OUR STORY

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    My passion for jewelry led me to move to New York City in 2005 to attend the Gemological Institute of America where I received my Graduate Gemologist Diploma. It was during this time that I learned to expertly navigate the use of gemological equipment to help uncover the identity and origins of the precious stones I worked with on a daily basis. As I immersed myself in jewelry design and production classes, I became very intrigued, and then passionate, about the journey that these diamonds and gemstones took to reach my bench from the security of the Earth where they had laid for millions of years.

 

   As I began to build James and Lily, and to network with other artisans, I quickly realized that ethical sourcing, that is, having knowledge of the provenance of my gemstone material, was of increasing importance to me as a sales professional and business owner, as well as to my clients who wanted to ensure that their purchases weren’t supporting industries that contributed to the destruction of the earth or the exploitation of human labor. That is why James & Lily Jewelry uses only ethically sourced gemstones, non-conflict diamonds, and 100% recycled precious metals.

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Kelly Schaber

Founder & Graduate Gemologist, GIA

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