This year’s Beatrice Shipley Scholarship—created by GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and the American Gem Society (AGS) in 2019—was awarded to Natalie Wolf DiModica, CSA, of James Wolf Jewelers in Mason, Ohio.
The scholarship will cover tuition for the GIA Graduate Gemologist® program online or on campus in Carlsbad, California, along with the costs of the AGS Way Course and entry to the 2023 AGS Conclave event in Louisville, Kentucky, May 1–3.
AGS and GIA jointly established the Beatrice Shipley Scholarship; AGS administers the application process and awards the scholarship to an AGS member.
“It’s always so tough to pick just one recipient for the Beatrice Shipley Scholarship,” said Katherine Bodoh, CEO of the American Gem Society. “This year’s applicants were no exception. We had so many wonderful submissions and were inspired by the stories they shared and their commitment to bettering themselves through education. Natalie’s submission was compelling, and we’re pleased to give her this honor.”
“Beatrice Shipley’s legacy is evident in everything that AGS and GIA do, especially in this scholarship. Congratulations to Natalie Wolf DiModica for earning this scholarship. We wish her great success and know that this education will empower her to accomplish her goals,” said Susan Jacques, President and CEO of GIA.
James Wolf Jewelers
Mason, OH
Natalie was born and raised in Loveland, Ohio, growing up in and around the jewelry business. She is a second-generation member of her family’s jewelry store in Mason, Ohio. Her father, James Wolf, has been in the industry since he was fifteen, and together with her mother, Laura, they started James Wolf Jewelers in 2001. Although Natalie earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from Ohio Northern University, her passion is, and always has been with jewelry. She is thrilled to continue her family’s business and hopes to pass the reins down to her daughter in another 20 years.
“It is an honor to receive this scholarship and represent both my company and Beatrice Shipley,” said Natalie, “I am beyond grateful to AGS and GIA for this opportunity to advance in the jewelry industry. I am so excited to continue my education in gemology!”
Both GIA and AGS were founded in the 1930s when Robert and Beatrice Shipley cashed in their savings to create two organizations with the goal of educating jewelers, professionalizing the industry, and creating a guild for these select jewelers to join.
