GIA Announces Buccellati Foundation Jewelry Design Award Winner

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation granted Catherine Aulick their ninth annual Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design.

Aulick received the prize on February 6 at the annual GIA Alumni Collective Night, which took place at the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum, the GIA said Monday. The ceremony was on the closing day of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) 2026 GemFair in Tucson.

Aulick’s design, which featured gold, Ethiopian opal, and peridot, was among 12 finalist entries from graduates of the GIA schools of Gemology and Jewelry Arts in London, Mumbai, New York, Taiwan and Carlsbad, said the institute.

“I want to thank the Buccellati Foundation and GIA for the honor of this award,” said Aulick. “Hand rendering has given me a new and beautiful language for communicating my designs.” 

The award was established in 2018 to recognize jewelry design talent among GIA students, but this will be its last year, the institute said.

“It’s been a pleasure collaborating with the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation and presenting this award each year,” said GIA chief learning officer Cathryn Ramirez. The institute “is currently planning its new design competition, and details will be shared in the near future.”

The GIA’s jewelry design course, which Aulick completed at Carlsbad, teaches drafting, shading, design theory and illustration using several types of media, the GIA said. After the course, students have a developed portfolio of their work and a digital copy.

Image: The winning design for the 2025 Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design. (Gemological Institute of America)