corps /cor/ : a body of people engaging in the same activity.
Nia Tahani is a jeweler, *matron of jewelry arts* and industry veteran with over 20 years of experience, guided by an insatiable curiosity for timeless pieces. A cross-cultural expert in jade, Blackamoor, and vintage and antique jewelry, her work is driven by the belief that adornment is our birthright, relating her passion for jewelry and gemstones through storytelling and deep material knowledge.
Connecting the ritual of adornment to art, history, and culture is at the center of everything she does. Her work is driven by a simple belief: adornment is our birthright.
In 2023, within days of Montgomery Brawl, Nia designed a talisman/ amulet for modern times, Sweet CHAIRiot. Sweet CHAIRiot, one of TGC's Modern Heirlooms, has come to represent hope, solidarity with oppressed peoples, resistance to injustice, remembering the ancestors, and honoring our need for REST. As Shirley Chisholm famously said, "If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair."
Nia is a Washington, D.C. native, a skilled horsewoman of many years, and an independent scholar of gemology and history. She has served on the NorCal board of the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA); the advisory board of the Metropolitan Horsemen's Association; and is a member of Black In Jewelry Coalition (BIJC), American Society of Jewelry Historians (ASJH), and the International Gem Society. Nia has lectured on antique jewelry for the annual pearl industry summit, Pearls By The Bay, Women's Jewelry Association Northern California, Jewelry Historians and GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Alumni Collective, Golden Gate Chapter.
Nia holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. In 2025, Nia was selected to receive a scholarship from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) scholarship towards a Graduate Gemology degree. In the fall of '25, she began GIA coursework for her Applied Jewelry Professional (AJP) certificate. She is also working towards becoming a Certified Pearl Specialist and plans to enroll in GIA's Graduate Gemologist program in 2026/7.
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