(REGO PARK, N.Y.) – The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) announced the speakers and schedule for their annual Winter Conference. The conference will be held at the Tucson Conference Center on January 29th and 30th, 2023.
“We really wanted this program to be extra special,” said NAJA Executive Director, Gail Brett Levine. “After all, it’s our first in-person conference since January of 2020. In looking at the program, I’d say we aimed for the ceiling but hit the stars!”
NAJA conference attendees have come to expect programs that emphasize the cutting-edge appraisal education and gem industry information that members need to remain proficient in the field. The 59th Winter Conference, once again achieves exactly that.
Presentations and discussions include:
Richard Hughes, Lotus Gemology Bangkok, will present Jade: China’s Gift to the World. This presentation will review the major sources of jade around the world, touch on its identification and explore the modern movement in contemporary Chinese jade carving.
Guy Borenstein, from Stuller, will discuss Lab-Grown Diamonds – Screening Challenges. This presentation will discuss various aspects of LGD screening, the common screening techniques and technologies used for separation, and, most importantly, each technique’s weaknesses, limitations and blind spots.
Billie Hughes of Lotus Gemology and GIA’s Field Gemologist Wim Vertriest will present A Canary in the Ruby Mine: Low Temperature Heat Treatment Experiments in Burmese Ruby. Billie and Wim will share the latest information from their current research of low temperature heat treatment. Attendees will see before-and-after photomicrographs, spectroscopy, and fluorescence results that are important in recognizing treated material.
Gem cutter Justin Prim will present Beauty, Value, and the Power of Gemcutting. Among the many points Justin will explore, attendees will also learn how to distinguish a well-cut stone from a poorly cut stone as well as discover how cutting can affect the gemstone’s final color, which plays a major role in the stone’s final value.
From GIA, Dr. Aaron Palke will present Demantoid Garnet: Gemology, Origin, and Treatment. This talk will provide an overview of demantoid garnet from its sources, methods for origin determination, and discussion of treatments.
Conference highlights also include: Cigdem Lule, PhD: The Evaluation and Interpretation of Gem Carvings; NAJA Education Chair, Deborah Finleon discussing Communication, Consulting, and Contracting: 3 Cs That Can Make or Break an Assignment.
Industry analyst from Stuller, Harold Dupuy will update attendees on The State of the Industry – Post Covid. Author and researcher Renee Newman will discuss Diamond Cuts & Qualities in Jewelry from 1300 until Now.
From the HallMark Institute, Danusia Niklewicz will present What in the World are These Marks? There is a World of Marks from Outside of Europe, Get Familiar! Warren Boyd from Potentate Mining will update attendees on the exciting world of the Sapphires of Montana and Samantha Lloyd from Gem-A will lead a hands-on session of Practical Gemology – The Spectroscope.
Levine stated: “After pushing the limits of our bandwidth the past two years hosting dozens of webinars for our members, members are eager to meet in Tucson. This promises to be an excellent conference. I could not be more delighted by the fabulous line up of speakers, all of whom are well known in the industry and, of course, NAJA.”
Registration is $425 for NAJA Members and $650 for nonmembers.
For more information and to register visit najaappraisers.com/event/59th-winter-education-conference.
