyoncé serving not only as Schwartz’s client, but her muse. Schwartz has shared diamond and gemstone knowledge with the famed performer and created much of her red carpet and editorial jewelry.
Schwartz, who comes from two generations of diamond dealers, specializes in creating avant-garde high-end jewelry using quality stones. Many of the gems she works with have been graded by GIA. In her words, "The stones have to have the most beautiful proportion, they have to be chic, they have to tell a story."
For more information about Lorraine Schwartz, please email the brand contact at [email protected].
Long known as "Jeweler to the Stars," Lorraine Schwartz is a world-renowned high jewelry designer who has created red carpet pieces for the likes of Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Will Farrell, Jennifer Lopez and, of course, Beyoncé herself. They first collaborated in 2003 when Schwartz, a diamond dealer at the time, designed the earrings that Beyoncé wore on her first solo album cover – Dangerously in Love. Their careers have since risen together, with Beyoncé serving not only as Schwartz’s client, but her muse. Schwartz has shared diamond and gemstone knowledge with the famed performer and created much of her red carpet and editorial jewelry.
Schwartz, who comes from two generations of diamond dealers, specializes in creating avant-garde high-end jewelry using quality stones. Many of the gems she works with have been graded by GIA. In her words, "The stones have to have the most beautiful proportion, they have to be chic, they have to tell a story."
For more information about Lorraine Schwartz, please email the brand contact at [email protected].
GIA has pioneered the field of gemology since 1931. From the 4Cs of diamond grading to the GIA 7 Pearl Value Factors™, we set international standards used throughout the gem and jewelry trade. Our diamond and colored stone grading reports serve the world’s most respected retailers, museums and auction houses, and we have assessed some of the world’s most remarkable diamonds, including the Hope diamond. Whether it’s through cutting-edge research, laboratory services or education, our mission as a non-profit organization is to ensure public trust in gems and jewelry by promoting the highest standards of integrity, science and professionalism.
In addition to being a research institute, we are also a school that relays gem and jewelry knowledge and expertise to new generations of industry leaders. From gemological science and hands-on lab classes to jewelry design, CAD/ CAM and bench jewelry, our courses cover the science, art, history, business and practical aspects of one of the most brilliant industries in the world. Our diplomas and certificates are some of the most respected in the industry, and our graduates can be found in every sector as innovators in pawn and estate jewelry, retail and wholesale, gem dealing, field gemology and more.
GIA has pioneered the field of gemology since 1931. From the 4Cs of diamond grading to the GIA 7 Pearl Value Factors™, we set international standards used throughout the gem and jewelry trade. Our diamond and colored stone grading reports serve the world’s most respected retailers, museums and auction houses, and we have assessed some of the world’s most remarkable diamonds, including the Hope diamond. Whether it’s through cutting-edge research, laboratory services or education, our mission as a non-profit organization is to ensure public trust in gems and jewelry by promoting the highest standards of integrity, science and professionalism.
In addition to being a research institute, we are also a school that relays gem and jewelry knowledge and expertise to new generations of industry leaders. From gemological science and hands-on lab classes to jewelry design, CAD/ CAM and bench jewelry, our courses cover the science, art, history, business and practical aspects of one of the most brilliant industries in the world. Our diplomas and certificates are some of the most respected in the industry, and our graduates can be found in every sector as innovators in pawn and estate jewelry, retail and wholesale, gem dealing, field gemology and more.
These artists let their imagination take flight, creating wearable art by envisioning diverse jewels as jewelry. Jewelry designers must have a thorough knowledge of gemstones in order to showcase their unique properties, as well as know the proportions that make a piece of jewelry durable, comfortable to wear, and beautiful.
These craftsmen have a fine eye for beauty, mathematical knowledge, as well as a thorough understanding of gemstone properties, such as their hardness, durability, inclusions and color. Fine craftsmanship and innovative cut styles are what unleash a gemstones full potential and transforms a dull-looking rough into a gemstone full of life and brilliance.
Bench jewelers turn dreams into reality, bringing designs to life through fine craftsmanship. These craftsmen work hands-on with precious materials, shaping metals and setting gems. They must know how to interpret drawings or CAD/CAM designs, understand the properties of each gem, such as their resistance to heat, and possess impeccable attention to detail.
Gem wholesalers strategically purchase and sell rough and cut gems. Some may specialize in rare, high-end stones while others specialize in large quantities of popular, commercial gems. Retailers sell these gems as jewelry to consumers and have the important task of communicating accurate gem knowledge to the jewelry-buying public.
Gem explorers travel the world in pursuit of new gem deposits, while field gemologists journey to current gem deposits to document the characteristics, treatments, processing and market of these gems. These adventurers’ hunt for gems can take them from the sub-Arctic regions of the Canadian Northwest to the outback of Australia and the jungles of Brazil.
These scientists use cutting-edge technology to uncover new knowledge and insight into gems, geology and gem origin. The process can include peering into microscopes, observing gemstones’ reactions to light sources such as UV light, and analyzing the chemical make-up of gemstones and their inclusions. This research is used to tell us more about Earth’s geologic history, help tell apart natural from laboratory-grown stones, determine gemstone country of origin and more.
