JVC Event Unveils Secret Hobbies of Jewelry Industry Execs

New York—The Jewelers Vigilance Committee held its annual luncheon virtually last Thursday.

The event kicked off with Charles Stanley of Forevermark presenting the Stanley Schechter Award to John Kennedy, president of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance, “in recognition of his tireless dedication, hard work and support of JVC’s mission to maintain ethics and integrity through legal compliance.”

Kennedy looked back on his connection to the late Stanley Schechter and his family as well as the link between JVC and JSA.

“We’re both protecting the industry,” said Kennedy. “Both are absolutely essential for the long-term health of the industry.”

Five industry leaders and JVC board directors—Charles Stanley of Forevermark, Susan Jacques of GIA, Greg Kwiat of Kwiat and Fred Leighton, Nathalie Diamantis of Pomellato, and Dave Bindra of B&B Fine Gems—shared some personal anecdotes in lieu of the typical in-person luncheon agenda.

Here’s how the five industry executives spend their free time.

Charles Stanley, Beekeeper Extraordinaire

Stanley’s beekeeping began when he was a child.

He inherited the hobby from his grandmother, who kept bees on her estate in England.

He showed off his beekeeping equipment and talked about the life of a worker bee and shared other fun facts.

His breakout session included how to conduct a hive inspection and how to properly introduce a queen bee to the colony.

Susan Jacques, Motorcycle Enthusiast

“I’m not a biker chick or a Harley babe,” clarified Jacques, though she does have an affinity for the open road.

She enjoys riding on the back of her husband’s motorcycle or being behind the wheel of an ATV.

Jacques and her family have traveled to the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota to meet with other bikers and share in the fun.

The exposure to nature is the highlight of her rides.

At the family farm in Nebraska, where wildflowers grow and their golden retriever Buddy runs free, 160 acres have been set aside as a pheasant reserve. 

Greg Kwiat, Cover Band Super Star

When Kwiat isn’t leading his eponymous company, he moonlights as the lead singer of a Beatles and The Rolling Stones cover band.

He shared clips of his band performing “Come Together” by the Beatles and “Sympathy for the Devil,” by The Rolling Stones.

He, on occasion, also performs in the shower and behind the wheel of his car.

Kwiat once met Mick Jagger in a professional setting but