Stewart Grice BSc, MPhil, CEng, FIMMM is Vice President of Mill Products at Hoover & Strong Inc. and one of the jewelry industry’s most respected authorities on precious metal alloys, metallurgical performance, and manufacturing processes. With more than 35 years of experience spanning research, technical support, and production leadership, his work has shaped how alloys are developed, evaluated, and applied in real world jewelry manufacturing environments.

In addition to his technical leadership, Stewart has played a significant role in advancing responsible precious metals sourcing within the jewelry industry. Through his work at Hoover & Strong, he has been closely involved in the development, validation, and production of responsibly sourced and recycled precious metal alloys, helping ensure that ethical supply chains deliver the same reliability, consistency, and performance demanded by manufacturers and bench jewelers. His contributions focus on the practical realities of responsible sourcing, from alloy behavior and process control to quality assurance at scale.

Stewart is widely known for his ability to translate complex materials science into practical guidance for manufacturers, suppliers, and jewelers. He has been a long standing contributor to industry standards, education, and collaborative research, and is a frequent presenter and award winning author at technical conferences including the Santa Fe Symposium, where his work has been recognized repeatedly for excellence in research and industry impact.

Education:

• HD in Physics, Preston Polytechnic U.K.
• Final year project: The influence of blocking on the magnetic susceptibility of fine particle ferrofluids.
• BSc in Materials Science, Wolverhampton Polytechnic, U.K.
• Final year project: The development of an injection molded lead-free glass bonded mica composite.
• MPhil in Metallurgy & Materials, University of Birmingham, U.K.
• Thesis: The effect of silicon additions on low karat investment cast jewelry alloys.
• Professional qualifications:
• Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
• Chartered Engineer with the Engineering Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Employment:

• Research Technologist, industrial ceramics at Morgan Materials Technology, Stourport U.K. 1984-1990.
• Senior Metallurgist, technical support at Johnson Matthey, Birmingham U.K. 1990 – 1994.
• Metallurgical Manager, technical support at Cookson Precious Metals, Birmingham U.K. 1994 – 2000.
• Vice President Mill Products at Hoover & Strong Inc., Richmond VA 2000 – present.
• 35 years of experience in the jewelry industry with emphasis on alloy, product and process development, technical support and process troubleshooting, production management, and responsible sourcing.

Committee memberships:

• British Jewellery and Giftware Federation 1998 – 2000.
• British Jewellers’ Association Nickel Working Group 1998 - 2000.
• Technical Committee STI/53 (Jewellery) of the British Standards Institution 1998 - 2000. 
• MJSA White Gold Task Force: 2003 - 2005.
• MJSA Innovation Advisory Council: 2005 - 2006.
• Board member The Jewelry Symposium 2022 – present.

Awards:

• The Santa Fe Symposium Collaborative Research Award: 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010 & 2014
• The Santa Fe Symposium Award for Excellence in Research: 2003, 2005 & 2006
• The Santa Fe Symposium Honorary Ambassador Award: 2005