2026 International Jade Summit at the Monterey Bay Jade Festival

2026 Speakers:

Dr. Aaron Palke, PhD will be presenting on GIA's jadeite jade origin determination (Burmese vs. Guatemalan).

William Ralston-Saul will be presenting on the largest deposit of jadeite jade in the world in Kazakhstan.

Georg Schmerholz will be presenting on jade as a sculptural medium, and his impressive and extensive career as a jade artist.

The 2026 International Jade Summit, presented by Mason-Kay Jade, will be an all-day event for jade sellers, gemologists and appraisers looking to expand their knowledge of jade and the international jade market. Open to customers and enthusiasts as well, this is the only jade-centric conference in the United States and is set to take place during the Monterey Bay Jade Festival.

Lunch will be included with your ticket price.

Attendees are encouraged to browse the Jade Carving and Natural Stone Exhibition, the exhibits at the Monterey History and Art Museum, and the 45+ vendors of the Monterey Bay Jade Festival outside.

2026 International Jade Summit

at the Monterey Bay Jade Festival

Saturday, June 13th, 2026

Monterey History and Art Museum

5 Custom House Plaza, Monterey, CA 93940

Info: Nephrite jade and jadeite jade carving as an art form with Georg Schmerholz | A professional sculptor and prominent, influential Western jade artist, Georg Schmerholz has received gold and silver awards from the Zi Gang Bei Jade Competition in Suzhou, China, and is co-founder of the Monterey Bay Jade Festival.

Georg’s initial foray into working with jade took place in 1992, when he created what was then the largest Quan Yin jade figure for a Buddhist monastery in Bangkok. But it was in 2007, after moving to California, that jade became his love and passion, offering new creative freedom and technical challenges.

In 2018 together with Rudolph Estrada, a prominent Jade and Jade-Art collector, Georg co-founded the Monterey Bay Jade Festival. “My intention for the viewer is to experience a deeper beauty that exists beyond mere form” he says.

Info: Kazakhstan Jadeite Jade Mining with William Ralston-Saul | William Ralston-Saul brings over 17 years of mining industry experience and a strong entrepreneurial track record. After co-founding his first mining company in 2006, he brought six mines into production in Central Asia before exiting in 2013. He has since built and scaled multiple ventures internationally, including establishing a school in India.

He serves as Acting COO of Jade Resources Ltd, owner of the Itmurundy jadeite deposit in Kazakhstan, the world’s largest known jadeite deposit.

William is Co-Founder and CEO of Jade Vault Ltd. His focus is on building a legally traceable jade supply chain into China and moving material up the value chain through product development and brand. Jade Vault is introducing innovation into the $16 billion Chinese jade market, which has historically been centred on raw stone trading and traditional jewellery, expanding jade into new product categories.

Info: Lunch vouchers to our on-site food vendors will be included with your ticket price. Attendees will have this time to shop with vendors and browse the Jade Carving and Natural Stone Exhibition.

Info: Jadeite Jade Origin Determination with Dr. Aaron Palke PhD | Dr. Aaron Palke developed an interest in minerals and gemstones searching for agates and other minerals in eastern Montana. Dr. Palke pursued a formal education in geology, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Tulsa and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.

He began his gemological career as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Gemological Institute of America where he is now the Senior Manager of Colored Stone Research. In this role, Dr. Palke leads GIA’s research efforts into geographic origin determination for rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other colored stones as well as improving criteria for identification of treatments for colored stones.

Dr. Palke is a regular contributor to Gems & Gemology, serves on the journal’s editorial review board, and has acted as a Guest Editor for two special issues of the journal so far.

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