BrankoGems To Hold Conference in Montana
The event, set for June 13-15, will feature educational presentations and guided visits to the state’s sapphire mines.

The event will be held June 13 to 15 at the Delta Hotels Helena Colonial.
It will include presentations and workshops, as well as guided sapphire mine visits to the Yogo, Missouri River, and Rock Creek Sapphire Mines and Yellowstone National Park.
The trips, limited to 30 participants, will be offered before and after the conference.
Expert discussion topics include sapphires from Montana and turquoise grading, as well as the challenges of identifying natural and synthetic and treated gemstones.
Warren Boyd of Potentate Mining will present “Rock Creek Sapphire Mine,” gemologist and consultant Dr. Lore Kiefert will discuss “Origin Determination of Sapphires,” and turquoise expert Joe Dan Lowry will present “Turquoise 101.”
The conference workshops will also feature over 200 samples, and presenters will explore solutions to identification challenges through demonstrating techniques utilizing standard and portable advanced gemological instruments.
Dr. Kiefert will lead the workshop “Treatment and Origin Determination of Sapphires;” Lowry will lead “Turquoise Grading;” and Branko Deljanin, president and head gemologist at CGL Canadian Gemlab and director of Gemmological Research Industries, will lead “ID of LGD.”
A round table featuring seven international experts and moderated by Travis Lejman, gemologist and conference co-chair, will discuss “Sapphire Origins” and “LGD Versus Natural Diamonds.”
In addition, some presentations will further explore portable instruments for identifying gems and synthetic diamonds, as well as artificial intelligence (AI).
Randall Lightfoot of Mayflower Estate Buyers and Consulting will lead “Gem Secrets: The Importance of Inclusions & CPF” and Guy Borenstein, senior gemologist at Stuller will present “Screening Instruments for Laboratory-Grown Diamonds.”
Also, Sharrie Woodring, senior gemologist at GCAL, will lead “An Update from GCAL by Sarine Lab: Diamond Traceability, AI-Driven Grading, and Market Dynamics” and Deljanin will speak on “How India’s CVD Boom in Production, Treatments, and Cutting is Reshaping Diamond Mining and Gemological Testing Worldwide.”
The upcoming event will be BrankoGems’ first International Conference in the United States.
The company has held seven Mediterranean Gem and Jewellery Conferences since 2015, as well as an International Conference in Australia in 2023.
Its conferences are designed to offer a unique “tech-trade platform,” said the company, with practical workshops for gemologists, appraisers, and other industry professionals.
For more information on speakers, lectures, tours, the venue, and registration visit the event website.
The Latest

The medals feature a split-texture design highlighting the Games’ first time being hosted by two cities and the athletes’ journeys.

Sponsored by The INSTORE Jewelry Show 2025

Globally, travel and transportation brands reigned, while in the U.S., alcoholic beverage companies and a lingerie brand took the top spots.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

The Brooklyn-based jewelry designer is remembered as a true artist and a rare talent.


A new slate of Learning Workshops will take place in Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Georgia.

The middle class is changing its approach to buying jewelry and affordable luxury goods, the NRF said.

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

It marks the third consecutive quarter of growth for Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccellati, and Vhernier.

The reseller’s market trends report, based on its sales data, also shows exactly how much Rolex prices have jumped since 2010.

The auction house will be hosting a retrospective paying tribute to jeweler Jean Dinh Van and his company’s 60th anniversary.

Jake Duneier and Danielle Duneier-Goldberg have stepped into the roles of CEO and president, respectively.

The “Impermanence” collection contemplates nature through the Japanese art of Ikebana (flower arranging) and philosophy of wabi-sabi.

The Texas-based jewelry retailer has set up shop in Tennessee and Arizona.

Eric Ford will step into the role, bringing with him decades of experience.

In addition to improved capabilities, the acquisition will allow the jeweler to offer support to other independent jewelers.

The “Celestial Blue” capsule collection campaign features Olympian Kateryna Sadurska.

The seasonal store, located in Mykonos, Greece, offers exclusive events, personal styling, and curated experiences.

The New England jeweler is hosting a bridal event for the month of August.

Its sessions will focus on inventory strategies, staff performance, retention and acquisition, emerging market trends, and more.

For its 10th anniversary, Miseno designed the “Arco” earrings based on the Arco Felice, an arch conceptualized in A.D. 95 in Miseno, Italy.

The jewelry company is one of several contributing to relief efforts in the region after the recent floods.

Inspired by fiancé Sid Wilson’s nickname for her, the white and yellow diamond ring features a unique honeycomb design.

The brand is marking its 50th anniversary with a limited-edition bangle, high jewelry suites, new collections, and more.

Goldfarb said changes in the industry, coupled with his age and the updates needed to modernize his business, drove his decision.

Longtime LVMH executive Michael Burke has stepped into the role.

Central topics of next week’s event include climate action, labor rights, artisan preservation, and value retention in producing countries.