And the 2024 Winner of the Shipley Award Is …
John Carter received the AGS’s highest honor Tuesday afternoon at Conclave in Austin, Texas.

Carter received the Robert M. Shipley Award from past winner and longtime AGS jeweler Clayton Bromberg, who detailed his journey in the industry.
Carter first started working at Jack Lewis Jewelers when he was a junior in high school.
After graduating from Illinois State University in 1998, he spent some time on the road as a salesman for watch brand Maurice Lacroix before returning to Jack Lewis Jewelers in the early 2000s.
He bought the business in 2011 and, according to Bromberg, “He understood the value of being involved in the jewelry industry and how it can affect his retail operation. To the American Gem Society’s benefit, one of the places he landed as a volunteer was on the board of the American Gem Society in 2012.
“Most of y’all in the audience, like me, got to know him better in 2013 when he became the chair of the Conclave committee and I can tell you, he transformed the American Gem Society’s Conclave to the Conclave we enjoy today.”
In 2018, Carter became AGS president.
In that role, Bromberg said he fostered and furthered the organization’s relationship with GIA, helped found the Beatrice Shipley Scholarship, and traveled extensively on behalf of AGS to further its mission and ideals, landing him the moniker of “modern Mr. AGS.”
He is an AGS Certified Gemologist Appraiser (CGA) and holds a Graduate Gemologist (GG) diploma from GIA.
“John Carter has made a lasting impact on the American Gem Society because of his commitment to professional excellence, education, innovation and custom and community service,” Bromberg concluded.
A visibly emotional Carter, who received two standing ovations, noted that he was particularly honored to receive the Shipley award in 2024, as the organization celebrates its 90th anniversary, and in front of the “Mount Rushmore” of his mentors and idols.
“This award goes to somebody for service to this society, and I kind of feel a little bit like a robber up here today, because this has never felt like service to me. To me, it’s always just been being with my friends and learning from you and taking so much from you that I take back to my business.
“And I hope to make it better, and I hope to make me better.”
Prior to the reveal of the Shipley Award winner, AGS spotlighted two previously announced scholarship recipients—Amber Rank, who received the Women in Leadership Scholarship, and Linette Angulo of Pompos Jewelry in Los Angeles, the 2024 recipient of the Beatrice Shipley Scholarship.
Named in honor of the AGS and GIA co-founder, and first presented in 2019, the Beatrice Shipley scholarship covers the full cost of earning a GG diploma from GIA and the title of CGA from AGS.
Angulo is a Southern California native who grew up accompanying her father to work at his business, Pompos Jewelry.
There, she witnessed the “magic” her father and her brothers created with their hands.
After graduating from high school last June, Angulo joined the family business full time.
AGS Conclave 2024 concludes today in Austin, Texas.
The Latest

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.


The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

Sponsored by Stuller

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

It was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.

GemText AI uses artificial intelligence to generate tailored product titles, descriptions, and tags with jewelry-specific language.

The 3,300-square foot location is the jeweler's largest store in North America.

Aging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.

The WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.

A longtime executive at RDI Diamonds, Rickard has served on the JBT board for the past five years.

The two organizations have signed an affiliation agreement that’s expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

The platinum and diamond watch is part of Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches sale.

Recovered in Mozambique, “The Kat Florence Lumina” was part of Bonhams’ Hong Kong jewelry auction held last week.

Get a taste of the delicious candy-like gemstones in this Amanda’s Style File.

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

From Lau’s “Love of a Kind” series, the engagement ring was inspired by the moon and holds a different meaning depending on how it is worn.

The lab has adjusted the scale it uses for nacre grading.

Sponsored by GCAL by Sarine

David Walton will serve three years’ probation after an incident in a hotel bar led to the death of West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger.

The retailer also provided an update on how the tariffs situation in the U.S. is affecting its business.

The family-owned jeweler in Great Falls, Virginia, will be celebrating its golden jubilee with a year’s worth of events.

This year’s edition includes articles on the favorite tools of notable designers, evaluating when to outsource production, and more.

The jeweler’s high jewelry collection features extraordinary gemstones, like a 241.06-carat emerald and the world’s fourth-largest spinel.