Columbia Gem House secures $16K for wildlife conservation

by Tamanna Bhasin | November 29, 2023 10:39 am

The “Jewelry for Wildlife” donation will help support efforts to build a saltwater tank for sea turtle rehabilitation. Photo © Bigstock

Columbia Gem House raised more than C$16,000 (US$12,000) through their “Jewelry for Wildlife” fundraiser. Proceeds will be donated to Mexican wildlife conservation non-profit Centro de Rescate, Rehabilitacion e Investigacion de Fauna Silvestre A.C. (CRRIFS). The donation will help support the organization’s efforts to build a saltwater tank for sea turtle rehabilitation.

The fundraiser was organized in conjunction with the 2023 MJSA Responsibly Sourced Design Challenge, a jewellery design competition wherein designers are asked to centre their entry around a fictional customer narrative. This year, the nine participants created designs for a fictional 52-year-old divorcée looking for a fresh start. As the challenge sponsor, Columbia Gem House provided entrants with gemstones for their designs.

The nine pieces from the competition were then put towards “Jewelry for Wildlife,” which took the form of a raffle this year. A total of 481 raffle tickets were sold to participants worldwide.

Natasha Braunwart, the company’s brand and corporate social responsibility manager, says, “We wanted to offer a space for anyone to enter this conversation and recognize they, too, can be involved in making responsibly sourced gems and jewellery the rule, not the exception.”

Source URL: https://www.jewellerybusiness.com/news/columbia-gem-house-secures-16k-for-wildlife-conservation/