NAJA’s 2025 ‘Ace It’ Conference To Go Virtual
The mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers is slated for Aug. 9 to 10 on Zoom.

The 64th annual conference is slated for Aug. 9-10, from noon to 4 p.m. EST each day over Zoom.
Each session will be recorded and available for registered attendees until midnight on Aug. 17.
Organizers opted to make this year’s conference virtual in deference to Converge, a new industry event co-hosted by the American Gem Society and the Geological Institute of America, which is slated for Sept. 7-10 in Carlsbad, California.
The goal of the “Ace It” conference is to provide the latest information and insights that support and enhance attendees in their professional appraisal practices, said NAJA.
New and member-favorite experts will lead sessions on appraisal contracts, gold jewelry from the 1960s, high end Swiss watches, trademark identification, Tiffany & Co. jewelry, and jewelry forensics.
Another session, led by the author, will explore the process of creating the book “Women of Jewelry.”
There will be a total of eight presentations at the virtual conference.
Duncan Parker, an FGA, will kick off the conference with “Jewels Before the End of a Fixed Gold Price: The 1960s” session at noon on Saturday, Aug 9.
“Cash and Contracts” will be co-hosted by Deborah Finleon, a GIA G.G., and Sherlene Bradbury, a GIA G.G., at 1 p.m.
“Swiss Luxury Watches, Understanding the History, Assessing the Value” will be led by Michael Johnson, a GIA G.G., at 2 p.m.
Closing the sessions on Saturday, will be the “Jewelry Forensics” presentation led by Al Gilbertson, a GIA G.G., at 3 p.m.
On Sunday, Aug. 10, the conference will begin with “Trademark Identification for Jewelry Appraisers” by Scott Papper, a GIA G.G., at noon.
At 1 p.m., Linda Koslof-Turner, a GIA G.G., will host “What it Took to Write this Book ‘Women of Jewelry’ Stories from the Author.”
“Peeking into the Blue Box” will be hosted by Lauren Abramovitz, a GIA G.G., at 2 p.m.
Gary Roskin, an FGA, will close out the conference at 3 p.m. with his session titled “Appraising, Your Valuable Time & Experience: How to Improve your Worth by Sharing Your Knowledge.”
Registration for the “Ace It” mid-year conference is $150 for NAJA members and $200 for non-members.
Registration can be completed here.
For more information, contact Gail Brett Levine at 718-896-1536, office@NAJAAppraisers.com, or naja.appraisers@netzero.net.
The Latest

The jewelry industry is reassessing its positioning as Gen Z reshapes the retail landscape and lab grown continues to gain market share.

A matching pair of 18.38-carat, D-color diamonds from Botswana’s Jwaneng mine sold for $3.3 million, the top lot of the jewelry auction.

Sponsored by A Diamond Is Forever

With the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.

The next generation of lapidarists are entrepreneurial, engaged online, and see the craft as a means for artistic expression.


It was the second auction appearance for the fancy vivid blue-green diamond, which sold for $7.8 million at Christie’s Geneva 12 years ago.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force took a 22-year-old man into custody. He was charged with tampering with evidence.

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

While the overall number of crimes was down, there were more incidences in which robbers pulled out guns, mace, or rammed cars into stores.

Jack Sutton Fine Jewelry is closing its store inside the downtown shopping center after 40 years in business.

Reena Ahluwalia’s painting of the rare red diamond is the first contemporary painting to join the National Gem Collection.

The price of gold has risen, affecting the number of pieces designers make, the materials they use, and how they position themselves.

Peter Smith gives tips on leading meetings, developing marketing, and making trade show appointments in the age of short attention spans.

The 11-piece “Medallions” capsule collection features five motifs: a crying eye, a heart on fire, a spiral, a flower, and a swallow.

From Gen Z’s view of luxury to “doom spending,” these are the six consumer trends to note this year.

The owners of Staats Jewelers are heading into retirement.

Jeffrey Gennette, who retired in 2024 after 41 years with Macy’s, is the newest member of the jewelry retailer’s board of directors.

May babies are lucky to have emeralds, a gemstone admired for centuries, as their birthstone, writes Amanda Gizzi.

The new module allows retailers to plan, promote, and measure the success of events from a single dashboard.

NDC said in an open letter that Pandora’s statements about the carbon footprint of lab grown versus natural diamonds are inaccurate.

The diamantaire and industry leader succeeds Feriel Zerouki and said he will focus on being a “champion” for natural diamonds.

She wore our Piece of the Week, Glenn Spiro’s “Old Moghul Golconda” earrings, featuring fancy brown-yellow diamonds totaling 51.90 carats.

Two pieces were named “Best in Show,” one from the retail category and one from the supplier category.

The jewelry retailer noted resilience among its higher-end customers while demand softened for its lower-priced offerings.

Led by the 6.59-carat sapphire, the sale garnered $9.7 million, a record total for a Heritage jewelry auction.

In his new role, sales specialist Billy Welshoff will focus on the eastern United States.

José Gaztelu has been promoted to the role, which has been vacant since last year.

























