2026 International Jade Summit at the Monterey Bay Jade Festival
Saturday, June 13th Inside Stanton Center At Monterey State Historic Park
Presented by:
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.
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
Speakers at the 2026 International Jade Summit
Dr. Aaron Palke, PhD. • Senior Manager of Colored Stone Research, GIA
Seminar Title: Jade Mysteries and the Future of Jade Research at GIA
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.
William Ralston-Saul • COO of Jade Resources Ltd., CEO of Jade Vault Ltd.
Seminar Title: From Mine to Masterpiece – Rewriting the Rules in the $16 Billion Jade Market
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.
He is fluent in Russian and experienced in building cross-border teams, securing partnerships and raising capital.
Georg Schmerholz • Jade Artist and Sculptor
Seminar Title: Jade, a Sculptural Medium
A Professional Sculptor, a prominent and influential Western Jade artist with Gold and Silver awards from the Zi Gang Bei Jade Competition in Suzhou, China, Co-Founder of Monterey Bay Jade Festival .
Born Hungarian in Transylvania, Rumania, Georg Schmerholz studied engineering/design for 2 years at University, before escaping communism to find freedom and pursue his passion for sculpture. He lived in a refugee camp in Italy before immigrating to Sweden where he held his first exhibition.
Two years later he moved to Canada and established himself as a notable sculptor in the Pacific North West. His figurative, wildlife and architectural sculptures can be found in many Governmental, Corporate and Private collections.
Georg’s initial foray into working with jade took place in 1992, to create the largest Quan Yin jade figure at the time, 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.
A professional sculptor who began working with jade in 1992, having created the largest Quan Yin jade figure at the time for a Buddhist Monastery in Bangkok. In 2007, jade carving became Georg’s specialty and passion upon moving to California. Since working in jade, he has cofounded the Monterey Bay Jade Festival, won gold and silver awards at Zi Gang Bei Jade Competition in Suzhou, and released a book of his work entitled “Jade, a Sculptural Medium.”