Gold: Legacy, Leadership, And Luminescence

IAC’s 4th Precious Substances Conference
April 11 – 12, 2014

The Graduate Center, The City University of New York

Initiatives in Art and Culture took a wide-ranging look at gold in its fourth annual international conference devoted to this precious metal. With a focus on jewelry, we explored the underpinnings of gold’s abiding emotional power and enduring value, how specific design choices contribute to object quality, and how particular techniques, cutting-edge technologies, and forms are applied to create jewelry that has personal meaning.

We also looked at how the success of a collection can be shaped by naming and the specific narrative constructed around it. Then, we turned to the purchaser, considering especially the challenges and opportunities of marketing to millennials. Trends and trend-forecasting were also considered given the criticality to manufacturers and retailers of understanding both the messages and aesthetics that resonate  in an evolving marketplace. Ways that consumers can be confident that their purchases are not only aesthetically and emotionally pleasing but ethically sourced were also addressed, with discussion of due diligence under Dodd–Frank and a panel devoted to fair gold, artisanal mining, traceability, and the marketplace. 

IAC is deeply grateful to the following contributors who had made this conference possible:

Richline was the Leadership Sponsor. Gemological Institute of America and Melissa Joy Manning were sponsors at the Supporter Level. We are also grateful for sponsorship from IPPOLITA, Kara Ross, LLC., and Macklowe Gallery and support from Barbara Tober. Jewelers of America was a media sponsor.

Program agenda