D.E.F to award 'Nate' Light with ever “Diamonds Do Good” Lifetime Achievement Award

The Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F) is going to present its first ever “Diamonds Do Good” Lifetime Achievement Award at the at the “Diamonds Do Good” Awards gala in Las Vegas, June 2. The recipient of the award is Nathan R. “Nate” Light, former Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Jewelers Inc.

Light, who built an immensely successful business, was selected for having epitomized the ideal of D.E.F’s “Diamonds Do Good” Lifetime Achievement Award. The Award platform is planned as an annual award reflecting work of an individual in promoting the importance of developing social purpose programs and charitable giving to help communities where the diamond industry does business.

One of the diamond and jewelry industry’s most renowned philanthropists, Light was active beginning in the 1980s with the Foundation Fighting Blindness and then helped organize the industry’s “Party With a Purpose” at JCK Las Vegasin 1994, where today’s Jewelers For Children (JFC)“Facets of Hope” Gala has its roots. He also helped galvanize giving around industry charities. His efforts have seen more than $48 million raised today by the industry for JFC to benefit children in need around the world.

Nate Light joined Sterling Jewelers Inc. in 1977 and helped grow the company from a modest chain of 32 stores to a national leading retailer with more than 1,000 stores, and annual revenues of nearly $1 billion. Sterling, a unit of Signet Jewelers Ltd., led by Chief Executive Officer Mark Light, continues the tradition of philanthropy through its support of Jewelers For Children, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Akron Children's Hospital, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and the Diamond Empowerment Fund, where Signet Chief Operating Officer Ed Hrabak serves as vice president of the board of directors.