According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Beyoncé teamed up with jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz to create the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter x Lorraine Schwartz GIA Scholarship, which goes to three members of the Black community for full tuition to earn GIA’s Graduate Gemologist diploma.
Audriana Osborne of Montgomery, Alabama, Shelton Bradford of Lake Forest, California, and Kulla Jatani, of Seattle, Washington were named the first three winners of the scholarship.
The aim of the scholarship is to creating more representation and eventually generational wealth for African Americans in the jewelry industry.
“I was impressed with their passion and the knowledge of gems that so many applicants displayed,” Beyoncé, who chose each of the scholarship recipients, said in a statement. “I am praying that this is just the beginning of opening more doors to diversity and raw inspiration in the jewelry industry.”
“Her work for the Black community is without limit and her efforts have inspired me and made me extremely proud to be her friend and partner on this initiative,” Schwartz said of Beyoncé.
Read more: https://discover.gia.edu/beyonce-x-lorraine-GIA-scholarship#home