Conclave 2026

9:00am EDT

A Visit to the Mines of Tajikistan: A Designer's Perspective Olympic ALaurie Reid AI Yourself Calm: Smarter Systems for the Business Behind Your Craft Colonial BMariel Diaz AWCI Mobile Classroom: Workshop: Screw Driver & Tweezer Maintenance Walkway to OscolaJason Champion Diamond Minds: Who Shaped Our Understanding of Diamond? Olympic BElizabeth West Frontiers in Colored Stone Origin Research: Jade, Opal, Demantoid, and Peridot Royal Melbourne AAaron Palke, Ph.D. Future-Proofing Your Jewelry Business: Lessons from the 20 Under 40 Congressional AAmanda Gizzi The Magic Is in the Details: What Jewelry Design Teaches You About Buying, Merchandising, and Building a Collection That Sells Itself Augusta AAndrea Lucille Pooler Introduction to Jewelry Forensics Royal Dublin AMike Magee • Al Gilbertson, CG The Microworld of Natural Diamonds Royal Dublin BNathan Renfro

10:30am EDT

AWCI Mobile Classroom: Workshop: Modern Watch Timing Equipment: Watch Timers and Their Use Walkway to OscolaJason Ziegenbein Casting 101 for Non-Casting Jewelry Professionals Olympic AJoel Meltzer • Silas Morgan Colored Stone Treatments in the 21st Century Royal Melbourne ANicole Ahline Creating Collectors the Crayola Way Augusta AShelly Sergent Selling to Gen Z in 2026: What Actually Works Now Congressional AJen Cullen Williams

2:30pm EDT

AI's Next Role in Jewelry Design Royal Melbourne AMike Magee How to Find/Locate Watchmakers Congressional BJustin Shiver, RJ • Jason Champion • Jason Ziegenbein Natural Diamonds Have Never Had a Better Story. Is Your Team Telling It? Augusta AGrant Mobley Our Changing Jewelry Industry Colonial AHarold Dupuy, FGA Secret Teachings of a Gem Buyer: Field-Tested Techniques for Unlocking Value in Estate Jewelry Olympic ABert Esterhuysen, CG Selling with Proof: How Digital Storytelling and Provenance Drive Diamond Sales Congressional AMoshe Klein • Mahiar Borhanjoo (Un)Natural Beauty: Treatments in Ruby & Sapphire Royal Dublin AAaron Palke, Ph.D. The Amazing Natural Diamond Story Royal Dublin BJames Shigley, Ph.D. • Brenda Harwick

4:00pm EDT

From Mine to Market: Using Tech to Sell Gemstones and the Stories Behind Them Augusta AMonica Stephenson • Madeline Fraser From Owner to Legacy Builder: Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders Colonial AStephen Barnes Organized Retail Crime in 2026: Evolving Threats and Practical Strategies for Luxury Retail Colonial BHoward Stone • Scott Guginsky Recent Advances in Laboratory-Grown Diamond Screening Technologies Olympic BGuy Borenstein Scaling the Sparkle: The Manufacturing Roadmap for Automated Faceting Olympic ALee Haynes

10:15am EDT

AWCI Mobile Classroom: Workshop: Modern Watch Timing Equipment: Watch Timers and Their Use Walkway to OscolaJason Ziegenbein Beyond Bridal: Elevating the Independent Jeweler Experience Congressional BRebecca Boyajian • Mark Klein • Grant Mobley • Niveet Nagpal Building the Future – Platinum Education & the Next Generation of Jewelers Congressional AKevin Reilly Frontiers in Colored Stone Origin Research: Jade, Opal, Demantoid, and Peridot Royal Melbourne AAaron Palke, Ph.D. Legal & Compliance Essentials for Today’s Jewelry Professionals Augusta BSara Yood, Esq. Luminescence – A Hugely Underrated Physical Property in Gem Testing Olympic AThomas Hainschwang Pure Transparency Colonial BShreyans Dholakia Introduction to Jewelry Forensics Royal Dublin AMike Magee • Al Gilbertson, CG Making the Call - Check List of the Defining Features of the major US jewelry periods from 1850-1950: A Systematic approach Olympic BStarla Turner • Suzanne Martinez The Amazing Natural Diamond Story Royal Dublin BJames Shigley, Ph.D. • Brenda Harwick

11:45am EDT

Future Legends Congressional ANicole Ahline • Christopher “Mike” Breeding, Ph.D. • Aaron Palke, Ph.D. • Nathan Renfro • Evan Smith, Ph.D. Sculptures of Light: The Artistry of Contrast in Fancy-Shaped Diamonds Royal Melbourne AAmanda Hawkes, CG • Lisa Kennedy The Art and Science of Why We Buy Luxury Augusta BPeter Smith The Art of Intentional Merchandising: Turning Product Into Story, Structure, and Sell-Through Colonial BNan Lung Palmer The Leader You Imagined You'd Be and the One Your Business Actually Needs Colonial AAndrea Lucille Pooler

3:00pm EDT

Agentic AI: When Your Digital Assistant Starts Running the Store Colonial ARoss Cockerham Attracting the Sustainable Shopper with an Impact-Driven Business Model Congressional BSusan Wheeler AWCI Mobile Classroom: Workshop: Water Resistance: Wet and Dry Methods Walkway to OscolaJason Ziegenbein Edit to Grow: The Discipline Behind Profitable Jewelry Assortments from Concept to Retail Colonial BNan Lung Palmer From Custom Chaos to Scalable Revenue: Fixing the Custom Jewelry Sales Process Augusta AMadeline Fraser The Impact of Fluorescence on Diamond Appearance Royal Melbourne AChristopher “Mike” Breeding, Ph.D. What Every Jeweler Should Know About Precious Metals Metallurgy Olympic AJoel Meltzer • Silas Morgan Speaking the Pearl Language Royal Dublin BTao Hsu, Ph.D. • Lisa Kennedy The Microworld of Natural Diamonds Royal Dublin ANathan Renfro

4:30pm EDT

AI's Next Role in Jewelry Design Royal Melbourne AMike Magee Designing Jewelry for Casting Success – From Concept to CAD to Efficient Finishing Olympic AJoel Meltzer • Silas Morgan Organized Retail Crime in 2026: Evolving Threats and Practical Strategies for Luxury Retail Colonial AHoward Stone • Scott Guginsky Seamless Selling: Where Brands Meet Retail Congressional AStephanie Major The Fridge, the Palace, and the Diamond Machine: The Story Behind the Creation of Synthetic Diamonds Augusta AElizabeth West

10:30am EDT

(Un)Natural Beauty: Treatments in Ruby & Sapphire Royal Dublin AAaron Palke, Ph.D. Speaking the Pearl Language Royal Dublin BTao Hsu, Ph.D. • Lisa Kennedy

11:00am EDT

Change is Inevitable. Growth is Optional. Colonial AAbe Sherman Fancy Clarity: For Exceptionally Rare and Desirable Inclusions Royal Melbourne AEvan Smith, Ph.D. • Jason Quick From Overseas to Your Counter: How Tariffs Really Impact Your Jewelry Business Congressional AAnna Samsonova, CG If You’re Not Having Fun, You’re Doing It Wrong Augusta BJim Siegel, CGA • Aleah Arundale • Jaron Siegel

3:00pm EDT

AWCI Mobile Classroom: Workshop: Water Resistance: Wet and Dry Methods Walkway to OscolaJason Ziegenbein Coordinating Your Store's Display and Sales Strategies to Make Your Staff More Effective Augusta BLarry Johnson From Instinct to Intelligence: Building a Data-Driven Culture in Your Jewelry Business Colonial AElle Hill Luminescence – A Hugely Underrated Physical Property in Gem Testing Olympic AThomas Hainschwang Metals Market Outlook – Trends, Turbulence & Opportunities Colonial BKevin Reilly Sculptures of Light: The Artistry of Contrast in Fancy-Shaped Diamonds Royal Melbourne AAmanda Hawkes, CG • Lisa Kennedy Underappreciated Gemstones Olympic BIsabelle Corvin, CG Women in Leadership: The Real Balancing Act Without Burnout Congressional BJen Cullen Williams

4:30pm EDT

AI in Action: Solving Real Business Problems—Together Augusta AJordan Freeman Colored Stone Treatments in the 21st Century Royal Melbourne ANicole Ahline Finish Well: How to Build a Jewelry Business Someone Actually Wants to Buy Colonial BMariel Diaz From GG to Appraiser: Bridging the Gap Between Gemology & Appraising Olympic BRandall Lightfoot, CG, JEA • Mike West, ACGA How to Boss 2.0 Congressional ASara Yood, Esq. • Lisa Bridge, CG • Monica Stephenson The Making of a Collector Olympic AShelly Sergent