Madeleine K. Albright a former Secretary of State was recently selected to receive the GEM Style Award at the 2010 annual gala. The JIC's GEM Awards recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals and companies whose work raises the visibility and status of fine jewelry and watches.
Ms. Albright made history in 1997 when she became the first female Secretary of State. She was known as a tough negotiator and an excellent diplomat. While serving for President Clinton, Albright brought attention to the significance of fine jewelry by wearing brooches that purposefully reflected her views about the situation at hand. "I found that jewelry had become part of my personal diplomatic arsenal," she said. She began using brooches in 1994 after the Gulf war when the Iraqi press referred to her as “an unparalleled serpent”. Then US ambassador to the United Nations, she responded by wearing a golden brooch depicting a coiled snake to her next meeting with the Iraqis.
Dr. Albright has amassed a collection of 300 brooches which have gone on display at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. She also shares her passion for costume jewelry in her latest book “Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box”. "Jewelry is one of the strongest forms of non-verbal communication. Each of Dr. Albright's pins reflects a significant moment in her life and in the history of our nation's politics. We are so honored that Dr. Albright will share her stories and style with us at a very special GEM Awards," Martin Gatins, JIC GEM Awards chairman stated in a press release.