Dr. Emily Stoehrer is a curator, author, and lecturer whose work lies at the intersection of jewelry, fashion, and design. She brings a global perspective and scholarly rigor to her role as the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Senior Curator of Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston—a position that places her at the forefront of international conversations about adornment and material culture.
At the MFA, Dr. Stoehrer oversees one of the most significant jewelry collections in the world, comprising more than 25,000 objects and spanning 6,000 years of human history. The collection features outstanding examples of ancient jewelry, iconic nineteenth- and twentieth-century high-style pieces, and the renowned Daphne Farago Collection of contemporary jewelry. In 2024, she led the museum’s jewelry gallery renovation and spearheaded the installation of Beyond Brilliance: Jewelry Highlights from the Collection. Her curatorial projects also include Past is Present: Revival Jewelry, and she has co-curated acclaimed exhibitions such as Dress Up, Boston Made: Arts & Crafts Jewelry and Metalwork, and Hollywood Glamour: Fashion & Jewelry from the Silver Screen.
An engaging and sought-after speaker, Dr. Stoehrer has lectured internationally at leading museums, academic institutions, and professional conferences. Her scholarship reflects a wide-ranging curiosity—from nineteenth-century sentimental jewelry to cutting-edge work by contemporary makers and designers—demonstrating a deep understanding of how jewelry reflects identity, culture, and societal change.
In addition to her curatorial practice, Dr. Stoehrer is a dedicated educator. She has taught for nearly two decades at Boston-area colleges, directed undergraduate programs in fashion design and merchandising, and most recently, developed a History of Jewelry course for the Art History Department at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt).
A recognized leader in the field, Dr. Stoehrer served on the Board of Directors for the Society of North American Goldsmiths (2017–2020), and currently acts as the spokesperson for the jewelry vetting committee at both editions of The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) and is an advisor for New York City Jewelry Week.
Her academic research explores the history of material culture and the philosophy of identity, with a particular focus on the evolution of taste. Her doctoral dissertation examined the cultural influence of the Hollywood red carpet. Dr. Stoehrer holds a PhD in Humanities from Salve Regina University, a Master of Arts in Fashion and Textile Studies from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Contact Emily at ebstoehrer [at] gmail.com or @jewelcurator on Instagram
Emily Stoehrer, PhD 