Conclave 2026

Al, currently the Project Manager of Cut-Research at GIA’s Carlsbad Laboratory, was raised in the lapidary (gem-cutting) business and eventually managed a high-end AGS retail jeweler whose shop employed several custom goldsmiths. He later owned a high-end trade shop specializing... Read More →

Dr. Aaron Palke developed an interest in minerals and gemstones searching for agates and other minerals in eastern Montana. Dr. Palke pursued a formal education in geology, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Tulsa and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.

He began his gemological career as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Gemological Institute of America where he is now the Senior Manager of Colored Stone Research. In this role, Dr. Palke leads GIA’s research efforts into geographic origin determination for rubies, sapphires... Read More →

Dr. Christopher “Mike” Breeding is a senior manager of diamond analytical testing at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California. He obtained a B.S. in geology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, a Ph.D. in geology from Yale in 2004, and is a GIA... Read More →

Evan M. Smith is a Senior Research Scientist at the Gemological Institute of America. His work focuses on the geology of diamonds, including those originating from depths greater than 300 km, which help constrain models of deep Earth composition and processes. This research has contributed... Read More →

Nathan Renfro, a native of western North Carolina, developed an interest in minerals during his late teens, which was sparked by his grandfather’s rock collection. In 2006 he completed his undergraduate studies in geology and then went on to enroll at GIA for the resident Graduate... Read More →

Nicole Ahline, originally from Chicago, Illinois, completed her undergraduate studies in geology at Cornell College in 2015. In 2016 Miss Ahline enrolled at GIA for the Graduate Gemologist (GG) program earning her GG credentials in that same year. Miss Ahline has also completed the... Read More →