Alexis Padis Takes Over as AGS Board President
Padis succeeds Lisa Bridge, marking the first time the organization has had two women board presidents in a row.

Ben Bridge Jeweler CEO Lisa Bridge completed her second one-year term and welcomed Alexis Padis as the new board president, marking the first time in history that the presidency has passed from one woman to another.
Padis is president of Padis Jewelry, a San Francisco-based independent jeweler with five stores that she runs alongside her parents, Steve and Judy Padis. She is also an AGS Certified Gemologist Appraiser.
Bridge passed the torch to Padis at the organization’s annual Membership Breakfast, held April 17, the final day of AGS Conclave in Austin, Texas.
For the 2024-2025 term, Padis will lead a board consisting of the following.
President-Elect: Bryan Moeller
Secretary: Mitchell Clark
Senior Advisor: William Farmer Jr.
Treasurer and Chair, Finance, Audit & Legal Committee: Sumit Dangi
Chair, Young Titleholders Committee: Dave Bindra
Chair, Gemological Sciences Committee: John Carter
Chair, Membership Committee: Sarah Person
Chair, International Guilds Council: Amanda Coleman-Phelps
Chair, Education Committee: Kevin Mays
Chair, Conclave Subcommittee: Denise Richards
Director-At-Large: Sarin Bachmann
Director-At-Large: Ryan Berg
Director-At-Large: Melissa Quick
Director-At-Large: Brad Hampton
Director-At-Large: David Mazer
Director-At-Large: Niveet Nagpal
Director-At-Large: Larry Rickert
Quick, Hampton, and Bindra are new additions to the board.
Also during Conclave, AGS handed out its traditional slate of awards.
Jewelers Mutual Group received the Sallie Morton Award, the award given to people or organizations for their contributions to the AGS’s national guilds.
The Guild of the Year Award went to Andy Martin, CEO of Wishfluence and president of the Northwest Arkansas Guild, while FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jeffrey Rolands received the John J. Kennedy Award, which honors law enforcement for outstanding service to and support of the jewelry industry.

At the Titleholders Luncheon, Mays of John Mays Jewelers received the Young Titleholder of the Year Award.
Valerie Madison of Valerie Madison Fine Jewelry was recognized as the recipient of the scholarship to attend Conclave presented by the Black in Jewelry Coalition and the Young Titleholders’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
The Young Titleholders also awarded scholarships to attend Conclave to seven jewelers this year.
They were: Daniel Abdallah, Maya Caroleena Jewelers; Lisa Bradshaw, John J. Bradshaw; Kimberly Ngarupe, Duke’s Jewelers; Leslie Rollins, Zachary’s Jewelers; David Rubenstein, Betz Jewelers; Torre Spellman, Skeie’s Jewelers; and Tiana Yamaguchi, Vardy’s Jewelers.
The Latest

A trade deal with Switzerland seems probable, but reaching an agreement with India remains a challenge, David Bonaparte said.

Botswana’s president said his country wants a controlling share, while Angola envisions multiple countries holding minority stakes.

The manufacturer is adding 1,400 chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors to its growing facility in India.

With their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.

The jeweler to the stars has worked with Drake, A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, and other celebrities.


The Scarsdale, New York-based jeweler donated a professional-grade watch cleaning machine.

The 50 percent tariffs on diamonds shipped from India to the U.S. have pushed midstream manufacturers to the edge.

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

De Beers’ refreshed, multipronged approach, which includes generic promotions and retail partnerships, is delivering positive dividends.
They are trying to balance the need to sustain well-established relationships with the pressure higher tariffs have put on margins.

Jewelry manufacturer Jewelex has partnered with JOSH, an industry training center, on a program for people with disabilities.

The collection includes pieces dating back to the Victorian and Art Deco periods as well as mid-century and late 20th-century designs.

He previously served as co-chair of the nonprofit’s beneficiary committee.

Its second collaboration with the conservationist features jewelry with dove and olive branch motifs.

The diamond manufacturer’s new company will provide accessible and affordable high-quality medicines across India.

Emmanuel Raheb shares tips on how a jeweler’s showcases, marketing, and social media presence can whisper, instead of shout.

The private equity firm has a plan to revive the mall staple.

The “Super Book of Gems” dives into the Mohs Hardness Scale, the Four C’s, and designs from jewelers like Cartier and Bulgari.

Claudio Pasta will take the lead at the Italian fine jewelry brand, succeeding company founder Licia Mattioli.

The new lab-grown diamond jewelry offering is the latest expansion of the designer’s “Bliss” collection.

The miner is honoring the end of an era with an offering of 52 lots from the now-closed Argyle and the soon-to-close Diavik mines.

The California-based fine jewelry brand will retain its identity post-acquisition, with new collections launching next year.

The “Untamed” collection centers on carved gemstone jewelry depicting a range of animals embodying one of the four elemental forces.

Founded in 2004, the organization is now called the Community for Ethical Jewelry.

From Coco Gauff’s hoops to Madison Keys’ diamond medallion, these are Senior Editor Lenore Fedow’s standout jewelry looks of the season.

The trendy earrings feature asymmetrical drops, one with a grossular garnet and the other with a diamond.

Four social media marketing experts discuss their go-to methods and favorite tools for making high-quality short-form video content.