Events & Awards

Check Out IAC’s Virtual Gold and Diamond Conference Next Week

Events & AwardsJul 08, 2021

Check Out IAC’s Virtual Gold and Diamond Conference Next Week

“New Realities, Future Promise” will be held July 13-15 and introduce a new award for an industry member.

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This year’s IAC conference will talk about sustainability and responsible sourcing in mining diamonds and gold. Pictured is Impact Gold, traceable gold that is artisanally mined in Peru by PX Impact (Photo credit: B.P. de Silva)
New York—Initiatives in Art and Culture is gearing up for its eleventh annual gold and diamond conference next week. 
 
This year’s event, called “New Realities, Future Promise,” will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday, July 13 to Thursday, July 15. 
 
The conference will focus on how the industry can preserve the emotional power of gold, diamonds, and jewelry while also working to meet the responsible sourcing and environmental and social concerns today’s consumers demand. 
 
The opening day of the conference will feature a panel called “Global Expectations: Language, Legislation, Regulation, and Transformation.”
 
It will also include a talk on “Transparency: Diamond Origin and the Consumer,” as well as an exploration into the complexities involved with sourcing and transforming gold called “Where Does Your Gold Come From, and Why Does It Matter?”

 Related stories will be right here … 

Day two will start with “Romancing the Stone” and then follow by letting attendees dive into the book “Bejeweled: The World of Ethical Jewelry” in conversation with two designers featured in the tome. 
 
“Mining: Responsible Sourcing and Best Practice” will then delve into geographic and social contexts for best practices of mining and the positive outcomes for mining communities. 
 
To finish it off, the last day of the conference will explore diamonds with a panel on the importance of the diamond cut and how it affects consumer behavior called “The Heart of the Matter” as well as a panel called “Total Clarity: The Socioeconomic Impact of Diamonds.”
 
The event will also include the presentation of the IAC “Award for Leadership in Responsible Practice in Jewelry” to Pact’s Cristina Villegas and GIA’s Robert Weldon and the first “Award for Extraordinary Contributions to the Diamond and Jewelry Industries” to Edward Asscher
 
Registration for the event can be found online.

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