2025 AGTA GemFair Tucson INSPIRED Seminar Series Sponsored by the American Gem Society
Wednesday, February 5 through Friday, February 7, 2025
Tucson Convention Center, West Meeting Rooms 201-203
An exclusive seminar unveiling the RapNet Gemstone Trading Network, a transformative platform for buying and selling loose gemstones from AGTA members
Wednesday, February 5
Meeting Room 201-203
9:00 – 9:55
This engaging session will feature a dynamic discussion between Saville Stern, RapNet Chief Operating Officer and John Ford, CEO, AGTA, exploring the inspiration and collaboration behind the creation of this groundbreaking platform. The unparalleled benefits it offers to gemstone buyers and sellers, including 24/7 trading, access to a vast global network, and seamless transactions. And how AGTA’s ethical standards and arbitration procedures enhance trust and transparency in gemstone trading.
Discover how this innovative platform can empower your gemstone business to thrive in today’s market. Whether you’re a gem dealer, retailer, or industry enthusiast, this is an event you won’t want to miss!
Presented by Saville Stern, RapNet COO, Rapaport, and John W. Ford Sr., CEO, American Gem Trade Association
Images of a Lifetime - And Their Stories
Wednesday, February 5
Meeting Room 201-203
10:00 – 10:55
Noted gem photographer, Robert Weldon, has curated a collection of some of his most noteworthy images, captured over the decades. Join him as he relates compelling stories that accompany these pictures of a lifetime.
Presented by Robert Weldon, Photographer & Writer
Harry Winston & His Most Notable Pursuits
Wednesday, February 5
Meeting Room 201-203
11:00 – 11:55
Crowned The King of Diamonds by Cosmopolitan Magazine in 1947, Harry Winston started pursuing the perfect jewel at just 12 years old. His quest across the globe to acquire some of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed and the most prized estates, is unmatched. Harry and his jewels continue to captivate the world even decades after his death; this is their story.
Presented by Angela Hedges, Harry Winston
AND NOW FOR SOME GOOD NEWS...
Wednesday, February 5
Meeting Room 201-203
1:00 – 1:55
Our supply chain faces challenges like unsafe labor, mercury use, and habitat destruction, but many global initiatives are building a sustainable industry. Join Brandee Dallow, President Elect of Ethical Metalsmiths, as she highlights efforts across our industry. Be inspired by innovative projects and learn how to incorporate positive change into your business.
Presented by Brandee Dallow, President Elect, Ethical Metalsmiths
Grow Your Instagram Following Fast!
Wednesday, February 5
Meeting Room 201-203
2:00 – 2:55
Get a behind-the-scenes look at how Chris James (@chrisjamesgems) grew from 300 to 100k+ followers in just a few months. This session offers step-by-step guidance on optimizing your Instagram, plus practical tools and software tips for creating standout content. You’ll leave with the knowledge of how you too can go viral on social media’s easier than you think!
Presented by Chris James Boehner, Content Creator, Chris James Gems
Somewhere in the Ulu & the best stories behind Vincent Pardieu's successful travelogues
Wednesday, February 5
Meeting Room 201-203
3:00 – 3:55
Somewhere in the Ulu, is a series of successful travelogues on social media covering Vincent Pardieu’s recent field expeditions to Afghanistan, Madagascar, East Africa, Tasmania or Colombia. With them, VP grew his follower base from few thousands to about 200,000 within a year. With that talk, VP will share his most inspiring stories exploring the complex realities of the colored gem industry.
Presented by Vincent Pardieu, VP Consulting WLL
Colored Stone Price and Market Trends
Thursday, February 6
Meeting Room 201-203
9:00 – 9:55
Market Trends and Seizing the Advantage of a Changing Price Structure This presentation will explore supply and demand in the colored stone market with a focus on current strengths and weaknesses. We will also explore the relationship between treatment type, extent of enhancement and its correlation to pricing in emeralds and other stones. See what’s hot and what’s not in our 2025 gem forecast.
Presented by Stuart Robertson, President, Gemworld International, Inc.; and Brecken Branstrator, Editor-in-Chief, Gemworld International, Inc.
Describing Color in Gems | A Fool's Guide
Thursday, February 6
Meeting Room 201-203
10:00 – 10:55
Color types such as “pigeon’s blood,” “Paraiba” and “cobalt blue” have become wildly popular in the gem trade. But there is a vast difference between coining such terms and applying them in a way that is both consistent and logical. In this lecture Richard Hughes will cast a critical eye on the subject.
Presented by Richard Hughes, Founder, Lotus Gemology Co. Ltd.
A Historical Review of Lab Grown Diamonds and Their Detection
Thursday, February 6
Meeting Room 201-203
11:00 – 11:55
This is an overview of the use of screening & identification instruments in the last 25 years when colorless laboratory-grown diamonds (LGD) were rare, and now, with an industry-wide shift towards LGD. The lecture includes images of growers, crystals, and statistics on the production & cutting of diamonds at factories in India (the largest manufacturer of CVD diamonds), which the author visited.
Presented by Branko Deljanin
Gems of Salvation or Stones of Damnation: In a 17th-Century Context Marked by Fear of Witchcraft can Country of Origin Determination for European Jets
Thursday, February 6
Meeting Room 201-203
1:00 – 1:55
Excavated jewelry from Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in North America has been interpreted as evidence of Catholics amongst the first settlers. Country of origin determination for the jet items however could profoundly alter the previous narrative. In a 17th-century context marked by a fear of witchcraft, if proven to be British jet, we may be forced to acknowledge a far darker history for the early United States.
Presented by Sarah Caldwell-Steele
Introduction to New Platinum and How Industry is Responding
Thursday, February 6
Meeting Room 201-203
2:00 – 2:55
Platinum Guild International introduces Inoveo Platinum, a revolutionary new alloy that combines all the benefits of platinum with the ease of manufacturing white gold. In this informative session you’ll learn about the importance of proper alloy usage and how it ensures that platinum is the most secure setting for gemstones and diamonds. Then we’ll share the many benefits of Inoveo Platinum.
Presented by
Josh Helmich, CEO, Helmich Luxury Group; Kevin Reilly, Senior Vice President, Platinum Guild International
Navigating AI’s Role in Jewelry: From Design Innovation to Customer Connection
Thursday, February 6
3:00 – 3:55
Meeting Room 201-203
Discover how AI is transforming the jewelry industry, from design to customer experience. This session explores practical applications, real-world examples, and ways to integrate AI for better insights and personalized connections. Learn how AI is shaping the future of jewelry design and how to adapt and thrive in this evolving landscape.
Presented by Jennifer Shaheen, President & Founder, Technology Therapy Group
The Changing World of Gemology: A Look Back and a Look Forward
Friday, February 7
9:00 – 9:55
Meeting Room 201-203
As with all aspects of the jewelry industry, gemology is a changing science in terms of the kinds of gem materials being examined and the methods and equipment being used to study them. This seminar will look back at the development of gem-testing laboratories, their current scientific activities, and directions they may take in the future as new identification and grading challenges present themselves.
Presented by James E. Shigley, Distinguished Research Fellow, GIA
Iconic Modern Masters- A Retro & Introspective View of American Jewelry Design
Friday, February 7
10:00 – 11:25
Meeting Room 201-203
Iconic American Jewelry Designers and Master Goldsmiths share their vision of the past, the present and the future of creating high jewelry from dreams, visions, sketches and blocks of wax to a new world of high tech. You will not want to miss this retrospective of the past 50 years of jewelry making nor the introspective of masterful craftsmanship into the future.
Master Goldsmith is not just a title-it is years of painstaking crafting, breaking, success and try again. A Master Goldsmith has the tenacity and the vision, the dreams and the nightmares few people will ever achieve. From deep in their hearts, they find the passion to create jewelry using precious gemstones, precious metals and even to create new metals that separate them from any other artisans in the world. Their jewelry is sought out by colleagues of industry, museums, retailers of the highest regard and galleries of fine art. In a first time ever appearance together, these five masters of craft, come together to share their past, the present of jewelry crafting and the future of modern jewelry art. Their character, charm and their intentional jewelry designs will truly INSPIRE all who are lucky enough to attend this talk. Co-Moderators, Shelly Sergent and Eddie Sakamoto dive into the technical and artistic visions of wearable art with these masters.
Panel Discussion Moderators: Shelly Sergent, Curator, Somewhere In The Rainbow; Eddie Sakamoto, Master Goldsmith and Designer, Sakamoto Designs
Presenters: Adam Neely, Adam Neely Designs;Jennifer Rabe Morin, George and Jennifer Rabe Jewelers; Victor Velyan, Victor Velyan Designs; Susan Helmich, Master Goldsmith and Designer, Susan Helmich Designs; Zoltan David, Master Goldsmith, Designer & Innovative Metallurgist, Zoltan David Designs
How Museum Experiences Inspire Buyers and Collectors and the Role Museums Play with Trade Fairs and the Industry
Friday, February 7
1:00 – 2:25
Meeting Room 201-203
How museum experiences inspire buyers and collectors, and the role museums play with trade fairs and industry.
Panel Discussion Moderator: Dr. Gabriela Farfan, Curator, Smithsonian
Presenters: Violetta Wolf, Director of the Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum; Kimberly Vagner, Executive Director, Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals; Raquel A. Perez, Curatrix- Mineralogical & Geological Museum, Harvard University; Eloïse Gaillou, Director and Curator, Mineralogy Museum
From Science to Social Media: How Trade Media Engages With & Covers the Jewelry Industry
Friday, February 7
3:00 – 4:25
Meeting Room 201-203
Four different trade editors covering the fine jewelry industry weigh in on their unique audiences and the structure of their coverage. Some focus on the more scientific findings, others highlight retailer tips and more business-focused angles, and all cast a spotlight on innovative minds and critical thinkers that move our industry forward.
Panel Discussion Moderator: Gary Roskin, Roskin Gem News
Presenters: Aaron Palke, GIA; Eileen McClelland, Managing Editor, INSTORE; Brendan Lars, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Gemmology; Jennifer Heebner, AGTA, Rapaport, INSTORE, Professional Jeweler
