JVC Announces Luncheon Speakers

New York—The JVC Annual Luncheon, slated for next week, has announced the speakers and topic for its live interview segment.

The event will be held at the New York InterContinental Barclay on March 8, beginning with cocktails at noon, followed by lunch at 12:30 p.m.

It will feature a live interview, “A Conversation with Valeriya Guzema,” hosted by Victoria Gomelsky, editor-in-chief of JCK.

Gomelsky will sit down for a discussion with Ukrainian businesswoman, jewelry designer, and philanthropic activist, Valeriya Guzema to explore the human impact of the Russian sanctions through Guzema’s eyes.

Guzema is the founder and creative director of the Guzema Fine Jewelry brand and the Guzema Foundation. Before getting into the jewelry business in 2015, she worked as a fashion editor for Elle Ukraine and as a fashion journalist for HD Fashion TV channel. 

The designer began her journey with $500 in savings, and received, from her mother, gold teeth that belonged to her grandfather. She sold the gold, and with the capital, created her first pieces. Her first collection was stolen, but she continued creating. 

In March 2016, she founded Guzema Fine Jewelry and has since created more than 50 collections and opened three boutiques in Ukraine. 

In 2021, she established the Guzema Foundation, a charitable endeavor initially formed to help children receiving heart treatments at the Chernihiv Regional Children’s Hospital. In 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the foundation expanded its efforts to support the Ukrainian army and civilians affected by the war. 

Guzema has been included in the “Top 30 Under 30” list by Ukrainian media company Kyiv Post in 2020, and in 2021, appeared on Ukrainian Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list and was named “Best Accessory Designer” by Best Fashion Awards. 

She is also a graduate of the Aspen Institute, an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C. 

Host Gomelsky specializes in jewelry and watch writing and her freelance work has appeared in the New York Times, Robb Report, AFAR, the Hollywood Reporter, WSJ Magazine, and Waking Up American: Coming of Age Biculturally, an anthology published by Seal Press.  

She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1995 and earned her MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University in 2002.  

Also at the luncheon, Matthew G. Stuller Sr., founder and CEO of Stuller, Inc., will receive the 2024 JVC Stanley Schechter Award, which honors individuals who exemplify industry ethics.

The award was established in 2002 and pays tribute to Schechter’s legacy of integrity and courage, JVC said, recognizing his contribution to JVC and the jewelry industry over the course of 50 years.

“Matt’s commitment to customer service, staying ahead of market trends, and his significant philanthropic efforts, including the Stuller Family Foundation, Parish Proud, and Love Our Schools, truly align with the values celebrated by the Stanley Schechter Award,” JVC writes of the honoree.

“His leadership, both in business and philanthropy, embodies the spirit of the Stanley Schechter Award, recognizing those individuals who go above and beyond in upholding industry ethics and making a positive impact on the community.” 

Stuller has “consistently upheld the highest standards of industry ethics,” JVC said, starting from when he began his entrepreneurial journey at 19 years old. Over 54 years, Stuller Inc. has produced 340,000 jewelry-related products while remaining committed to integrity. 

Stuller’s leadership is shown through the company’s CAD/CAM software, Matrixgold and CounterSketch, as well as through his dedication to ethical business practices, said JVC.

His legacy is not just in Stuller, Inc.’s success, the committee said, but in his “profound commitment to ethical business practices that resonate throughout the jewelry industry and beyond.”

JVC’s website said that at the event, it will also be announcing several new initiatives to “support our industry’s success into 2024 and beyond.”