Conclave 2026: Full Schedule

9:00am EDT

A Visit to the Mines of Tajikistan: A Designer's Perspective

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

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.

Speakers

Laurie Reid

Owner, Designer, LFR Studios Fine Jewelry

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

Track, Gems Jewelry and Watches

Level Beginner
Audience Retailers, Vendors

10:30am EDT

Casting 101 for Non-Casting Jewelry Professionals

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

Olympic A

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.

Speakers

Joel Meltzer

Director of Manufacturing, TechForm Advanced Casting Technology, LLC

Joel Meltzer is the Director of Manufacturing at TechForm Advanced Casting Technology. Joel studied art in many different forms, from large-scale sculpture to printmaking, but fell in love with jewelry making while living in Tucson, Arizona. He received his BFA with a concentration... Read More →

Silas Morgan

Director of Business Development, TechForm Advanced Casting Technology, LLC

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

Track, Gems Jewelry and Watches

Level Beginner
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

2:30pm EDT

Secret Teachings of a Gem Buyer: Field-Tested Techniques for Unlocking Value in Estate Jewelry

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

Olympic A

As wealth transitions from baby boomers to the next generation, more estate jewelry is re-entering the market, often with rare gems unseen for decades. For jewelers and gem professionals, that creates both opportunity and risk.

This session combines practical gemology with real-world buying strategy, sharing field-tested techniques from high-volume colored stone acquisition. Attendees will learn how to assess value efficiently, spot subtle indicators others miss, and avoid costly mistakes in the estate space.

Using applied examples, unconventional tools, and observational methods, this session sharpens instincts for fast-moving buying environments and equips professionals to approach post-consumer jewelry with greater confidence, clarity, and commercial awareness.

Speakers

Bert Esterhuysen, CG

Sustainability Partner & Gem Buyer, Rothschild Trading Company

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

Track, Gems Jewelry and Watches

Level Intermediate
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

4:00pm EDT

Scaling the Sparkle: The Manufacturing Roadmap for Automated Faceting

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

Olympic A

While automated faceting promises a revolution in consistency and throughput, the transition from artisanal cutting to industrial-scale manufacturing is fraught with hurdles. This session is a deep dive for manufacturers, production managers, and large-scale wholesalers into the practicalities of a "lights-out" lapidary shop. We will analyze the opportunities—such as a projected 23.4% CAGR in the automatic segment and 15-30% labor cost reductions—against the challenges of high capital expenditure, skilled operator shortages, and the "yield vs. speed" dilemma when cutting high-value rough. Attendees will leave with a realistic framework for phased implementation, from pilot programs to full-scale robotic integration.

Speakers

Lee Haynes

Owner, LWH Gems

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

Track, Gems Jewelry and Watches

Level Intermediate
Audience Retailers, Vendors

10:15am EDT

Luminescence – A Hugely Underrated Physical Property in Gem Testing

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

Olympic A

For many in the gem trade, luminescence is nothing more than the observation of the glow that gemstones exhibit under a UV lamp used in gemology, with limited use such as the distinction of natural and synthetic spinel. But fluorescence is a property of much more importance used in a wide array of applications. In the past three decades a large variety of luminescence-based gem-testing methods have been developed, from imaging to spectroscopy using all sorts of excitation sources. Today, luminescence-based testing is extensively used for diamond testing but also for a wide range of other gem species such as corundum, spinel, beryl and many others. This presentation offers an insight into the world of gemstone luminescence, with amazing images, surprising science, and convincing results.

Speakers

Thomas Hainschwang

CEO, GGTL Laboratories

I am Director and co-founder of GGTL Laboratories (GGTL Laboratories Liechtenstein). I have founded Gemlab (Liechtenstein) in 1996 and have joined a very close collaboration with GemTechLab in Geneva in 2011, through which GGTL Laboratories emerged, with the three member labs in Liechtenstein... Read More →

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

Track, Gems Jewelry and Watches

Level Intermediate
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

11:45am EDT

The New AGS Appraisal and Report Standards

Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT

Olympic A

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 AGS International Board of Directors earlier this year.

Speakers

Joel Hassler, ACGA

Owner, Von Hasle Jewelers

Joel started in the industry in 2000, earning his CGA in 2003. In 2018, Joel was chosen as one of the two new CGA Instructors to take over for Cos Altobelli, ECGA. Joel has been a presenter on appraisal and store operations topics at AGS Conclave since 2018. He is a past AGS Board... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Olympic A

Track, Appraisals

Level Beginner
Audience Retailers, Appraisers

3:00pm EDT

What Every Jeweler Should Know About Precious Metals Metallurgy

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

Olympic A

While jewelers are trained in karat, color, and metalworking techniques, many would appreciate and benefit from a more in-depth understanding of metallurgical principles and the properties specific to the precious metals they work with and sell every day. Knowing the underlying concepts will illuminate issues that are common at the bench, at the sales counter, and in the customer’s long-term satisfaction.

This presentation explores precious metals metallurgy, the mechanical properties of various jewelry alloys, the impact of casting techniques on quality, and the anatomy of common casting defects. Additional highlights will include the metallurgical impact of various bench techniques and tips for using your new technical knowledge at the sales counter.

Speakers

Joel Meltzer

Director of Manufacturing, TechForm Advanced Casting Technology, LLC

Silas Morgan

Director of Business Development, TechForm Advanced Casting Technology, LLC

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

Track, Gems Jewelry and Watches

Level Intermediate
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

4:30pm EDT

Designing Jewelry for Casting Success – From Concept to CAD to Efficient Finishing

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

Olympic A

Computer Aided Design or “CAD” offers infinite design possibilities and invites infinitely small detail, but we can’t lose sight of the laws of physics and material science! A design looks great blown up on the screen, but how will that detail translate to metal?

This session will provide clear guidelines for casting success as we discuss best practices for: minimum wall thickness, casting holes, dimensional tolerances, shrink rates, feature radius, differences in metal flow by alloy, hallmarks, finishing access, and the dreaded “Zoom of Doom” that could mislead anyone into thinking you can cast 0.01mm features.

Speakers

Joel Meltzer

Director of Manufacturing, TechForm Advanced Casting Technology, LLC

Silas Morgan

Director of Business Development, TechForm Advanced Casting Technology, LLC

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

Track, Gems Jewelry and Watches

Level Beginner
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

3:00pm EDT

Luminescence – A Hugely Underrated Physical Property in Gem Testing

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

Olympic A

Speakers

Thomas Hainschwang

CEO, GGTL Laboratories

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

Track, Gems Jewelry and Watches

Level Intermediate
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

4:30pm EDT

The Making of a Collector

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

Olympic A

Join Robert Weldon and Shelly Sergent as they share the stories of curating and photographing pieces from the acclaimed Somewhere In The Rainbow Collection and how this important educational collection has become the basis for museum and gemological exhibitions around the country. An open dialogue regarding the curatorial process and the tricks of Robert's award-winning photography of these gems, jewels and objects of art. A sneak peek behind the scenes.

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 →

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

Track, Gems Jewelry and Watches

Level Intermediate
Audience Retailers, Appraisers, Vendors

9:00am EDT

10:30am EDT

2:30pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

10:15am EDT

11:45am EDT

3:00pm EDT

4:30pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

4:30pm EDT

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