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GIA, AGS Award Beatrice Shipley Scholarship to Nicole Hurdle
Hurdle is a fourth-generation jeweler at her family’s store, Hurdle’s Jewelry in Boulder, Colorado.
Nicole Hurdle of Hurdle’s Jewelry in Boulder, Colorado is a fourth-generation jeweler.
Las Vegas—The Gemological Institute of America and the American Gem Society have announced the winner of the third annual Beatrice Shipley Scholarship.
The recipient is Nicole Hurdle, RJ, of Hurdle’s Jewelry in Boulder, Colorado, an AGS member store.
The scholarship covers complete tuition for GIA’s Graduate Gemologist program, either on-campus in Carlsbad, California or through a hybrid of distance education and on-campus learning.
The scholarship also covers the costs of the AGS Way Course.
AGS and GIA created the Beatrice Shipley scholarship in 2019. AGS handled the applications and awarding of the scholarship.
AGS and AGS Laboratories CEO Katherine Bodoh said, “AGS is grateful to GIA for their ongoing commitment to AGS and for partnering on this scholarship. Beatrice Shipley and her husband, Robert, changed the course of the jewelry industry, and we are honored to be part of their legacy.”
Hurdle is a fourth-generation jeweler. Her great-grandfather started Hurdle’s Jewelry in 1947 in Boulder, Colorado, in a storefront just down the street from its current location.
Born and raised in the town that lies in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Hurdle attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where she earned a bachelor’s in business management.
“I am extremely grateful to receive the Beatrice Shipley award,” she said. “To follow in the footsteps of a woman who paved the way for so many in our industry is an honor."
Bodoh added, “We are so pleased to award Nicole with this scholarship. She is passionate about jewelry and serving her customers. This opportunity will help her further advance her career.”
Beatrice and Robert created GIA and AGS in the 1930s with the goal of educating jewelers and professionalizing the industry.
GIA President and CEO Susan Jacques said, “We are pleased and honored to see the legacy of Beatrice Shipley living on in this opportunity. Congratulations to Nicole Hurdle for being awarded this scholarship! I am certain that you will expand your expertise and your network of passionate professionals.”
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