Join us in congratulating this year’s Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California honorees, who are members of the American Gem Society (AGS): Georgie Gleim, CG, Shelly Sergent, and Molly Peterson, RJ.
The Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California and its Board of Directors are pleased to announce the Club’s 2023 honorees, who will be recognized during its 79th Annual Dinner Dance and Gala, which will take place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina Del Rey, CA, on Saturday, October 7th.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honoree is Georgie Gleim, CG, of Gleim the Jeweler in Palo Alto, CA. Georgie is an active member of her community and the jewelry industry. In business, she serves as president of her company, which started in 1931. She was inducted into the National Jeweler Retail Hall of Fame, given WJA’s Award for Excellence in Retailing, and earned the Santa Clara Small Business Award. She is a Past President of the American Gem Society (AGS) International Board of Directors, Past Board Chair of Jewelers of America, and Past President of the Jewelers Education Foundation. She is a Robert M. Shipley Award® recipient and an Athena Award winner. In her community, she is president of the Palo Alto Historical Association and the Peninsula Volunteers. For this community service, she was awarded the Palo Alto Tall Tree Award.
This year’s Excellence in Service honoree is Shelly Sergent, Curator of the Somewhere In The Rainbow Collection in Phoenix, AZ. Somewhere In The Rainbow’s mission is to bring hands-on education, understanding, and appreciation of fine-colored gems and artisan-crafted jewelry to museums, retail stores, and educational facilities dedicated to enjoying and appreciating the rarity, beauty, and value of these gems and master artisan’s works. Shelly is the proud recipient of the 2022 AGS Sallie Morton award and the 2023 AGTA Leon Rixler Achievement Award. Carrying education and beauty to all who wish to experience it is her goal. She has presented and exhibited in places such as The Smithsonian Natural History Affiliate Museum, Harvard, University of Arizona, and for the 100 Year Celebration of Gem-A in London, Germany, and Scotland. She serves on the University Of Arizona Board Of Directors for Geo Sciences and is a founding member of the new Tucson Gem and Mineral Museum that opened in February 2020.
The Rising Star Award honoree is Molly Peterson, RJ, of Ben Bridge Jeweler in Seattle, WA. Molly brings over 12 years of industry experience to her role as Bridal Buyer at Ben Bridge Headquarters. Prior to joining the merchandising team in 2021, she excelled as a top sales associate and award-winning manager. Her accolades include Store of the Year, Highest Store Sales Increase, and Buyers’ Choice. During her time as a manager, she was involved with the Rotary Club of Tacoma and was part of several community building collaborations. As Bridal Buyer, she spearheads Ben Bridge’s proprietary bridal brand, Bella Ponte, which leads the industry in custom creation and state-of-the-art technology. Her years of expertise behind the counter widens her skills in curating her collections to be both timeless and innovative, exemplifying Ben Bridge’s dedication to excellence.
“We are really excited about this year’s slate of honorees. Georgie, Shelly, and Molly are all truly deserving people, who all work to make our industry and communities better,” stated Adam Graham, CSA, President of the Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California. “We invite everyone out to celebrate with us on October 7th at the beautiful Ritz Carlton on the water in Marina Del Rey.”
For tickets, sponsorship, and more information on the honorees, please visit jewelers24kclub.com. The Dinner Dance and Gala is black tie optional.
