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Venue: Colonial A clear filter
Tuesday, September 15
 

10:30am EDT

The New Diamond Horizon: Merchandising & Profit in a K-Shaped World
Tuesday September 15, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
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.
Speakers
GK

Gaurav Khandelwal

COO, Union Gems
Tuesday September 15, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Colonial A

2:30pm EDT

Our Changing Jewelry Industry
Tuesday September 15, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
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.
Speakers
avatar for Harold Dupuy, FGA

Harold Dupuy, FGA

Vice President Strategic Analysis, Stuller, Inc.
Harold Dupuy, Vice President of Strategic Analysis at Stuller, Inc., is the 2020 AGS Sallie Morton Award recipient, recognized for presenting jewelry market analysis to industry organizations. He is a Fellow of the Gemological Association of Great Britain (FGA), a Graduate Gemologist... Read More →
Tuesday September 15, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Colonial A

4:00pm EDT

From Owner to Legacy Builder: Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders
Tuesday September 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
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.
Speakers
avatar for Stephen Barnes

Stephen Barnes

Owner/CEO, Independent Jewelers Organization (IJO)
Tuesday September 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Colonial A
 
Wednesday, September 16
 

10:15am EDT

The Anti-AI Playbook: Scaling With AI Without Losing Your Brand or Designs
Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am EDT
AI is everywhere, but for jewelry, most of it falls short. Generic tools produce unmanufacturable designs, dilute brand identity, and put your proprietary IP at risk.

In this forward-thinking session, Madeline Fraser, an expert at the intersection of art, software, and AI—shares how to actually use AI the right way in jewelry.

You’ll walk away understanding how to:
  • Leverage AI to scale design, sales, and operations
  • Protect your proprietary designs and brand integrity
  • Ensure outputs are manufacturable and aligned with your standards
  • Avoid the common pitfalls that make most AI unusable in this space

This is not hype. It’s a practical framework for using AI as a competitive advantage, without compromising what makes your brand & jewelry designs valuable.
Speakers
avatar for Madeline Fraser

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

11:45am EDT

The Leader You Imagined You'd Be and the One Your Business Actually Needs
Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Most jewelry business owners and managers became leaders by accident. They were great at the craft, great at the sale, great at the product—and one day found themselves responsible for people, culture, and performance without ever being taught how. The leader they imagine themselves to be rarely matches the leader their business actually demands. In this session, Andrea Lucille Pooler, COO of Modani Jewels, draws on more than 25 years leading, coaching, and transforming jewelry businesses to help attendees honestly assess where they are, identify the specific gaps holding their teams back, and leave with a clear, actionable path forward. This is not a motivational talk. It is a leadership diagnostic, with the tools, frameworks, and next steps to begin closing the gap.
Speakers
avatar for Andrea Lucille Pooler

Andrea Lucille Pooler

COO, Modani Jewels
Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Colonial A

3:00pm EDT

Agentic AI: When Your Digital Assistant Starts Running the Store
Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Most jewelers who've experimented with AI know the basics—using ChatGPT to write a caption, generate a product description, or ask a question. That's AI as a tool. What very few people in this industry understand is AI as an agent.

Agentic AI doesn't wait to be asked. It monitors, decides, and acts. It can watch your website for low-converting pages and flag them. It can monitor your review platforms and draft responses. It can check your inventory against your marketing calendar and alert you to mismatches. It can follow up with appointment inquiries automatically. It can run your email sequences without you scheduling them.

This session introduces agentic AI in plain language—what it is, how it works, and which tools and use cases are most valuable for jewelry retailers right now.
Speakers
avatar for Ross Cockerham

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

4:30pm EDT

Organized Retail Crime in 2026: Evolving Threats and Practical Strategies for Luxury Retail
Wednesday September 16, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
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.
Speakers
avatar for Howard Stone

Howard Stone

Vice President Global Asset Protection & Claims, Jewelers Mutual
Howard joined Jewelers Mutual in January 2024 with over 30 years of progressive Loss Prevention experience. He has held leadership roles at Macy's, Old Navy, Anchor Blue Stores and The Wet Seal. Most recently, Howard was the Director, Loss Prevention & Operations at Amazon in Seattle... Read More →
SG

Scott Guginsky

Executive Vice President , Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA)
Wednesday September 16, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Colonial A
 
Thursday, September 17
 

11:00am EDT

Change is Inevitable. Growth is Optional.
Thursday September 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Markets don’t stand still, and neither can your business. From shifting economic conditions and evolving customer demographics to fluctuations in gold, diamond, and fuel prices, today’s retail landscape demands agility and focus. The most successful retailers and vendors aren’t just reacting; they are recalibrating.

In this dynamic session, you’ll learn how to realign your strategy around three drivers of sustainable growth: Merchandising, Margins, and Marketing. Walk away with practical insights to sharpen your assortment, improve profitability, and connect more effectively with your customers, no matter how the market moves.
Speakers
avatar for Abe Sherman

Abe Sherman

CEO, Buyers Intelligence Group
Abe Sherman understands the challenges faced by retailers and vendors and is dedicated to consistently improving the jewelry industry. His company BIG, has continually developed new approaches to overcome those challenges.  BIG is comprised of three divisions, Balance to Buy... Read More →
Thursday September 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Colonial A

3:00pm EDT

From Instinct to Intelligence: Building a Data-Driven Culture in Your Jewelry Business
Thursday September 17, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Most jewelers built their businesses on relationships, taste, and instinct, and those things still matter enormously. But in a market where margins are tighter and competition is broader than ever, instinct alone isn't enough. The retailers growing right now are the ones pairing their expertise with data.

In this session, Elle Hill shows jewelers how to build a culture of smarter decision-making without becoming data scientists or overhauling their entire operations. From knowing which metrics actually matter to building simple dashboards your whole team can use, this session is about making data feel like a natural extension of how you already run your business.

Walk in with instinct. Leave with intelligence.
Speakers
avatar for Elle Hill

Elle Hill

Founder & CEO, Hill & Co.
Elle is a renowned entrepreneur and lauded expert in the diamond, gemstone and jewelry industry. Her 28 years of achievements include helping businesses large and small to succeed—from launching her own award-winning international designer jewelry retailer, which she brought public... Read More →
Thursday September 17, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Colonial A
 
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