12th Annual International Gold and Diamond Conference

Boldly Building the Future: Gold, Diamonds, and Jewelry in a Transformational Age

IAC has organized an annual in-person conference devoted to gold and diamonds since 2011, holding its 2020 and 2021 events virtually. This year, “Boldly Building the Future: Gold, Diamonds, and Jewelry in a Transformational Age,” will take a wide-ranging look at the industry, employing jewelry as a lens.

Government, civil society, communities, and industry must preserve the magic, romance, and emotional power of gold, diamonds, and jewelry for the consumer while finding new ways to convey all of this. At the same time, they must meet the imperatives of responsible sourcing and practice and environmental and social awareness, all of which underpin the UN's SDGs and the key outcomes of COP 26. This tension is the focus of the Conference, in which we will consider precious substances and their use, new technologies, comparative approaches to extraction (for example, artisanal vs. larger-scale mining), and what constitutes (and how to achieve) ethical sourcing and responsible practice—ranging from societal to environmental—and corporate succession planning.

The Conference kicks off on July 18 with an evening event honoring women of accomplishment in the jewelry industry to take place at CADAR the New York City-based fine jewelry line designed by Michal Kadar, in the Fuller Building. During the Conference, IAC will again present two major awards: the Award for Leadership in Responsible Practice and the Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Diamond and Jewelry Industries.

Through podium presentations, panel discussions, and conversations we explore the following:

Climate change and planning for the future

Responsible sourcing and best practices at the interface of LSM and ASM

Defining luxury in an age of responsible practice

Artistry, vision, and practice in contemporary jewelry

Training jewelers and goldsmiths for the future

Succession planning and ensuring the future in the jewelry and precious metals sector

Comparative approaches to achieving better outcomes in ASM

BE THERE! NETWORK with your peers, colleagues, jewelry industry luminaries and sustainability leaders BE IN THE KNOW regarding major developments in ethical sourcing and responsible practice STAY AHEAD of developments in technology, manufacturing, new business models GET INSIDER INSIGHTS on new approaches to social media and digital marketing .

Confirmed Participants to date:

Nanz Aalund (author, Masters: Gold and A Jeweler’s Guide to Apprenticeships)

Edward Asscher (president, World Diamond Council)

Lita Asscher (co-president, Royal Asscher Diamond)

David Block (CEO, Sarine)

Aimee Boulanger (Executive Director, IRMA)

Rob Bates (News Editor, JCK)

Edward Bickham (World Gold Council)

Brecken Branstrator (Senior Editor, National Jeweler)

Angel Camacho (criminal analyst who has over 10 years of experience working transnational organized crime matters; member, Advisory Board, Amazon Aid)

Gaetano Cavalieri (President, CIBJO)

Alice Cicolini, jewelry designer and curator

Anisa Costa (Chief Sustainability Officer, Rivian Co.; former Chief Sustainability Officer, Tiffany & Co., and President / CEO, Tiffany & Co. Foundation)

Nick Cotts (Vice President – Sustainability and External Relations, Newmont Mining Corporation)

Olivier Demierre (President, Swiss Better Gold Association/Senior Vice President Corporate Social Responsibility, MKS PAMP)

Ted Doudak (CEO, RIVA Precision Manufacturing)

Mark Emanuel (Owner, David Webb)

Sarah duPont (Founder & President, Amazon Aid Foundation)

Luis E. Fernandez (Executive Director, CINCIA and Research Associate Professor of Biology, Wake Forest University)

Theresa M. Forbes (Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Lead, Anti-Human Trafficking Expert, International AML/CFT Advisor, US Department of the Treasury)

Ebba Goring (Chief Executive, The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust)

Mark Hanna (CMO, Richline Group)

Cassie Hoffman (Conservation X Labs)

Simone Knobloch (Chief Operating officer, Valcambi)

Lisa Koenigsberg (President, IAC)

Joanne Lebert (Executive Director, Impact)

Christina T. Miller, (Christina T. Miller Sustainable Jewlery Consulting),

John Mulligan (Director and Climate Lead, World Gold Council)

Mark Nelson (Education Coordinator, Rio Grande)

Hélène Piaget (CEO, Responsible Mining Foundation)

Jean Z. Poh (CEO, CADAR)

Toby Pomeroy (Mercury Free Mining)

Christian Sieber (consultant, Valcambi)

Tiffany Stevens (CEO/President, Jewelers Vigilance Committee)

Ruby Stocklin-Weinberg (Program Manager, GemFair, De Beers)

Cristina Villegas (Director, Mines to Market, Pact)

Karen Westland (Programme Manager, Ethical Making, Scottish Goldsmiths Trust)

Tensie Whelan (Clinical Professor of Business and Society and Director of the Center for Sustainable Business, NYU Stern School of Business).

For a scheudle of events, please go to https://artinitiatives.com/boldly-building-the-future-12th-annual-gold-diamond-conference/

BE THERE! NETWORK with your peers, colleagues, jewelry industry luminaries and sustainability leaders BE IN THE KNOW regarding major developments in ethical sourcing and responsible practice STAY AHEAD of developments in technology, manufacturing, new business models GET INSIDER INSIGHTS on new approaches to social media and digital marketing .

Register online: https://iacgold2022.eventbrite.com or call 646-485-1952

CAPTION: "Caligraphy Rings" by Ute Decker in 18 kt Fairtrade Gold". Photo: Jamie Trounce.