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Title: Giving back. By: Sielaff, Whitney, National Jeweler, 00279544, Jul2008, Vol. 102, Issue 8 Section: 10X PUTTING TODAY'S ISSUES UNDER FULL MAGNIFICATION "You can only sit your ass in one chair at a time." So said the usually soft-spoken hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons recently in explaining his efforts to repatriate profits earned from African diamonds to aid in humanitarian and philanthropic efforts there. A self-made black entrepreneur, Simmons over the years has leveraged his success in bringing rap to the mainstream American market into a far-ranging set of lucrative business ventures. Until recently, however, he shied away from two product categories: furs and diamonds, both of which he saw as "hurtful." Pressed by his former wife, however, he looked deeper and found examples that contradicted his initial perceptions, such as Botswana, which derives the lion's share of its economy from its diamonds. He realized there was a substantial flip side to the negativity propagated through pop culture portrayals of the industry, such as those in the film Blood Diamond. In his new belief that diamonds could benefit Africa and Africans if exploited appropriately, he applied the famous acronym of his Def Jam Records to stand for "Diamond Empowerment Fund," and set out to do what he could, including driving educational opportunities for poor Africans. What's more, Simmons said, he's not alone. Name any well-known rapper, and he could recount the charity or cause that the artist champions. Simmons explained one thing further: Charity is a selfish endeavor. And he didn't mean that in a pejorative sense. For those who are successful, he explained, life becomes a journey of self-fulfillment, a discovery of why you've achieved what you have and, from there, what can bring you the greatest happiness. For many who have made it, that is significantly inclusive of philanthropy. Our own industry can boast many such examples. Last October, I was fortunate enough to be invited by De Beers to visit Southern Africa as part of a group that included fellow journalists and members of the trade. Among them was Janet Goldman, chairman of Fragments, a boutique in New York's SoHo neighborhood that's known for discovering and nurturing talented young jewelry designers. I caught up with Janet recently and, in chatting, she brought up a project of her 9-year-old grandson, Jake. Now most of you parents would likely agree that we're happy if our children simply take an interest in reading. Jake, however, has built a Web site to pursue his literary interests. On www.thejakereview.com, he reviews books he has read, from Shakespeare to Beatrix Potter. OK, impressive. But what's really special comes next. Jake opened a merchant account with Amazon and asks readers to buy books he's reviewed. In a program he's entitled "Books for Burma," Jake is donating all the proceeds from these sales to aid starving and homeless children in that country. On his site, Jake explains the Burmese political situation and its consequent devastation on the population there. While Jake's efforts were driven by the fact that he has another grandmother who's from there, his efforts didn't fail to remind me that our trade has its own

issues with what's going on in that critical origin for top-drawer gemstones. While the example Jake has set is compellingly motivational, it's not for nothing that our business has been referred to as "the industry with a heart." This year, I was extremely fortunate to be invited to join the board of the Jewelers for Children (JFC), which. as its name implies, is a philanthropic endeavor specific to our industry that benefits children. The group marked its 10th anniversary gala fundraising dinner this year. Over its first decade, JFC has raised nearly $28 million to fund groups like the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Make-a-Wish Foundation of America, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and National CASA. This year, it added Autism Speaks, which has personal meaning for my own family. At these dinners and associated events, we've heard over the years from beneficiaries of these programs. Some of them have come back later to share with us the joyous blessings of regained health or improved lives. Others have not been so lucky. Ours is an industry that exists purely to bring joy and happiness to people's lives. I believe the work of Jewelers for Children is the finest thing we do. Most of the money has been raised by the major retailers and large manufacturers. (Helzberg Diamond Shops, for example, wrote checks totaling $350,000 on its own this year.) But there's always opportunity for independent jewelers and smaller companies to participate. You can view the organization's Web site, JewelersForChildren.org, or contact David Rocha, the group's executive director, at (212) 687-2949 or [email protected]. Remember, there's the selfish side return of that priceless glow you get to carry around within you. And you can only sit your ass in one chair at a time. Send your comments to: Whitney Sielaff Editorial Director [email protected] (046) 654-4924 ~~~~~~~~