Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference Releases 2026 Program

Chicago—The annual Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference is back for 2026.

The event, in its 10th year, is slated for Oct. 23-24, following the Responsible Gem Boutique, a free, trade-only showcase of gems from suppliers focused on responsible sourcing that will take place Oct. 22 at the Chicago Jewelers Mall.

The two-day conference will be held at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema located at 1104 S. Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago.

Over the last decade, the conference has brought the jewelry industry together to work on the most pressing questions facing the industry, organizers said.

This year’s program includes leading voices from human rights, legal, and conservation organizations.

Brandee Dallow, CEO of the International Colored Gemstones Association and board president of the Community for Ethical Jewelry will return as the Master of Ceremonies.

“For 10 years, we have come together to learn about the latest research, issues, and initiatives in the jewelry industry. Through this collective awareness building, we have achieved real change in the jewelry industry, in our own supply chains, and for the people and environments they touch,” said Susan Wheeler, founder and CEO of Responsible Jewelry Transformative (RJT), the nonprofit that puts on the conference.

“This conference embraces all, brings equity to the conversation, and continues to define what it means to be responsible in the jewelry industry.”

Among the sessions at this year’s conference are “Natural Diamonds: The Future of Responsible Diamonds in an Economic Crisis.”

Taking place at 10 a.m. on Oct. 23, representatives from the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition and the Marange Women’s Alliance will examine plausible outcomes when falling demand for natural diamonds affects the physical and social obligations of keeping a mine site safe.
 
Later, at 1:30 p.m, Tim Frick of Chicago-based digital agency Mightybytes will discuss the environmental and social impact of AI in “AI is Environmental & Social Supply Chain Impact & What We Can Do to Evaluate & Mitigate It.”

“Sudanese Gold Funding a War” and “Policy in Action,” will take place back-to-back starting at 2:30 p.m.

Both will be presented by Dr. Mutasim A. Ali, SJD, senior legal advisor at The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, and Brad Brooks-Rubin, partner at Arktouros, a specialist in sanctions, human rights, and natural resources.

These sessions will examine how gold finances conflict in Sudan and the Great Lakes region and the legislation that could cut these flows.

Hewan Zewdi of Agere Treasures and Brian Cook of Nature’s Geometry will present “The ‘Paraiba’ Gemstone Rush in Ethiopia” next, at 4:15 p.m.

They will focus on how the rush for this gemstone is a case study in how quicky value can be extracted from the ground before governance structures catch up.

The “Beyond Recycled Gold: Why and How” session at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 24 will address gaps in recycled gold assurance and present traceable alternatives like PeaceGold and Fairmined.

The Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030’s Nature Roadmap will be discussed in “Mapping the Path of Gold: Keeping Mercury Out of Nature and Jewelry” at 2:30 p.m.

Closing out the conference at 3:30 p.m. will be “A Gold Campaign,” a collaborative think tank-style session facilitated by Elle Hill of Hill & Co., Christina Miller of the Amazon Gold Alliance, and Dallow.

Participants in this final session will shape commitments, partnerships, and next steps toward an industry-led clean gold campaign, said organizers.

Proceeds from the conference will support RJT’s partnerships with women in mining communities across Africa.

This year, funds will support Unity House Phase 2 in Voi, Kenya, a facility providing clean water, sanitation, and a kitchen for women tsavorite miners who live at remote mine sites for weeks at a time.

Past attendees funded chicken coops in Marange, Zimbabwe.

For tickets and more information, visit the Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference’s website.

The conference’s full program can be seen here.