Meet the New WJA Cindy Edelstein Scholarship Awardee

Oakland, Calif.—The Women’s Jewelry Association has announced the 2020 Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship winner.

This year’s recipient of the grant created in honor of the late jewelry design mentor and advocate is Olivia Shih.

According to WJA, Shih is a Taiwanese and American jewelry designer out of Oakland, California.

She’s a graduate of the California College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewelry/Metalsmithing.

Post-graduation, Shih furthered her jewelry making skills by working for designers in the Bay Area, as well as taking workshops in subjects like enameling, wax carving and stone setting.

Julia Turner was one of the designers under whom Shih worked. In addition to the jewelry making skills Shih gained, she also learned about respectfully managing employees.

Ethical business practices are a foremost concern for Shih as she progresses in her career.

She said, “As a woman of color and an advocate for gender equality, I look forward to fostering an educational environment [for my own employees] where all genders are respected, privileges and biases are re-evaluated frequently, hard conversations are not avoided, and open-mindedness is highly valued.”

WJA Foundation President Brandee Dallow added, “Because WJA emphasizes gender equality, mentorship, and education, Olivia Shih is the ideal winner for the Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship.

“Cindy was a very close, personal friend and mentor of mine and I know she would be so pleased that these funds are going into such inspiring hands.”

The $5,000 Edelstein Scholarship annually benefits an up-and-coming jewelry designer.

The scholarship is to be used toward jewelry design, metalsmithing or business courses to benefit the recipient’s jewelry design business.

Shih said she will use the scholarship to further develop her business skills, learn more about responsible sourcing and ethical metalsmithing and to take classes on online marketing and sales.

See more of Shih’s work on her website.