The two-day conference dubbed Gold: Substance, Symbol and Significance, will take place April 8–9 at the Graduate Center at the City University of New York.

Gold bracelet by Temple St. Clair

The conference aims to offer a comprehensive look at
gold—from mineral to ingot to coins to jewelry—and all stages of its production
and use. Contemporary approaches to mining, particularly sustainable and
socially and environmentally conscious extraction, and the related subjects of reclaimed
metals and corporate social responsibility, will also be discussed. Other
topics of interest include a history of the metal, key collectors and
collections, gold’s symbolism and how is has evolved, and contemporary works of
gold by large firms and individual artisans.

The affair is being organized by Initiatives in Art and
Culture with funding from ABN AMRO, Barrick Gold Corporation, Kinross Gold Corporation,
Tiffany & Co., and Tocqueville Asset Management LP, as well as media sponsorships
from the World Gold Council and Metalsmith,
which is published by the Society of North American Goldsmiths.

Speakers include an impressive roster of the jewelry
industry’s who’s who. For example, jewelry designers Temple St. Clair, Marilyn
F. Cooperman, and Germany’s Atelier Zobel will be present, as
well as: David Lamb, managing director of Jewelry for the World Gold Council; Patti
J. Geolat, founder and CEO of the Geolat Companies; Robert B. Headley, chief
operating officer of Jewelers of America; Ronald C. Spurga, vice president of ABN AMRO Bank;
and Lisa Koenigsberg, conference director, president, and founder of Initiatives
in Art and Culture.

To register, log onto acteva.com/go/gold, or email lisa.koenigsberg@artinitiatives.com.

The conference fee is $350, while a discounted rate of $150
is available to full-time students with ID. CUNY’s Graduate Center is located on Fifth Avenue between 34th and 35th Streets; some evening
events take place at other city locations.

JCK