Plus, parent company Saks Global announces plans to cut ties with up to 600 vendors.
Jewelry Industry Summit Announces 2017 Speakers and Sessions
The summit will take place in Tucson, Arizona on Jan. 29 and 30 to facilitate conversations on sustainable and responsible sourcing.
Tucson, Ariz.--The Jewelry Industry Summit has announced its speakers, agenda and sponsors for its second event on Jan. 29 and 30 at the Tucson Convention Center.
The summit is broken down into morning and afternoon sessions.
On Sunday, Jan. 29, following the “Strengths, Opportunities and Aspirations” workshop, Lisa Manley, executive vice president, sustainability strategy and communications at Cone Communications, will speak to attendees. Cone Communications is a public relations and marketing agency, known for its studies on consumer expectations of responsible business.
The afternoon session will feature speaker Thea Polancic, managing partner of Chicago-based consulting firm ClearSpace LLC and founder of the Chicago chapter of Conscious Capitalism, an organization that focuses on voluntary exchange and entrepreneurship, and marrying these capitalist principals with trust and compassion.
This session also will encompass two workshops: “Imagining the Future of Industry Segments” and “Identifying Key Elements of a Sustainable Future.”
The morning and afternoon session on day one will be broken up with a lunch and a reception will follow the second session.
During the reception, 20 posters will discuss responsible sourcing, with a representative from each poster’s organization present to answer questions. (To participate in this, contact Richard Nehls at richard@la-rocks.com. The deadline is Jan. 23.)
On the second day of the summit, Monday, Jan. 30, the morning session will begin with speaker Bob Mitchell, vice president of social and environmental responsibility for the Electronics Industry Citizen Coalition, then will progress to workshops on “Identifying Possibilities to Support Sustainability by Industry Segment” and “Exploring Possibilities to Support Sustainability.”
The afternoon session will include discussions on “Prototyping Tools, Strategies, and Initiatives,” “Rapid Stress Testing of Prototypes,” and “Refine, Redesign, and Plan for Prototypes.”
Sponsors for the second Jewelry Industry Summit are: Jeff Bilgore, American Gem Trade Association/Jeffrey Bilgore LLC; Cecilia Gardner, Jewelers Vigilance Committee; Cleo Zancope Gnatek, Jane Taylor Jewelry; Doug Hucker, AGTA; Christina Miller, Christina Tatiana Miller Consulting; Richard Nehls, LA Rocks; Mike Pace, Diamond Producers Association; Sam Shiroff, Signet Jewelers; and Barbara Wheat, Gemalytics LLC/Natural Colored Diamond Association.
The summit was created to facilitate conversations between all facets of the jewelry industry on sustainable and responsible sourcing.
Cost of attendance for the 2017 event is $275, which includes lunch on both days, coffee breaks and the Sunday night reception. To register, go to JewelryIndustrySummit.com.
The Latest

Peter Smith joined Michelle Graff to chat about the state of brick-and-mortar stores and share a few book and podcast recommendations.

The necklace features a candy-colored Australian white opal in 18-karat Fairmined gold, as the brand was named a Fairmined ambassador.

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

Sponsored by the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry and Watch Show


A private American collector purchased the 10-carat fancy vivid blue diamond.

The designer has taken the appeal of freshly picked fruit and channeled it into a capsule collection of earrings, necklaces, and pendants.

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA

The country’s gem and jewelry exports fell 5 percent year-over-year last month, while imports declined 18 percent.

Around 54 million Americans and counting live with a disability. Here’s how to make your jewelry store and website more accessible.

Before Pope Leo XIV was elected, a centuries-old procedure regarding the late pontiff’s ring was followed.

The one-of-a-kind platinum Rolex Cosmograph Daytona was estimated to fetch up to $1.7 million.

While the product has entrenched itself in the market, retailers and consultants are assessing the next phase of the category’s development.

The police are trying to identify the man suspected of robbing two Tiffany & Co. locations in the area.

The well-known Maine jeweler takes over for Brian Fleming and will serve a one-year term.

The donation was the result of the brand’s annual Earth Day Ingot event.

Located in NorthPark Center, the revamped store is nearly 2,000 square feet larger and includes the first Tudor boutique in Dallas.

The nonprofit has made updates to the content in its beginner and advanced jewelry sales courses.

BIJC President Malyia McNaughton will shift roles to lead the new foundation, and Elyssa Jenkins-Pérez will succeed her as president.

As a nod to the theme of JCK Las Vegas 2025, “Decades,” National Jeweler took a look back at the top 10 jewelry trends of the past 10 years.

The company plans to halt all consumer-facing activity this summer, while Lightbox factory operations will cease by the end of the year.

Following weekend negotiations, the tax on Chinese goods imported into the United States will drop by 115 percent for the next 90 days.

The deadline to submit is June 16.

Moti Ferder stepped down Wednesday and will not receive any severance pay, parent company Compass Diversified said.

Lichtenberg partnered with luxury platform Mytheresa on two designs honoring the connection between mothers and daughters.

The miner announced plans to recommence open-pit mining at Kagem.

Michel Desalles allegedly murdered Omid Gholian inside World of Gold N Diamond using zip ties and then fled the country.