Russ Shor, Guy Borenstein Among Speakers for 2023 AGA Vegas Conference
Online registration is open now for the annual event and early-bird savings will end May 28.

Scheduled for Thursday, June 1, at the Westin Las Vegas Hotel & Spa, the half-day event will feature internationally renowned experts on both colorless and fancy color diamonds.
AGA said speakers will provide diamond-focused education, news and information about technologies in the global diamond sector. The talks will be followed by a reception.
Sessions will start at 1:45 p.m. PDT, beginning with Guy Borenstein, chief gemologist at Stuller Inc.
Borenstein is slated to discuss screening technologies for lab-grown diamonds as well as each growing technique’s limitations and blind spots, as determined from Stuller’s screening tests experience.
Following Borstein will be the Fancy Color Research Foundation’s Fancy Color Diamond Business Expert David S. Rhodes and CEO Miri Chen.
The pair will explain the grading methodology and the important elements and characteristics to focus on when analyzing fancy color diamonds. They also will discuss the pricing principles that determine the value of fancy color diamonds, auction prices, and the fancy color diamond price index.
The conference will end with Russell Shor, senior diamond industry analyst at Russell Shor Communications and Consulting, who will provide a discussion on natural diamonds versus lab-grown diamonds.
Following the sessions, AGA will host a cocktail and networking reception beginning at 6 p.m.
Advanced purchase registration and savings are available until 11 p.m. on May 28. Ticketing options include conference and reception, or reception only.
AGA member tickets to conference and reception are $125 and non-member tickets are $150. Reception-only tickets are $89.
After May 28, it will cost $175 for conference and reception tickets, and $115 for reception-only tickets.
Industry friends, co-workers, and spouses are welcome to attend.
More information is available on the AGA’s website. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Vendor tables are available for the conference. Email Raymond Mason, azgemlab@gmail.com, or call 602-615-2116 for more information.
The Latest

The new sweeping slate of tariffs impacts 60 countries, including India, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.

From coin pendants to diamond shields, these old world-inspired jewels are the perfect accessory for an epic journey.

Our Piece of the Week pairs a checkerboard-cut amethyst with an ivy green silk cord.

Colored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.

Mildred Marcano Abrams and Yael Reinhold join the podcast to talk community connections, holiday plans, and preserving Reinhold’s legacy.


Production also was up in the first half of 2026 but is expected to “substantially” decrease in H2 as two key mines undergo maintenance.

“Art Deco” fuses ancestral techniques, rare materials, and modern perspectives as a tribute to the optimism and curiosity of the movement.

DCA is preparing the next generation of professionals by supporting workforce development, leadership growth, and career advancement.

The jeweler’s newest store is inside Arkansas’ Saracen Casino Resort.

The watch company will design, manufacture, and distribute Kate Spade New York watches.

The higher tax is set to go into effect in August and will apply to loose polished diamonds as well as precious and base metals jewelry.

The “Enchanted Garden” series features a cherry, lemon, and pear that each hold a little secret inside.

It’s located in Tysons Galleria, an upscale shopping center in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

Smith offers retailers guidance on creating an environment where natural and lab-grown diamonds can both thrive.

The 12-piece capsule collection transforms from brooches to pendants.

A Botswana government official told lawmakers Anglo has selected The Global Diamond Consortium, an entity chaired by Penny, to buy De Beers.

The new tariff, imposed after a Trump administration study, is 25 percent and will stack on top of existing tariffs.

The collection from 2014 has been reinterpreted into high jewelry with its signature triangular-shaped elements.

She will also take on the role of vice president of jewelry for SmartWork Media, a newly created position.

Organizers are looking for presentations on topics like manufacturing, technology and research, bench work, gemstones, and sustainability.

Woodley is seen in the campaign wearing our Piece of the Week, the “Frida” collar featuring 13 pieces of hand-carved Venetian glass.

A WeBuyVintage jewelry expert uncovered how much the flea market find was actually worth.

The founder of natural colored diamond wholesaler Pancis Gems shares stories from his five decades in the industry.

Submissions for the milestone 25th annual Gem Awards will be accepted across three categories from now through July 31.

Valeriya Guzema and Mariana Lenha look back on the last decade and discuss the Ukrainian brand’s first U.S. store.

The diamond mine, which opened nearly 30 years ago in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is expected to shut down by mid-August.

Jewelry sales for the company, which owns Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vhernier, and Buccellati, rose 21 percent in the first quarter.
























