2025 Schedule

Friday, October 17, 2025

8:00 - 8:30 a.m.

Conference check in and coffee

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.

Welcome

Susan Wheeler and Brandee Dallow

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Mine to Market Consequences of Undisclosed Synthetic Gemstones

Stuart Robertson, Research Director, Gemworld International (Moderator) | Eric Braunwart, CEO, Columbia Gem House, Mkhu Mkhululi N (Nkosilamandla) Ncube | African Minerals Development Centre, African Union | Çiğdem Lüle, PhD, FGA, GIA GG, DGA Mineralogist and Gemologist

Synthetic colored gemstones are entering the jewelry supply chain as early as at the mine site. This consequences for the integrity of the colored gemstone industry is obvious, however there is also a consequence for the communities who rely on the gemstone trade in source countries. Without scientific equipment or knowledge and ability to detect synthetics the effects can lead to economic disruption, community harm by undermining economic ecosystems and market manipulation. How is this happening and how can source economies and the gemstone trade protect themselves.

Saturday October 18, 2025

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.

Coffee

9:00 - 9:30 a.m.

The Community for Ethical Jewelry

Cole Eller, Artist Jeweler | Debra Dowden-Crockett, Artist Jeweler

The students from universities and colleges across the US participate in the Ethical Metalsmiths Education Department initiatives. See how the next generation is shaping what the future of ethical jewelry is as they push the bundaires with their designs and and create with intention.

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Balancing Capacity Needs and Fair Access: Equitable Market Pathways for Rubies and Emeralds

Çiğdem Lüle, PhD, FGA, GIA GG, DGA Mineralogist and Gemologist (Moderator) | Stuart Robertson, President Gemworld International, Mkhululi N Ncube, African Union, African Minerals Development, Susan Wheeler, VirtuGem

This panel examines how the jewelry industry can address the growing demand for colored gemstones while ensuring equitable supply chains. We'll explore the current auction system's benefits and drawbacks, including how source countries lose potential revenue, artisanal miners face market access barriers, small-to-medium enterprise (SME) jewelers and gem dealers struggle to maintain access to quality gemstones, and opaque markets limit traceability throughout the supply chain. The popularity of auction systems continues to grow due to jewelry companies' high-capacity fulfillment needs and the limited supply of quality colored gemstones, creating competitive pressure that favors bulk purchasing and established players. Colored gemstone perspectives from mine to market will explore how to scale up direct supplies from source countries and how jewelers and jewelry companies can support this. This panel will bring forth a discussion on how to move forward to balance these competing demands and create more equitable supply chains that serve all industry participants.

Short Film: ASM Ruby Mine Tour VirtuGem

10:30 - 10:45 a.m.

From Extraction to Regeneration: Restoring Mines Through Partnership

Holly McHugh, VP Sustainability & Social Impact, Mejuri, Inc.

10 minute break

11:00 - 12:00 p.m.

Mining in America, Gold, Silver, and Preservation

Susan Thea Posnock, Director of Public Affairs & Education, Jewelers of America (Moderator) | Aaron Mintzes, Senior Policy Counsel, Earthworks | Fermina Stevens, Executive Director of the Western Shoshone Defense Project | Marilena Marchetti, Jeweler and Social Impact Film Producer

The move to mine, mine, mine in America will have an impact on the jewelry industry. If regulations are loosened, if mining begins in American National Parks and Monuments it could tarnish the jewelry industries reputation and funnel gold and silver into our products that are associated with controversial actions. But jewelry is a 85 billion dollar a year industry which holds some power to influence the agenda. The American metals panel will bring awareness to changes in legislature, environmental, wildlife and cultural heritage risks and indigenous rights as they unfold now in the US

12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Lunch & Mentoring Sessions

1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Reciprocity Jewels

The visionary jewelry designers who have joined the Reciprocity collective create incredible jewelry with gold and silver that is both traced back to the women miners and mercury free. Reciprocity has been exhibiting a capsule collection during NYCJW for three years and has become a must see destination during the week due to its beautiful rain forest inspired decor and repertoire of some of the most notable international jewelry designers who participate in the show.

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Protecting the Endangered Species in the Environments Where We Source

Elle Hill (Moderator) | Dr. Luis E. Fernandez, Executive Director of Wake Forest University's Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation (CINCIA) | Kathi Lynn Austin, Founder and Executive Director of the Conflict Awareness Project

Endangered species of animals, mammals and insects can be impacted by the jewelry industry in a myriad of ways. The Pink Dolphins in the Amazon have been found to suffer from mercury poisoning stemming from the processing of illegal gold that is proven to be in “recycled gold”. The Rhinos of Mozambique are victims of illicit gangs with convergence in the gemstones trade. The Monarch habitat in Mexico became unstable due to mining, until a ban on new mining was passed into law in 2023, leading to rising numbers in their population. Understanding the place and circumstance of where we source our materials and what effect this has on wildlife there is important for us to help save these vital species.

3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

The Role of the Artist to Make the Revolution Irresistible

Viviana Langhoff

4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Cocktail Reception Following the Conference on Site

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Natural Diamonds and Community Futures: A Shared Goal of Benefaction

Elle Hill (Moderator) | Thabo Lerotholi, Lesotho, Kimberly Process Civil Society | Stanley Zale, President President Zale Advisors LLC | Jay Moncada, Perpetuum Jewels

This panel presents a groundbreaking opportunity for the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition and a leading natural diamond industry organization to engage in meaningful dialogue around their shared commitment to building a thriving natural diamond sector that benefits all source communities worldwide. Both organizations recognize a fundamental truth: a successful natural diamond industry must be one where communities receive substantial value from their natural resources, funding education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic opportunities that create lasting prosperity. This moderated discussion acknowledges that both organizations have witnessed the need for continued evolution in industry practices, positioning their perspectives as complementary voices working toward the same goal: ensuring natural diamonds represent a positive force for communities and consumers alike. The panel will explore how transparent dialogue, collaborative problem-solving, and shared accountability can build a natural diamond industry that source communities, consumers, and industry stakeholders can be genuinely proud to support - creating a foundation for sustainable success that honors both the rarity of natural diamonds and the communities that bring them to the world

5 minute break

11:10 - 11:45 a.m.

Silver Mining in Bolivia: Perspectives From the Devil’s Miner

Basilio Vargas Altico, Featured in Documentary, The Devil’s Miner, Silver Miner Bolivia (Speaker) | Carmen Cristina Capriles Flores, Engineer in Agronomy - Sustainable Rural Development, Political Consultant - International Environmental Policy (Translator & Presenter)

For the first time, the jewelry industry must confront that silver, a material so often used, often comes from mines at the center of serious human rights and environmental justice struggles. Across the world—from the Xinka and Apache, resistance to silver mining in the United States and Guatemala, to Indigenous Zapotec and Huichol opposition in Mexico, to Quechua and Aymara fights in Peru and Bolivia, to Mapuche Tehuelche defiance in Argentina’s Patagonia, to the Batwa and other African groups, and Indigenous communities in the Philippines and Indonesia—mining has meant dispossession, contamination, and cultural loss. Silver from these contested regions circulates invisibly in global markets, leaving its impacts unaddressed by the jewelry sector until now.

11:45 - 12:00 p.m.

Women Gem Cutting and Jewelry Making in Pakistan

Nida Jamal, Founder and CEO of ArHaz Jewels

12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Lunch & Mentoring Sessions

New to the world of responsible jewelry? Curious but unsure where to start? This informal coaching session offers one-on-one conversations with experienced mentors from across the industry—designers, retailers, suppliers, NGOs, and more. It’s a judgment-free zone to ask the questions you might not feel comfortable voicing in a larger setting. Whether you're just getting started or looking to grow, this is your chance to sit down, connect, and get real answers from people who’ve been there.

1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

The Tariffs and Current Landscape of Legal Compliance in the Jewelry Industry and Trade

Sara Yood, President, CEO, and General Counsel, Jewelers Vigilance Committee

Rapidly changing landscape of regulations, tariffs and legal obligations for the jewelry industry require jewelers and jewelry business to know the latest legal requirements. Sara Yood will explain and detail what you need to know and how to apply that to your business.

2:30 - 3:15 p.m.

Scalable Responsible Gold Beyond Traceability

Desirée Binternagel, CEO of Fairever

Responsible sourcing is something many jewelers care about — but until recently, access to gold from small-scale mining communities was limited, complicated, or reserved for the biggest players. At Fairever, we’ve worked hard to change that. Today, certified ASM gold is more accessible than ever — but higher costs, limited availability, and the complexity of separate supply chains still hold many jewelers back. Meanwhile, recycled gold is widely used but doesn’t contribute to change where it’s most needed.

In this talk, I’ll share a new approach we’ve been working on at Fairever: combining recycled gold with responsibly sourced gold credits. This lets jewelers keep using recycled material, but also send real support to artisanal miners — without having to completely restructure their supply chain. It’s a practical, flexible model that lowers the threshold for participating in ethical sourcing, while still making a tangible difference. I’ll show how it works, why we believe it matters, and how it connects to bigger goals around fairness, climate, and transparency. I hope that more people walk away seeing that doing good doesn’t have to mean doing everything. Sometimes, small shifts — done right — can change a whole system.

10 minute break

3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Movie Premiere: Out of Mined

4:30 - 5:15 p.m.

Environmental Justice and Marine Diamond Mining: Community Perspectives on South Africa’s West Coast

Mike Schlebach, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Protect The West Coast | IN CONVERSATION WITH: Morgan Burger, jewelry retailer, investigative journalist, and the founder of FOR SEAS

Mike Schiebach discusses how surfers, artisanal fisheries, scientist and indigenous communities are working together to regulate diamond mining and call for beach restoration. Protect the West Coast addresses the environmental degradation of the popular surfing coast through community action and policy change in the coast North of Cape Town South Africa. The organization has developed an important tool to alert communities to mining applications that they may not otherwise hear about, enabling prior consent. Moderator, Morgan Burger, brings her knowledge of Ocean Mining experience in fair and prior consent in mining to the conversation.