Professional Insider :In the Industry

How some jewelers spent their summer vacations learning about period jewelry

Summertime, and it was off to the 19th Annual Antique & Period Jewelry and Gemstone Conference, July 14-18, for a throng of about 300 participants and 25 staff members. This was the first year "Jewelry Camp" was held at Providence College in Rhode Island and – despite the minor adjustments of settling into a new venue – the conference was generally considered the best to date. As in previous years, "Jump Start," an introductory program for those with no previous experience in antique jewelry, preceded the general conference on July 12-14.

Working Vacation
The rigorous daily schedules for Jump Start and the conference included three morning lectures for general attendance and two elective workshops in the afternoon.

The first three evenings of the conference featured after-dinner lectures also. Even though this made a truly rich and varied program with something to please every interest, it created frustration because it was impossible to take advantage of all workshops offered. The workshop topics were intriguing in their diversity, touching on everything from Internet searches to jewelry repair, hallmarks to pricing antique diamonds.

The conference began in earnest on the evening of July 14 with Christie Romero presenting the results of her painstaking research in "Revising Jewelry History." The following morning, American jewelers were highlighted with lectures by Anthony Hopenhajm on "Seaman Schepps," Elise Misiorowski on "Raymond Yard" and a sizzling presentation by Diana Singer on "Oscar Heyman, Julius Cohen and Harry Winston." Other not-able presentations in-cluded Lynn Loube speaking about "Messages and Metaphors," Peter Shemonsky's "Enameling Techniques," Anna Miller speaking about "Cameos," Joyce Jonas on "Lalique and the Symbolists" and C.R. "Cap" Beesley on the problems every jeweler faces in "Gemstone Enhancements & Their Liabilities."

Dinner Conversation
A lobster bake on Friday evening had everyone up to their elbows in drawn butter. After the last morsel was consumed and the butter wiped off chins and fingers, the entire faculty participated in "Ask the Experts," where conference attendees lined up to find out more about puzzling pieces in their possession.

On the last day of the conference, Gloria Lieberman provided insight into the "Changing Auction Market," and Judy Rudoe of the British Museum discussed "Finger Rings." The ever-popular "Show & Sell" concluded the conference, with dealers in the group setting up booths to display their jewelry and participants and staff shopping happily for bargains.

Joyce Jonas was conference director; Antoinette Matlins was recovering from pneumonia but nevertheless gave 12 lectures on gem identification, pearls and gems in antique jewelry; and Peter Shemonsky gave nine lectures and filled in for Joseph Sataloff, conference founder and former director, who was unable to attend the event. In addition, Judy Cohen made her bookstore booth available throughout the day.

The conference ended on a particularly high note with Jonas's announcement that plans are in the works for a scholarship in honor of Joseph Sataloff. Details of the scholarship will be announced at a later date.

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