Workshops Announced for NAJ’s 2026 Valuers’ Conference

By MH

April 14, 2026

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The National Association of Jewellers’ Institute of Registered Valuers (IRV) is pleased to announce the programme of workshops and masterclasses taking place at the 2026 Valuers’ Conference, proudly supported by headline sponsor Bonhams. The conference will be held on 16–17 May at the Edgbaston Park Hotel in Birmingham.

This year’s Valuers’ Conference offers an extensive programme of presentations, masterclasses and workshops designed to support professional development across the jewellery trade. The content is relevant to jewellery valuers, retailers, sales professionals, students, and designers seeking to broaden their knowledge and expertise.

Workshops and masterclasses will run throughout Sunday, 17 May and will feature a wide-ranging selection of practical, knowledge-rich sessions tailored for professionals at all stages of their career.

Workshop highlights include: workshops

Kate Flitcroft – Auctioneering: Behind the Scenes
Gain insight into the art and strategy behind auctions in this interactive workshop. Through a live mock auction, delegates will explore the auctioneer’s role, including preparation, estimating strategies and the subtle techniques used to control pace and engagement during a sale.

Pravin Pattni – Valuing Asian Jewellery
With gold prices at historic highs, valuing Asian jewellery presents growing challenges. Using live pieces, this hands-on session will demonstrate that materials once considered straightforward now require a more disciplined, nuanced valuation approach.

Tracy Jukes – Coloured Gemstone Pricing
Tracy will examine coloured gemstone pricing across the past, present, and anticipated future. Delegates will assess a range of coloured stones and learn how to establish a fair-trade value.

Justin K Prim – The Science of Gem Cutting
This workshop combines traditional gemmology with optical science to explain how different cutting styles influence colour, brilliance, and overall beauty. Attendees will gain practical insight into cut design, colour control and what to look for when purchasing cut stones or commissioning a lapidary.

Sarah Caldwell Steele – Practising the Dark Arts: Untangling Black Gem Materials
Black gemstones can present significant identification challenges due to their opacity. This workshop explores why standard techniques often fail and demonstrates the specialist methods used to distinguish jet from its many simulants.

Jonathan Darracott – Watch Complications and Why They Are Valuable
This hands-on session will explore a variety of watch complications, examining both their function and the factors that contribute to their value.

Charles Carmona – Estimating Weights of Mounted Gemstones: Common and Uncommon Shapes
An accessible introduction to the key factors used when estimating the weight of mounted gemstones. The session combines clear, animated explanations with hands-on examination of stones in a wide range of shapes.

Barry Sullivan – Let’s See How It’s Made
Learn how different manufacturing techniques — including rubber mould, wax, CAD wax, and handmade processes — affect value, and how to identify these methods in practice.

Howard Levine – Synthetic Diamond Prices
Howard reviews the diamond market over the past 12 months, exploring why premium synthetic diamonds have remained stable while many natural categories experienced double-digit declines. The session also examines USA–India trade dynamics and how jewellers can protect their margins.

Charlotte Rose and Lisa Levinson – ASSURE Program
An exploration of the ASSURE Program, covering its technical framework and offering hands-on experience with the testing equipment.

Rachel Kinsella – Valuing Unique and Complex Items: Building a Defensible Framework
This workshop examines how to produce defensible valuations for complex and unusual jewellery where comparables are limited or imperfect. Using a detailed case study, it will demonstrate a structured framework for selecting, analysing, and applying comparable data, supported by bounded adjustments and consistent methodology.

Rupert Huddy – Hallmarks and Designer Stamps
A practical session exploring the differences between sponsors and makers marks, featuring examples of fakes, forgeries, and reproductions for hands-on examination.

Gabriel Kleinberg – Investigating Gemstone Treatments
While heat, diffusion, coatings, and fillings are becoming increasingly sophisticated, they almost always leave behind evidence for the observant gemmologist to follow. Armed with only a loupe and tweezers, we will be delving into the world of treatments, and these “red flags,” such as suspicious inclusion patterns, surface-reaching features, and colour inconsistencies. By the end of the session, you will have a renewed confidence in your ability to detect enhancements and a deep understanding of why disclosure is vital for the integrity of our industry.

Jackie Sanders and Gaynor Wright – Progressing with FoAP
Designed for those considering an application to become an NAJ IRV, this session explores the mandatory and often challenging requirements, including worksheets and written submissions.

Seth Solomons – Large Diamond Valuations
This workshop examines the differences involved in valuing large diamonds for insurance, open-market sales, and diamond reports, including certificated and uncertificated stones, and where to source suitable comparisons.

IRV Chair Sammantha Maclachlan commented, “We are delighted with this year’s selection of workshops, which offers a strong balance of practical insight and expert-led discussion for valuation professionals at every level. With refinements to the programme, including extended 120minute sessions, we are confident delegates will welcome a format that allows for greater depth and breadth of learning.”

The workshops complement a full programme of keynote presentations taking place on Saturday 16 May, featuring:

Francesca Cartier Brickell – Author
Jonathan Darracott – Global Head of Watches, Bonhams
Sarah Caldwell Steele – Curator of Jet, Whitby Museum
Mark Cullinan – CEO, Cullinan Diamonds
Dr Yun Luo – Director of Metrology and Quality Control, GIA
Justin K Prim – Gem cutter

Ticket prices
Registration is now open, with one- and two-day passes available. Discounted rates apply to NAJ and IRV members.

NAJ / IRV Members
Two-day ticket: £390 + VAT
One-day ticket: £225 + VAT

Non-members
Two-day ticket: £440 + VAT
One-day ticket: £265 + VAT

The first day of the conference features keynote presentations from leading experts across the jewellery and watch sectors. Day two focuses on immersive workshops and masterclasses, offering hands-on experience and specialist insight.
Saturday evening concludes with a three-course gala dinner, during which the prestigious David Wilkins Award will be presented, alongside celebrations recognising new MIRV and FIRV members.