Conclave 2026: Full Schedule

9:00am EDT

The Magic Is in the Details: What Jewelry Design Teaches You About Buying, Merchandising, and Building a Collection That Sells Itself

Tuesday September 15, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Augusta A

You can source the finest stones, hire the best staff, and build a beautiful case — and still lose the sale to a competitor whose collection simply has a stronger point of view. Design is not decoration. It is strategy. And in this session, Andrea Lucille Pooler, COO of Modani Jewels, draws on more than 25 years in the jewelry industry, beginning at the bench where she became a master jeweler, to show retailers and wholesalers how seeing jewelry through a design lens changes everything from how you concept a piece and build a collection, to how your team reads a client and closes the sale. Attendees leave with three tools built for independent implementation: a design audit, a signal & response reference card, and a curation filter that guides them from creative concept through execution.

Speakers

Andrea Lucille Pooler

COO, Modani Jewels

Tuesday September 15, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Augusta A

Track, Sales and Marketing

Level Intermediate
Audience Retailers, Vendors

10:30am EDT

Creating Collectors the Crayola Way

Tuesday September 15, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

Augusta A

Gem merchants, retail owners, staff, and clients all agree that describing color can be difficult. We can see it in our mind, we know the saturation we're seeking, but we can't quite describe it—it's just a half shade darker or lighter or just a tad more purple in the blue, just a touch more pink to the red...
With so many choices of colored gemstones in the world, how does one get it right, every time, when describing their perfect color choice? Join Shelly Sergent, Curator of the award-winning Somewhere In The Rainbow Collection, as she shares her insight into the whimsical yet highly effective color system. Shelly will share how you can create color gemstone collectors using the engaging system created by Crayola and why it works.

Speakers

Shelly Sergent

Curator of Collection, Somewhere In The Rainbow Collection

Somewhere In The Rainbow specializes in colored gemstones, handcrafted designer jewels, the American Innovator time period, museum exhibitions, and the collection of colored gems. Feel free to talk to me about anything colorful, masterful, and fun! I've spent 44 years in the industry... Read More →

Tuesday September 15, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Augusta A

Track, Sales and Marketing

Level Intermediate
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

2:30pm EDT

Natural Diamonds Have Never Had a Better Story. Is Your Team Telling It?

Tuesday September 15, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Augusta A

Today's diamond consumer is asking harder questions, and the retailers who can answer them accurately and compellingly earn loyalty, repeat business, and referrals. In this session, Grant Mobley gives retailers a playbook for talking about natural diamonds in an honest, fascinating, and genuinely persuasive way without overselling or sounding scripted. You'll walk away knowing how to communicate what makes natural diamonds extraordinary—from their billion-year story to the real differences between natural and lab-grown diamonds that consumers should understand. You'll also be introduced to a free education platform built to get your sales team speaking about diamonds with confidence and accuracy with on-demand learning modules, short-form videos, and easy talking points.

Speakers

Grant Mobley

Jewelry & Watch Editor, Natural Diamond Council

Grant Mobley is the Jewelry & Watch Editor of Only Natural Diamonds and the Natural Diamond Council and writer and contributor of diamond and diamond industry-focused content. He comes with 17 years of jewelry industry experience, starting with growing up in his family’s retail... Read More →

Tuesday September 15, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Augusta A

Track, Sales and Marketing

Level Intermediate
Audience Retailers, Vendors

4:00pm EDT

From Mine to Market: Using Tech to Sell Gemstones and the Stories Behind Them

Tuesday September 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Augusta A

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.

Speakers

Monica Stephenson

President, ANZA Gems

Madeline Fraser

Founder & CEO, Gemist

I’m the Founder & CEO of Gemist, an AI and SaaS platform transforming the jewelry industry through customization, visualization, and immersive digital experiences. As a three-time entrepreneur, I’ve always been passionate about building companies that merge creativity, technology... Read More →

Tuesday September 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Augusta A

Track, Sales and Marketing

Level Beginner
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

10:15am EDT

Build Your Diamond Story: A Workshop for Modern Retailers

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am EDT

Augusta A

In today’s retail environment, selling diamonds isn’t just about product—it’s about story. But how do you craft a message that resonates with modern consumers and reflects the true impact of natural diamonds?

In this hands-on workshop, Diamonds Do Good guides attendees through building their own customized diamond story—one that can be used in-store, online, and across marketing channels. Using a simple, repeatable framework, participants will learn how to connect origin, impact, and emotion into a clear and compelling narrative.

This working session is designed to be practical and immediately applicable. Attendees will leave not only inspired, but equipped with messaging they can use the very next day—whether speaking to a client, training their team, or creating content for their brand.

Speakers

Madison Harvey

Associate Programs Director, Diamonds Do Good

Madison Harvey is a creator and storyteller with a passion for natural diamonds. With a background in Journalism from Auburn University, Madison loves to share the positive impact that natural diamonds have all over the world. Since joining the Diamonds Do Good team in 2020, Madison... Read More →

Constance Polamalu

COO | Designer | Owner, Zachary’s Jewelers | Birthright Foundry | Bloomstone Jewelers

Passionate about all things: jewelry, retail, and tequila. Let's skip the small talk and jump into the diamond dream or what it's like to really raise children in the industry. ;) Constance

For Facts Sake:
Constance Polamalu is an American Samoan first-generation jeweler who serves as Chief Operating Officer at award-winning, multi-brand independent retailer Zachary’s Jewelers in Annapolis, Maryland. With almost 15 years of experience in fine jewelry through retail sales, mass-market... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am EDT
Augusta A

Track, Sales and Marketing

Level Beginner
Audience Retailers

3:00pm EDT

From Custom Chaos to Scalable Revenue: Fixing the Custom Jewelry Sales Process

Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

Augusta A

Custom jewelry represents over 70% of fine jewelry sales, yet up to 40% of those sales are lost in the process. Why? Because the experience is still too manual, too slow, and doesn’t meet modern customer expectations.

In this session, Madeline Fraser shares how to transform your custom sales process into a high-converting, revenue-generating machine, without losing the personal, high-touch experience your brand is known for.

You’ll learn how to:

Eliminate friction and drop-off in your custom pipeline

Increase average order value and close rates

Automate key steps while preserving your brand voice and client relationships

Seamlessly tie online & in-store

This is a tactical, step-by-step guide to making more money, saving time, and delivering a better customer experience—at scale.

Speakers

Madeline Fraser

Founder & CEO, Gemist

Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Augusta A

Track, Sales and Marketing

Level Beginner
Audience Retailers, Vendors

4:30pm EDT

The Fridge, the Palace, and the Diamond Machine: The Story Behind the Creation of Synthetic Diamonds

Wednesday September 16, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Augusta A

In this presentation, Elizabeth will take us back to the beginning to explore what truly accelerated the production of the first synthetic diamond material, revealing some of the lesser-known stories that underpin its often-colorful history and approaching the subject from a very different perspective. By building up context and reexamining diamond synthesis through the lens of time, this will open up the thinking around the subject and help us recognize that it is the story that sits behind both the natural diamond and the synthetic material that truly sets one apart from one another, both in meaning and purpose.

Speakers

Elizabeth West

Senior Technical Educator, De Beers Group

Wednesday September 16, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Augusta A

Track, Sales and Marketing

Level Beginner
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

11:00am EDT

AEO Is the New SEO: How AI Bots Are Sending Customers to Your Store Right Now

Thursday September 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Augusta A

For years, the game was simple: rank on Google, get clicks, win business. But something fundamental has shifted. Shoppers are now bypassing traditional search and asking ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Siri what to buy and where to buy it. These AI systems don't return a list of links. They recommend businesses, and they answer with confidence.

This session introduces Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)—the emerging discipline that determines whether your store gets named when AI answers your customer's most important questions. Ross Cockerham, CEO of Punchmark, draws on platform-wide data from hundreds of jewelry websites to show exactly how this shift is already affecting traffic and sales in the jewelry industry—and what the stores winning at AEO are doing differently.

Speakers

Ross Cockerham

CEO & Co-Founder, Punchmark

Ross Cockerham is the CEO & Co-Founder of Punchmark, and has been involved in the jewelry industry for over 25 years, helping retailers learn to run their stores more effectively and grow their businesses. In Punchmark's early days, Ross was responsible for engineering Punchmark's... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Augusta A

Track, Sales and Marketing

Level Beginner
Audience Retailers

3:00pm EDT

Not All AI is Created Equal

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

Augusta A

With so many AI tools available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. From ChatGPT to Claude to Gemini, each platform offers different strengths—and selecting the wrong tool can lead to wasted time, poor results, or unnecessary cost.

In this session, we’ll break down the key differences between leading AI platforms and explore how they perform across common business use cases like writing, analysis, research, and workflow automation. You’ll learn a practical framework for evaluating AI tools based on your specific needs, goals, and level of technical expertise.

Speakers

Jordan Freeman

COO, BOSS Logics

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Augusta A

Track, Business Management

4:30pm EDT

AI in Action: Solving Real Business Problems—Together

Thursday September 17, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Augusta A

AI isn’t just about tools—it’s about solving real business problems.

In this interactive, workshop-style session, we’ll move beyond theory and into practical application. I’ll start by sharing a curated set of AI tools and real-world examples to spark new ways of thinking. Then, we’ll shift into a collaborative working session where participants bring their own challenges—whether it’s time-consuming admin work, workflow inefficiencies, or communication bottlenecks.

Together, we’ll crowdsource solutions, share what’s actually working, and explore how AI can be applied across different roles and businesses. You’ll gain practical ideas, discover new tools, and learn from the experiences of others in the room.

Whether you’re just getting started or already using AI, you’ll leave with actionable tips and techniques.

Speakers

Jordan Freeman

COO, BOSS Logics

Thursday September 17, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Augusta A

Track, Business Management

Level Beginner
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

9:00am EDT

10:30am EDT

2:30pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

10:15am EDT

3:00pm EDT

4:30pm EDT

11:00am EDT

3:00pm EDT

4:30pm EDT

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