Conclave 2026

Registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis to Retail Firm members only. Maximum registration of 200 attendees. Firms that attend the full program will receive $1,200 per firm in travel reimbursement.*

Spend the morning with your Wells Fargo Consumer Financing Team and rock your financing program! This engaging two-hour program kicks off with breakfast, then heads into micro sessions geared toward helping you get the most out of the AGS Credit Card Program, including practical advice and easy-to-implement tactics.

Your firm does not need to be enrolled in the AGS Credit Card Program to attend.
To register, add "Financing Fast Track" as part of the "Attendee Selections" tab of your Conclave registration. Already registered? Contact [email protected] to add the session to your registration.


*The travel reimbursement will be awarded to firms that check in and attend the full Fast Track program on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, as reported by Wells Fargo, and is limited to the first 100 firms that register for the Financing Fast Track program. For program merchants, Wells Fargo will direct deposit the reimbursement. For non-program merchants, the American Gem Society will reimburse via check payable to the primary firm member of record. Checks required to be reissued due to incorrect information associated with the primary firm member of record shall be subject to a fee of $25 to be deducted from the reissued payment. All reimbursements will be issued approximately 45 days following Conclave 2026.

High in the Pamir Mountains of southern Tajikistan lie some of the world’s most storied sources of spinel and ruby. For centuries these remote deposits produced gems that traveled along the Silk Road and ultimately adorned royal treasuries and museum collections. Today, new production is limited, but the landscapes and histories remain extraordinary. This talk shares a visual journey to the historic mining region of Badakhshan. Through photographs and firsthand observations, the audience will see the dramatic geology of the Pamirs, the locations of the famous mines, and the immense physical challenges of extracting gems in such rugged terrain. For anyone fascinated by gems, geology, or the human stories behind them, this presentation offers the next best experience to standing there yourself.

This class teaches proper screwdriver and tweezer maintenance including how to select and use sharpening tools. Learn about torque screwdrivers and new materials for screwdriver blades and tweezers. This is a hands-on workshop and tooling will be provided.

This GIA session will be repeated.

Geographic origin and traceability are at the front of everyone's mind in the gem and jewelry industry. Everyone would love to know where all of their gemstones were sourced and by whom. Unfortunately, it takes a huge amount of research to develop new origin services, and so most gem labs limit origin determination to a small number of important stones. Over the last 10 years, GIA has been scientifically investigating several new materials, and over the last year, has launched 4 new origin services for jade, opal, demantoid, and peridot. This lecture will lay out the scientific basis for geographic origin determination and discuss the research that goes into developing a new origin service.

Understanding the lost-wax casting process is critical for everyone in the jewelry ecosystem – even if they are not bench jewelers or in a casting shop. This session will illustrate the process from design concept to metal. We will touch on pattern creation, building a mold and spruing the jewelry, ceramic investments, kiln firing, and, finally, casting into the alloy of your choice.

Highlights for non-casters will include some key “laws of physics” when it comes to what is possible in casting precious metal alloys, how to design for casting success, recognizing the best manufacturing methods for a design, and spotting potential problems in finished jewelry.

This GIA session will be repeated.

Untreated vs treated gemstones have very different market values, which require the disclosure of treatments to be crucial. From initial discovery to showcasing the treatment's overall effect, this presentation will explore some of the most significant treatments introduced into the market in the 21st century. Gemstone treatments are not going away, which means educating oneself on them is an important tool for anyone in the trade.

Appraisal Standards Subcommittee Chair Joel Hassler, ACGA, will go over some of the highlights and details of the new Appraisal and Report Standards passed by the Board of Directors earlier this year.

The diamond category is undergoing dramatic changes. Structural changes upstream include Anglo American’s plan to sell De Beers, alongside continued LGD demand.

In this session, we’ll translate market shifts into practical decisions AGS retailers can implement immediately:

• What to stock (and what to stop stocking)

• How to merchandise for a K-shaped consumer economy where affluent buyers remain resilient

• How to protect profitability when “high margin” lab-grown sales can still produce shrinking gross-profit dollars

Attendees will leave with a clear playbook for assortment strategy and merchandising discipline as the diamond category enters its next chapter.

Finding a qualified watchmaker in today’s market can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack—but it doesn’t have to be. In this session, we’ll share successful strategies for locating and attracting skilled watchmakers to support your store’s repair department. From recruitment tactics to workplace culture, we’ll talk about what draws talent in—and what drives it away. Whether you're running a single location or managing a multi-store operation, we’ll explore how to position your business as a place where top-level watchmakers want to work. If you’re looking to build or grow your watch repair team, this workshop is a must.

Impactful signage helps customers navigate the store easily and reduces the mental effort it takes to find what they want. It also significantly impacts the overall shopping experience by creating an inviting atmosphere and showcasing products effectively. Imagine walking into a store, eager to purchase a specific piece of jewelry, only to leave empty-handed because you could not find it. Sound familiar? This common frustration highlights a significant issue in retail: poor visual merchandising.

This Hands-on GIA session will be repeated. Space is limited to 24 participants and is first-come, first-served.

Many jewelers work with diamonds on almost a daily basis, and they can lose sight of how remarkable these natural gemstones are. This presentation will discuss the geological conditions of diamond formation that give rise to their rarity, and the distinctive features which provide positive evidence of their natural origin.

Having great products is no longer enough; you need to tell a story that is easy to connect with and remember. But what’s the most effective way to bring that story to life? In this session, event experts will focus on how to translate brand identity into meaningful, memorable customer experiences. From everyday interactions to curated events, panelists will share practical, innovative ways to stay top of mind, without requiring large budgets. Learn how to create authentic moments that reflect your brand, deepen relationships, and turn storytelling into a powerful business driver.

Are you wondering how much to invest in digital assets? Concerned about the ROI of time and money to implement systems? Luxury gemstone and jewelry sales are built on relationships, but today’s buyers also expect powerful digital tools. How do you balance both?

ANZA Gems founder Monica Stephenson and Gemist founder Madeline Fraser share a candid look at how a wholesale gemstone company uses digital technology to support ethical-sourcing storytelling and to streamline the sales process.

This practical conversation will cover what works, what’s challenging, and what luxury jewelry businesses should consider when investing in a digital platform. You'll leave with an actionable to-do list for scaling your business digitally—and successfully.

Join Howard Stone, VP of Asset Protection & Claims at Jewelers Mutual, and Scott Guginsky, EVP of the Jewelers' Security Alliance, for a timely discussion on how organized retail crime continues to evolve—and what luxury retailers must do in 2026 to stay ahead.

As criminal networks become more coordinated, mobile, and tech‑enabled, understanding current trends is critical to protecting your business. This session will explore emerging organized crime tactics impacting luxury and jewelry retailers, practical prevention strategies, and proven approaches to safeguarding your people, inventory, and customers.