NAJA Announces Details for 2026 ‘Ace It’ Winter Conference

Rego Park, N.Y.—The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) has announced the details for its annual in-person conference in Tucson, Arizona, next year.

The 65th “Ace It” Winter Conference is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 30, through Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Tucson Convention Center.

Programming will take place in the convention center’s Maricopa Room.

An optional hands-on workshop is set for Jan. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Robert James will lead the event, titled “Expert Witness Workshop! On the Stand: Expert Witness Techniques for Jewelry Appraisers.”

He will provide a complete overview of how jewelry appraisers can expand their services to include expert witness and litigation consulting for attorneys and insurance offices.

The talk will cover office requirements, expert witness fees, working with attorneys, investigation techniques, structuring the expert witness report for state and federal courts, deposition rules and procedures, trial rules, and procedures, and how to market expert witness services to law offices and insurance companies.

All attendees will receive a QR code to obtain a copy of the presentation.

The following two days will feature presentations, Q&As, and more hands-on sessions.

Presenters include “longtime favorites,” as well as first-time speakers, each set to discuss relevant topics with information that members can take back to their business and employ immediately, said NAJA.

Saturday will begin with registration and coffee at 7:30 a.m., followed by a welcome address at 8 a.m.

Jenny Luker, president at Platinum Guild International USA, will kick off the education sessions with “Platinum Unveiled: Properties, Hallmarks, and Appraisal Considerations,” an overview of what to know when appraising platinum jewelry, at 8:30 a.m.

It will be followed by gem cutter Justin Prim giving a session titled “Beauty, Value, and the Power of Gem Cutting” at 9:30 a.m. Prim will discuss the cutting process, how cutting can affect a gemstone’s final color, how to distinguish well-cut stones from poorly cut stones, and how recutting a stone can add to its value.

At 11 a.m., Stuller’s Guy Borenstein will give a talk titled, “Certified Hybrid Master Sets – Concept, Assembly, and Availability Details,” an overview of the grading tool and its features.

At 1:30 p.m., Stuart Robertson, president of Gemworld International Inc., will present “Colored Stones – Their Market and Price Trends,” a discussion on market fluctuations in supply, demand, and price for the 10 best-known gemstone varieties of the last 20 years. 

The day will close with “The Landmark Changes at Tiffany,” at 3 p.m. The hands-on seminar, led by appraiser and specialist in Tiffany & Co. history, Lauren Abramowitz, will educate attendees on marks to look for when appraising Tiffany branded jewelry.

It will be followed by Robert James’ two-hour “Taking the Fear out of Watch Appraisals Workshop,” beginning at 4 p.m., which will offer training grounded in the USGI Certified Watch Professional program standards.

On Sunday, following 7:30 a.m. coffee service and morning notes, Duncan Parker will start at 8:30 a.m. with “History of Platinum.”

Stuller’s Harold Dupuy will follow at 9:30 a.m., with his talk, “Our Changing Industry,” an exploration of the current state of the jewelry industry.

At 11 a.m., Renee Newman, the author of “Pearls,” which was published this fall, will lead “Surprising Facts about Pearls You May Not Know.”

“The Luminescence of Diamond – The Science, Beauty, and Applications of a Little Understood Phenomenon,” will be presented by Dr. Thomas Hainschwang at 1:30 p.m.

The day will wrap up with Sammantha Maclachlan presenting “Through the Lens: Discovering the Secret Worlds Within Gemstones,” an exploration of the art and science of photomicrography, at 3 p.m. and conclude with Celine Rose David’s presentation “Eggs and Hammers: Art Deco Jewelry Innovation” at 4 p.m.

The final program is subject to change, NAJA said.

For more information or to register, contact NAJA Executive Director Gail Brett Levine at 718-896-1536 or via email at office@NAJAAppraisers.com or naja.appraisers@netzero.net.