◈ Still time to register and attend
(and/or view the recordings later – Conference Program will be recorded
and available until midnight on Sunday, September 20, 2026)
THE PROGRAM
Garnet history, art jewelry, AI for appraisers, 250 years of American jewelry, composite gemstones, Gilded Age research, jewelry as dissent and forensic post-loss appraisal
The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers holds its 66th ACE©it Mid-Year Virtual Education Conference this weekend, September 5–6.
The two-day virtual program brings together eight speakers for eight hours of presentations covering gemology, jewelry history, appraisal methodology, artificial intelligence and research.
And if you cannot spend your weekend in front of the computer, there is still an option: the conference program will be recorded, with recordings available to registrants through midnight Sunday, September 20.
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Here’s what’s on the program.
Saturday, September 5
Garnet Through the Ages: The Story of an Underrated Gemstone
Noon | Celine Rose David, FGA
Garnet is far more than the familiar dark red Bohemian material. David follows the gem through history and across continents, looking at its trade, changing popularity, remarkable range of colors and varieties, and the exceptional examples that can command extraordinary prices.
Understanding Art Jewelry
1 p.m. | Caitlin St. John, GIA GG
An introduction to Art Jewelry from an appraiser’s perspective, including important artists and their work, value factors, valuation considerations and some of the problems appraisers can encounter when assessing these pieces.
AI for Jewelry Appraisers: How It Works, How to Use It, and Knowing the Limits
2 p.m. | Trang Pham, GIA GG
Artificial intelligence has found its way into the appraiser’s toolbox — but what can it actually do? Pham offers a practical introduction to how AI works, effective prompting and real-world applications, along with its limitations and the need to maintain professional appraisal standards.
250 Years of American Jewels Since American Independence
3 p.m. | Duncan Parker, FGA
With the United States approaching 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, Parker looks at the jewelers, creativity and inventions that helped shape American jewelry. The presentation explores the distinctive elements of American design and style while recognizing a jewelry history that reaches back through millennia of Indigenous creativity.
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Sunday, September 6
Don’t Forget to Look … You Might Miss a Composite in the Wild!
Noon | Kerry Gregory, FGA
With so much attention focused on sophisticated synthetics, diffusion treatments and the newest gemological challenges, Gregory brings the examination back to something deceptively simple: look first.
She reviews traditional composite gemstones — including garnet-topped doublets and soudés — how to recognize them, and some of the newer composites now turning up in jewelry.
Oh, What a Find!
1 p.m. | Eileen Eichhorn, GIA GG
What do photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston, President William McKinley, the year 1898 and Gilded Age jeweler J. Dreicer & Son have in common?
Eichhorn takes attendees through the research and connections behind a donation appraisal, demonstrating just how far an appraiser may have to dig to properly identify and understand a piece of jewelry.
Dissent as Patriotism: Jewelry as a Quiet Act of Resistance in the United States
2 p.m. | Nicholle Mogavero, GIA GG
Jewelry may be decorative and sentimental, but throughout American history it has also carried political and social meaning.
Mogavero examines jewelry as a portable language of identity, solidarity, protest and survival — particularly when direct speech or political participation was limited or dangerous. She also raises an intriguing appraisal question: When does the intent behind an object begin to influence its value?
Post-Loss Jewelry Appraisals — A Forensic Approach to Valuing Jewelry That No Longer Exists
3 p.m. | Scott Papper, GIA GG
How do you appraise a piece of jewelry you cannot examine because it no longer exists?
Papper looks at the specialized work of post-loss jewelry appraisal and the forensic techniques used to reconstruct the property from photographs, receipts, previous appraisals and other documentary evidence in order to develop a well-supported opinion of value.
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Still Time to Register
The 66th ACE©it Mid-Year Virtual Education Conference takes place virtually Saturday and Sunday, September 5–6, 2026, with four hours of programming each day.
For those unable to attend all eight sessions live, the conference will be recorded and available to registrants through midnight Sunday, September 20, 2026.
Tap here to register for the event!
National Association of Jewelry Appraisers
Gail Brett Levine, GG, Executive Director
Phone: +1 718.896.1536
Email: office@NAJAAppraisers.com
