Conclave 2026

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.

This session offers a comprehensive exploration of today's jewelry industry, which is navigating through challenging economic and geopolitical conditions. It will provide a macro view of the headwinds and tailwinds influencing our jewelry industry, including market size and growth, industry health, and competitive influences. With a focus on the jewelry store market, topics include sales trends, custom jewelry, pricing trends, natural and lab-grown diamond markets, diamond screening technology, bridal market changes, color gemstone market, and an overview of the U.S. manufacturing market. Benchmark your company against current market changes. Harold is the 2020 AGS Sallie Morton Award winner, known for his many presentations on jewelry market analysis to industry organizations.

Many retail jewelry store owners have built successful businesses but lack a clear plan for developing future leaders and transitioning authority. This session provides a practical framework to identify, develop, and empower the next generation.

Attendees will learn how to move beyond informal succession planning and implement a structured approach to leadership development, accountability, and decision-making. We’ll address common challenges such as promoting the wrong people, holding onto control too long, and navigating family versus non-family dynamics.

Participants will leave with actionable strategies to begin developing leaders immediately while protecting their business, culture, and long-term legacy.