Jewelers Mutual Invests $10 Million in Bench Jeweler Training at SCAD

By Karen Dybis | March 02, 2026

To address the shortage of trained bench jewelers, industry insurer Jewelers Mutual is donating $10 million in a 10-year alliance with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), whose jewelry education program is considered the largest and most comprehensive in North America.

The record-setting donation by Jewelers Mutual will help fund scholarships, curriculum upgrades, and jewelry-making technology and equipment at the Georgia college.

“Supporting the future of the jewelry industry means investing in the people who will sustain it,” said Scott Murphy, chief executive officer at Jewelers Mutual. “We are committed to helping close the bench jeweler talent gap by supporting education that prepares students for real-world careers and strengthens the industry for generations to come.”

According to Jewelers Mutual’s statement about the SCAD investment, the industry needs an estimated 4,000 new bench jewelers annually to maintain capacity and is facing a critical replacement shortage, as retirements outpace new talent. Jewelers Mutual cited an October workforce study by InStore magazine that said that more than 70% of jewelry businesses plan to hire bench jewelers and struggle to find qualified candidates.

SCAD initiatives that will receive Jewelers Mutual funding include the Bench Education Endowment (Bee) and annual scholarships. The money will also go toward enhancing academic programming, upgrading SCAD’s jewelry-making technology and equipment, and a naming gift to the school’s jewelry building, Jewelers Mutual said.

“The future of jewelry just got brighter, thanks to this historic partnership between SCAD and Jewelers Mutual, which promises to transform the lives of so many Bees—and the entire jewelry profession, now growing four times faster than any other luxury sector,” said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace.

Jewelers Mutual said it hopes to help double SCAD’s jewelry program enrollment by 2030. Another aspect of its SCAD investment will be collaborating with industry organizations and professionals to ensure SCAD training reflects current commercial techniques and technologies and to offer internship, apprenticeship, mentoring, and job opportunities to students.

“The biggest and best jewelry design program on the planet is now even better, with more elite resources and scholarships and more SCAD brilliance in the talent pipeline. The jewelry industry is in very good hands,” Wallace said.

Top: Jewelry students at the Savannah College of Art and Design learn both bench skills and digital design. (Photos courtesy of Jewelers Mutual)