The Manhattan Chapter GIA Alumni Collective
The Manhattan Chapter GIA Alumni Collective
is Proud to Present:
Decadence to Deco, A Comparison of Eras
with
Michael Coan
Adjunct Associate Professor of Jewelry Design at FIT
This presentation compares the social environments of the 1890s–1920s with the 1980s–2020s, highlighting strong similarities in how people expressed self-awareness and individuality through jewelry. It emphasizes that jewelry uniquely allows for both innovation and reinvention of the past, enabling designers to rediscover, reinterpret, or completely break with tradition. The industry’s success and creativity rely on this dynamic, as jewelry can quickly adapt while always centering on the wearer. Ultimately, self-ornamentation has been a constant throughout human history, and this continuity underscores the enduring role of jewelry in personal and cultural expression.
DATE: Tuesday, September 16th, 2025
TIME: 5-6PM Pizza & Sodas 6-7:30PM Lecture
PLACE: GIA New York Education 50 W 47th St. (between 5th and 6th Aves.),8th Flr
COST: $30 Admission Limited to 50. Prepaid Only! No walk-ins! As a courtesy to our alumni and the speakers there will be no admittance after 6 PM. If you are not on the security list by the RSVP date of Tuesday, September 9th, you cannot attend. This is 7 days before the event!! All attendees must bring their government issued identification (driver’s license or passport) to pick up their access card at the building lobby security post area with no exception. Please come half hour early due to security protocols.
RSVP: Reservations must be in by Tuesday, Septermber 9th!
Payment: Click here to register via Eventbrite! (Not available until Aug 27)
QUESTIONS: Gail B. Levine, G.G., 718.897.7305 or Merle S. Koblenz 860.927.0179
The chapter thanksThe New York Gem Lab, A and C Gem Trading Co., Victor Garcia and Kassoy, and Gail Brett Levine for their generous raffle donations. It contributed toward the 2025 effort for the Eunice Miles Scholarship Fund.
Keep your profile current in the Alumni Directory. Click here to update.