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 film where, for example, they are heralded as "a girl's best friend."
 
This Conference is made possible by A Diamond is Forever (as of 1/7/2010).
 
 
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, President, Gemmological Association of Great Britain and renowned jewelry historian; Benjamin Zucker, authority on precious stones, whose recent publications are Gems and Jewels: A Connoisseur's Guide (2003), and the novels Blue (2000), Green (2001) and White (2008); Jim Fernandez, CFO, Tiffany & Co., who is responsible for all our gemstone sourcing and manufacturing operations; Douglas Kanzanjian, CEO of Kazanjian Bros., a firm that seeks the rarest gems and estate jewels from families worldwide who, in 2007 rediscovered the storied five-carat red diamond; David Wolfe, creative director and chief forecaster of Doneger and Co.; Deborah Nadoolman Landis, a costume designer and David C. Copley Chair for the Study of Costume Design at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television whose publications include and Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume (2007); Nancy Valentino who oversaw celebrity auctions at Christie’s including the exhibition and sale of jewels that related to Elizabeth Taylor’s jewels; 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, hapel Hill. Harry Winston will also be represented on the program. The conference is organized by Initiatives in Art and Culture. (as of 1/7/2010).