In memory of the late William Goldberg, his family has contributed a significant charitable gift to the Gemological Institute of America to create the William Goldberg Endowed Scholarship Fund. This gift brings the William Goldberg Diamond Corp.’s cumulative giving to the Institute to more than $350,000.

The student lounge at GIA’s New York Education facility will bear William Goldberg’s name in recognition of the gift and of the company’s longtime support of the Institute. The lounge will be formally dedicated to Goldberg in January, 2005.

“My father is legendary in this industry, and we really wanted to do something special in honor of him,” said Saul Goldberg, president of the William Goldberg Diamond Corp. “GIA is the foremost organization of our industry, and it felt like the right place for my father’s name to be. Since he was such a New Yorker, we thought it would be best to keep his name here.”

Goldberg, who died Oct. 20, 2003, at the age of 77, began his career as a diamond cutter in 1948. He discovered an outlet for his passion for diamonds in merchandising when he partnered with Irving Weiss to found Goldberg & Weiss in 1952. The company flourished throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, but Goldberg stepped out on his own in 1973 to form the William Goldberg Diamond Corp.

He was elected president of the New York Diamond Dealers Club in 1978 and became one of the diamond industry’s most visible spokespersons. Goldberg served in that capacity through 1984 and instituted many changes, such as opening the club to the media and allowing women to become members. He was inducted into GIA’s League of Honor in 1995.

Goldberg’s daughter, Eve, vice president of the company, said her father’s greatest legacy was his ability to pass on his love and appreciation of diamonds to others. “My dad motivated many people in our business to better themselves,” she said. “His passion to cut only the most beautiful diamonds elevated our business, and many people followed him in their pursuit of the most beautifully cut stone possible.”

In recognition of their generosity, members of the Goldberg family will be inducted into GIA’s esteemed League of Honor on Sept. 19, 2005.

“The Goldberg family has always been a strong supporter of GIA and its programs,” said GIA President William E. Boyajian. “Their latest gift will provide scholarships to deserving students long into the future. I can’t imagine a better way to honor the memory of William Goldberg, a man who loved diamonds and believed in people, than by educating the next generation of jewelers.”

JCK