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Our Founder
Alethe Clemetson
Executive Director
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“Since my volunteer experience to Tanzania, I had to collect my thoughts and challenge myself to do more”.
Alethe Clemetson, Executive Director, Founder of JewelersThatCare.org As a Gemologist, Alethe began her career working at the renowned jeweler, Tiffany & Company in 1991, where she spent 13 years fine tuning her gemological skills, grading and appraising diamonds and colored gemstones as a Certified Gemologist. Her passion for gemstones has molded her into many new adventures, which lead her to work in the wholesale and retail sector of the jewelry industry. With over 18 years experience in the industry, Alethe has worked with Lazare Kaplan Int., David Yurman, H. Stern, Valente Milano, and Staurino Fratelli. Somewhere between her personal and professional growth, Alethe acknowledged that something authentic was missing with a thirst to learn more about the world beyond life in a big city.
So in 2006 she sold her Patek Philippe watch to sponsor a volunteer trip in Moshi Town, Tanzania to teach basic subjects at Kilimahewa Kindergarten. As she began to learn of the children’s daily challenges, Alethe became more concerned for their future. The children would walk about 3 miles to school without parents. They came with so many problems. There were known cases of HIV/AIDS, and of parents who were living and dying with AIDS and Malaria. Extreme poverty was evident. While this seemed overwhelming, Alethe was pleased to see the determination in their eyes. She also visited Orphanages and homes turned into hospice for adults and children dying from AIDS, but shunned by their community due to lack of education about the disease. After returning home to America, she wondered how she could provide immediate help without causing an economic crisis on her part. She decided to host a stoop-sale; this is what most would refer to as a garage sale with items like shoes, and clothing. The sale raked in a whooping $315 dollars.
Then she began to advocate among friends, in the end Alethe raised a little over $1,000 dollars, the amount needed to build two new bathrooms for Kilimahewa Kindergarten. The bathrooms were successfully built within months, which Alethe described as one of her happiest moments. Alethe paid the monthly tuition for ninety students, at the going rate of $1.00 (US) per student. After careful consideration, she finally decided that the best way to address the crisis she witnessed, in a way that would produce short and long term rewarding results was to form a Non-Profit. In 2007 Alethe founded JewelersThatCare.org, a Non-Profit 501 c (3) with an objective to build boarding schools for boys and girls, water well epicenters and to support cooperative projects with the Kilimanjaro Hospital to aid in the treatment for local cases of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Alethe Clemetson has held membership with reputable industry organizations, such as the American Gem Society, GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Alumni, the Women’s Jewelry Association, the Museum of Natural History Mineral Club, an instructor of Gemology at Fashion Institute of Technology and continues to serve as a mentor and supporting various projects for the benefit of the jewelry industry. She has managed to maintain high ethical standards and practice for her work in the industry. Over the years Alethe has built strong friendships and lasting relationships with many retail jewelers, wholesalers, educators, designers and many reputable professionals in the jewelry industry.
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