Dazzling by Design

A remarkable loose gem that won Best in Show was just one of the surprises at the 2019 American Gem Trade Association’s (AGTA) Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards. While there were about 75 fewer entries this year than last, according to AGTA CEO Douglas K. Hucker — who suggests that might have been due to “the timing of entry deadlines, which are close to the Las Vegas shows” — the increase in quality was noticeable. Other changes were equally evident. There were fewer pearl pieces and matte finishes, some smaller pieces to attract younger buyers, and lots of blue gems such as aquamarine, Paraiba tourmaline melee, and blue zircon. There were also a good number of first-time entrants and winners, many of them retailers. Meanwhile, the bridal category experienced an uptick in submissions, as did the Cutting Edge division for loose gems. “The quality was elevated, which was certainly the case in classic gemstones, and [it was notable that] the Best of Show was a spinel,” adds Hucker. “And the large number of retailer entrants might be a reflection of growing custom departments and [of] merchants turning to design to build their businesses.” Here are the award winners for each category.

Best Use of Color and First Place: Men’s Wear David White of Aucoin Hart Jewelers

Cufflinks with 3.09 carats of sapphires, 2.36 carats of diamonds and 1.37 carats of tsavorite garnets in 18-karat yellow and white gold. John Carter, one of the judges and the chief operating officer of Jack Lewis Fine Jewelers in Bloomington, Illinois, marveled at the manufacturing of these cufflinks, the color blending of the melee, and the masterful setting. “It was impressive to look up close at the back of those and see how they engineered them together,” he recalls.

First Place: Evening Wear Tanja Schuetz of DuftyWeis Opals

Necklace with a 49.80-carat boulder opal, 3.77 carats of blue sapphires, 3.11 carats of tsavorite garnets and 1.12 carats of diamonds in 18-karat white gold. Naomi Sarna and other judges loved the gorgeous center opal as well as the craftsmanship. “We liked the use of complementary colors surrounding the opal — the colors that were so thoughtful and harmonious — and how they reflected the patterns of the opal in the outer foliage of the design,” says Sarna, founder of Naomi Sarna Designs.

Best Use of Platinum Crown Heena Shah of Valani

Nova ring in platinum with a hexagon-shaped, 7.17-carat emerald, 2.63 carats of diamonds, and 0.98 carats of kite-shaped emeralds. Heena Shah was encouraged to submit this unusual design — which took six months to make and features a clean, bright, hexagon-shaped emerald as well as hexagon- and shield-shaped diamonds — after receiving positive feedback on it at the Couture show in June. “Every person who stopped by — retailers, influencers — was blown away by it,” says Shah. “So when I decided to enter the competition, I knew exactly which piece I would submit. The reactions I received as a first-time exhibitor gave me confidence.”

Best of Show and First Place: All Other Cut Gemstones David Nassi of 100% Natural cushion-cut, 30.19-carat, untreated Tanzanian red spinel

This spinel was a shocker not because it was a loose gem or because the quality was in question, but because it didn’t take long to decide it deserved the top prize. “We have never had a competition where the judges so quickly acknowledged that a loose gem would probably be the Best in Show,” says agta’s Hucker. “It was that obvious!”

Best Use of Platinum and Color Roland Krainz of Krainz Creations

Platinum and stingray Emergence cuff bracelet with 9.23 carats of sapphires, 1.41 carats of emeralds, 1.17 carats of diamonds, and 1.08 carats of rubies, After 38 years of designing private-label pieces for others, Roland Krainz is delighted to be recognized for his own handiwork and innovation. “This was a new experience for me, as I’ve long been providing my labor and skills for others,” he says. “Now I can be as creative as I want. This is the first contest we’ve ever entered, and I was hopeful to win. Now we’ll enter more.”

First Place: Business/Day Wear Ricardo Basta of E. Eichberg

Karma Chameleon ring with a 15.27-carat, barrel-facet-top tourmaline, 1.58 carats of sapphires, 1.46 carats of tsavorite garnets, 0.28 carats of rubies, and 0.02 carats of spessartite garnets in 18-karat yellow gold. This was another piece that judge Carter found memorable for the manufacturing and color-matching skills involved. “Not only do you have the challenge of creating a unique piece, but how do you create a chameleon that looks exactly like a chameleon?” he marvels.

Best Use of Pearls Chris Faber of Stuller, Inc.

Cufflinks with cultured South Sea pearls, rubies, and 5.69 carats of black diamonds in 18-karat rose and white gold. Chris Faber, who works in computer-aided design (CAD) at Stuller, notes that one of the main manufacturing challenges was creating the spokes emerging from the bottom of the cages. “We wanted it to appear as if they were floating, so we created a two-tone channel (the halo) to ensure all the parts fit correctly,” he says. Judge Sarna says she admired the backs “for their quality and thoughtfulness of production.“ Even more remarkable? This was the first pair of cufflinks Faber had ever made.

First Place: Classical Jeffrey Bilgore of Jeffrey Bilgore, LLC

Bracelet in platinum with Russian demantoid garnets and 4.18 carats of diamond. Jeffrey Bilgore was thrilled to get the call about his winning bracelet, which had sat for years in his office in layout form. “I had it loose for a few years, and people went crazy over it, asking how we put it together — it’s old material,” he recounts. Finding these types of stones, including the 3-carat Russian demantoid garnet at the center, was challenging. “I have never seen anything else like it in my career, and it’s an incredible honor for the judges to recognize it,” he says.

First Place Bridal Wear Bella Campbell of Campbellian Collection/BHI

Bracelet in 18-karat white gold with 20 carats of rainbow moonstone, 2.51 carats of diamonds and 2 carats of blue sapphires. This bracelet, which took four months to make, is an uncommon sight in Bella Campbell’s line (earrings are her bread and butter). It was developed for a specific client who didn’t snap it up right away, giving her time to enter it in the competition. While Campbell was waiting nervously for the call from AGTA officials to find out whether or not she’d won, a friend urged her not to worry, since she often earns recognition at Spectrum. But Campbell refused to rely on that. “You cannot take wins for granted,” she says. “You don’t win unless you work very hard.”

Fashion Forward Adam Neeley of Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry

Aria earrings with 41.45 carats of indicolite tourmaline, 3.34 carats of tsavorite garnets and 2.42 carats of diamonds in purple titanium and 14-karat white and green VeraGold. Adam Neeley 3D-printed the titanium with the help of an aerospace company to create the dramatic length, beautiful color and light weight of in these earrings. The two swirling effects, meanwhile, were executed in white gold and a proprietary aloe-green gold. The backstory of the two tourmalines he used is also prize-worthy: They’re the same stones that won gem cutter Stephen Avery a Cutting Edge award for Pairs and Suites in last year’s AGTA competition. “He commissioned me to make these earrings — no pressure! — for a double win,” relates Neeley.

Cutting Edge winners

While all the winning loose gems in the Cutting Edge Award segment are worthy of admiration, some caught the judges’ eyes more than others — notably the cushion-cut, 30.19-carat red spinel by David Nassi that won first place in the All Other Cut Gemstones category, as well as Best of Show. Considering how rare it is to see a spinel of more than six carats, this was an especially outstanding specimen. “That stone was a once-in-a-lifetime gem to hold,” judge John Carter recalls. “I got chills holding it, and I’ll take [the experience] with me throughout the rest of my career.” For fellow judge Naomi Sarna, a high-end cutter herself, another memorable gem was the specialty-cut aquamarine by Mark Gronlund. “I have long admired Mark’s work, and that concave faceting on the top and bottom was one of the all-time most beautiful jobs I’ve ever seen,” she remarks. “When you looked into it, you could see reflections that were distorted by the concave cuttings. It was the epitome of concave art.”

First Place: Carving

Himalaya Rose, a 69-carat carved rubellite tourmaline by Meg Berry of Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society.

First Place: Phenomenal Gemstones

Lucky #7, a 6.90-carat black opal by John Ford, from the Lightning Ridge Collection by John Ford.

First Place: Innovative Faceting

Beyond, a specialty-cut, 119.65-carat aquamarine by Mark Gronlund of Mark Gronlund.