Initiatives in Art and Culture
Early Registration Discount through February 26th, 2010
$250 in lieu of $350; students: $100
DIAMONDS
A Conference in New York City
April 9 – 10, 2010
Diamonds have captivated human beings for millennia, from the rough crystals prized in antiquity to the brilliantly-faceted gemstones produced today. The acme of purity and hardness, the diamond's primacy among jewels has never been questioned. This conference will take an all-embracing look at diamonds. We will consider the history, aesthetics, symbolism, and marketing of diamonds, while not shying from issues related to provenance and trade, the rationale for the jewelry community’s increasing commitment to conflict-free stones and the environmental consequences of diamond mining. 
We will examine the evolution of cutting techniques and the significant interest in fancy colored diamonds, as well as the trend to create jewelry using rough stones. There are famous diamonds, the ownership of which can be traced over centuries from priests and kings to socialites and film stars. We will consider great collections of jewels throughout history. Diamonds have also inspired artists from goldsmiths who crafted regalia and reliquaries to contemporary artists who have used them as materials in their works. We mine rich veins in popular culture such as rapper's "bling" and diamonds in film where, for example, they are heralded as "a girl's best friend."
This Conference is made possible by The Diamond Information Center. We are grateful for funding received from Harry Winston and CIRCA, as well as support from Me&Ro and Tiffany & Co. We also express deep gratitude to The Kazanjian Foundation for its welcome support of student attendance (as of 2/6/2010).
Among those who have agreed to speak are: Jeffrey E. Post, Geologist - Curator-in-Charge, Mineral Collection, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution; George Harlow, Curator of Minerals and Gems, American Museum of Natural History; Jack Ogden, chief executive, Gemmological Association of Great Britain and renowned jewelry historian; Benjamin Zucker, authority on precious stones, who went into the family gem business, and whose recent publications are Gems and Jewels: A Connoisseur's Guide (2003), and the novels Blue (2000), Green (2001) and White (2008); Frédéric de Narp, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harry Winston, Inc.; James N. Fernandez, CFO, Tiffany & Co., who is responsible for all our gemstone sourcing and manufacturing operations; Sheila Khama, CEO, DeBeers Botswana; John King, Chief Quality Officer, GIA Laboratory,The Gemological Institute of America (GIA); Henri Barguirdjian, President and Chief Executive Officer of Graff Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries since 2000; Douglas Kazanjian, CEO of Kazanjian Bros., a firm that seeks the rarest gems and estate jewels from private families throughout the world and who, in 2007 rediscovered the storied five-carat red diamond; David Wolfe, creative director and chief forecaster of Doneger and Co.; Robert B. Headley, Chief Operating Officer, Jewelers of America; Robin Renzi, CEO & designer, Me&Ro; Edward Maeder, costume and textile authority, an former Curator of Costumes and Textiles at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) where he curated “HOLLYWOOD and HISTORY: Costume Design in Film, shown at LACMA”; Ruth Peltason, founder, Bespoke Books, a boutique editorial and design firm and author and editor of publications among them, Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry; Chris Del Gatto, co-founder, chairman and CEO of CIRCA; Patti Geolat, senior partner of Geolat & Associates, Dallas, Texas, one of the nation’s most prominent independent jewelry appraisers; and Lyneise Williams, authority on diamonds in contemporary culture who has worked on “bling” and serves on the faculty of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (as of 2/01/2010).
TO REGISTER
Registration confirmations are sent via email.
To register on-line: go to: www.acteva.com/go/diamonds
By e-mail: Fill in the registration form and send to: lisa.koenigsberg@artinitiatives.com
Fax: Fill in the registration form, including credit card information, and dial (212) 935-6911.
By mail: Return form with a check or money order payable to Initiatives in Art and Culture or complete the credit card information on the form, and mail to Initiatives in Art and Culture, 333 East 57th Street, Suite 13B, New York, NY 10022
By phone: Using American Express®, Discover®, Visa® Card, or MasterCard®, call (646) 485-1952.
Fee: A discounted registration of $250 is available through February 14th, 2010. A discounted rate of $100 is available for full-time students with ID.
Withdrawal and Refunds: Notice of withdrawal must be made in writing to: Initiatives in Art and Culture, 333 East 57th Street, 13B, New York, NY 10022 or to the Program Office via email at lisa.koenigsberg@artinitiatives.com. No refunds after April 1, 2010.
CONFERENCE LOCATION
This conference is held at The Graduate Center City University of New York (Fifth Ave. between 34th–35th Streets).
Program subject to change
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