NAJA Announces Its Mid-Year ‘Ace It’ Conference

Rosemont, Ill.—The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) has announced the details of its 62nd mid-year conference.

Slated for Aug. 10 to 12, the “Ace It” conference will take place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

It will focus on the “practical ‘how to’ of appraising gems and jewelry,” said NAJA Executive Director Gail Brett Levine.

The mid-year event follows the association’s winter conference, its annual gem market-focused event that took place earlier this year in Tucson.

It will include hands-on workshops, presentations, and exhibits. A mock auction at Heritage Auctions’ Chicago location also will take place.

There will be a total of 10 presentations at the conference, each provided by experts from appraisal and related fields.

“Fakes, Counterfeits, Frauds, and Misrepresentation” will be presented by Duncan Parker, an FGA, and vice president and jewelry specialist at Dupuis Fine Jewellery Auctioneers.

“NAJA’s Report Writing Standards: A Usage Guide” will be hosted by Deborah Finleon, a GIA graduate gemologist (G.G.) and CMA at DJF Appraisal Services.

“The Cost Approach: A Basic Tool” will be held by Dave Atlas, CSM, a GIA G.G., and DGLA-DACO.

“Watching the Market: Current Trends in the Watch Market” will be presented by Reginald Brack, senior vice president and head of the watch department at Freeman’s | Hindman Auctions.

“A Practical Approach to Building a Pricing Database During Trade Shows” will be hosted by Stuart Robertson, a GIA G.G. and president of Gemworld International.

“Power Search Tips: Finding and Refining the Best Comps” will be co-hosted by Jessica DuBroc, a GIA G.G. and director of fine jewelry at Heritage Auctions New York, and Gina D’Onofrio, an FGA and the director of fine jewelry at Heritage Auctions Beverly Hills.

“Deaccessioning a Collection: Preparing Your Clients for Success” will be held by Vera Prather, a GIA G.G. and director of fine jewelry at Heritage Auctions New York, and Ana Wroblaski, a GIA G.G. and director of fine jewelry at Heritage Auctions Beverly Hills.

“Driehaus Museum: A Jewel Box of a Museum” will be presented by Lisa Key, executive director of the Driehaus Museum.

“Review of Ethical Standards and Their Application in Our Daily Practices” will be hosted by Steve Turner, CSM, a GIA G.G., and the president of Gemcorp.

“Appraisal Software Solutions: Exploring Their Use, Benefits, and Limits” will be moderated by Lance Nygaard, a GIA G.G., and Robertson. The three panelists are: Raphael Bovin from Instappraise, Richard Drucker from GAS, and Thom Underwood from QL2.

There will also be an optional workshop on Saturday titled “Decoding the Intangible Value Factors of Colored Stones” with Cigdem Lule, Ph.D. and FGA.

To attend this session, there is an additional fee of $200.

The conference will be co-located with the Instore show. 

“We are excited to present this conference in connection with Instore. Access to the Instore Show provides an excellent opportunity for us to integrate mid-level market research into the conference agenda as well as for attendees to expand their network of established trade resource,” said Levine.

Registration for the conference is $425 for NAJA members before July 15 or $525 after; $600 for new members, including fees plus the conference; $650 for nonmembers before July 15 or $750 after; or $50 for vision screening on Sunday only.

For more information on the conference and to register, contact Gail Brett Levine by phone at 718-896-1536 or by email at office@NAJAAppraisers.com or naja.appraisers@netzero.net.