Press Releases

IAC to Hold Sixth Annual Gold Conference

Published

9 years ago

April 25, 2016

INSTORE Staff

Initiatives in Art and Culture will hold its sixth annual Gold Conference at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York from April 28-29. The conference is titled, “Gold: Mentors, Milestones and Metamorphosis.”

IAC has created a special code for INSTORE readers to give them half off the registration fee. By entering promotional code "INSTORE,” they’ll pay $175 to attend the two-day conference instead of $350. Information and registration is available at artinitiatives.com.

Here is a description of the conference from IAC’s website:

“Jewelry is the lens through which we focus our examination. The emotional power of jewelry incorporating gold is due as much to the metal itself as to the artistry of the piece. The quality of the metal and its value has long been assured by a specialized professional community, one aspect of our inquiry. More recently, the notion of "value" has expanded to reflect the costs of mining, and, we consider as well the journey toward universal adoption of ethical sourcing and transparency. We then look to how leading retailers of gold jewelry and other objects work their magic. Successful retailing relies on a nuanced understanding of the consumer and reaching him or her in ways both traditional and novel. But at the end of the day, the consumer must find objects both beautiful and valuable, differentiated and new. Creating these objects requires art, and art requires artists. Artists require mentors, and we address the criticality of mentorship and education to the future of gold jewelry. Creating the differentiated and the new increasingly demands more than art, however, and we thus explore new technologies such as CAD and 3D printing that allow not only production on demand but greater precision in the creative process.”

Kimberly McDonald, Geode cuff set in 18 karat yellow gold with brown rose cut diamonds.

Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration

After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.