The 2026 AGTA Spectrum and Cutting Edge awards saw a 21% increase in entries, with notable growth in female designers and first-time participants.
Top honors included Allen Kleiman’s 90.12-carat rainbow cabochon moonstone suite and Lezlie Slavens’s 101.34-carat Paraiba tourmaline pendant.
AGTA will showcase winning pieces at the 2027 GemFair Tucson, with awards recognizing excellence across categories like engagement rings, innovative faceting, and use of platinum.
The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) has revealed the winners of its 2026 Spectrum and Cutting Edge awards, with eight newcomers taking home prizes.
The competition took place in Texas and received around 400 admissions, a 21% increase compared to last year, the association said Monday. Finished jewelry entries from female designers increased 33%, while first-time participants accounted for 16% of all entries. Newcomers’ award winners included first-place honors in the Engagement Rings and Cutting Edge Phenomenal Gemstones categories.
“This year’s AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards winners show just how exciting colored gemstones can be,” said Spectrum committee chairman Jon Gad. “Colored stones are more popular than ever, and as chair, I was especially pleased to see so many new entrants this year. Thank you to everyone who entered and gave us the chance to recognize the talent and hard work behind these pieces.”
The judges this year were Jerry Raine of Turgeon Raine Jewelers, John Bachman of John M. Bachman, Yehouda Saketkhou of Yael Designs, John Bradshaw of John J. Bradshaw and Zoltan David of Zoltan David. Meanwhile, Lauren Stuller and Charles Evans served as judges for the Stuller Color of the Year Award and Jenny Luker, president of Platinum Guild International, was the judge for the Platinum Honors Awards.
AGTA also presented the Alfie Norville Women in Excellence Awards (ANW), which Allan Norville and the Norville family sponsored, for the third time. Judges Michelle Spector, Ben Norville and Reena Norville selected one female entrant from each of the seven Spectrum categories for an ANW honor. All women entering the AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards are eligible.
AGTA will showcase several of the winning pieces at the 2027 GemFair Tucson show from January 31 to February 6, 2027. The AGTA Spectrum Gala, the highlight of Gem Week, will take place on February 3 at the Tucson Convention Center.
Here are some of the show winners’ pieces:
Best of Show – Cutting Edge
Allen Kleiman of A. Kleiman & Co. designed a suite of 11 rainbow cabochon moonstones weighing 90.12 carats. This also won the Pairs & Suites category.
Best of Show – Spectrum
A necklace containing 27.21 carats of diamonds, sporting The Can’t Look Away pendant featuring a 101.34-carat Paraiba tourmaline carved in the motif of Medusa and enhanced with 2.32 carats of diamonds. The work of Lezlie Slavens of Luxe Fine Jewelry, in collaboration with Craig Slavens, Nancy Rice, David Palazyan, Arsen Melkumyan, and Garo Missaelin. The piece also won first place in the AGTA Spectrum Division classical category.
Best of Single Entries, Spectrum
This cuff, Nature’s Whisper, bears 2.64 carats of oval- and pear-shaped pink sapphires, accented with 0.55 carats of sapphires, 0.34 carats of tsavorite garnets, 0.19 carats of rubies, and 1.38 carats of diamonds. From Alishan Halebian of Alishan.
Best of Single Entries, Cutting Edge
Stephen M. Avery of Stephen M. Avery designed the Museum Series Portrait #7 piece, which centers a 3.21-carat pink sapphire in a surround of four minty peridots totaling 12.61 carats. This piece also won Innovative Faceting.
Best Use of Color
These Trumpetta earrings feature 67 carats of green tourmalines accented with 1.11 carats of diamonds. Designed by Adam Neeley of Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry. They also won Editor’s Choice, Spectrum, and first place in Business/Day Wear.
Best Use of Pearls
Ricardo Basta of E. Eichberg designed this sheep Baabara necklace. It features white pearls, with a 1.71-carat, pink sapphire as its nose and two tsavorite garnets as eyes. This piece also won first place in the Innovation Design category.
Fashion Forward
Another piece from Adam Neeley, this Flame Skimmer brooch comprises a suite of six different-colored garnets totaling 12.16 carats, enhanced with diamonds. It also won the Men’s Wear category.
Editors’ Choice, Cutting Edge
A Kaleidoscope of Cuprian from Ann Barker of Barker & Co. is a collection of multicolored Mozambique Paraiba and cuprian Tourmalines with a total weight of 98.61 carats.
AGTA Spectrum Division
Bridal Wear
Niveet Nagpal of Omi Gems won first place. This platinum ring centers a 5.32-carat Paraiba tourmaline enhanced with 1.05 carats of tourmalines and 0.69 carats of diamonds.
Engagement Rings
This Something New, Something Blue ring, containing an emerald-cut, 4.50-carat, blue zircon in a diamond frame, won first place. It’s the work of Shelby Lichtenstein of 3090 Gems, in collaboration with 3090 Gems.
Evening Wear
Joseph Dardashti of Joseph Dardashti designed this bracelet. The Horus Egyptian Revival jewel features 5.90 carats of rubies, 3.75 carats of blue sapphires, and 0.70 carats of emeralds embellished with 6.50 carats of diamonds and 0.75 carats of onyx.
AGTA Cutting Edge Division
All Other Cut Gemstones
An oval, 9.75-carat, cobalt blue Vietnamese spinel from Mikola Kukharuk of Nomad’s.
Carving
Wings of Amazonia features a pair of untreated bi/tricolor natural Brazilian Paraiba tourmalines totaling 8.60 carats, from Bryan Lichtenstein of 3090 Gems for Royal Touch group.
Classic Gemstones
A cushion cut, 41.05-carat Ceylon Sapphire from Joseph Ambalu of Amba Gem corporation.
North American Mined Gemstones
A radiant square, 12.50-carat Colorado rhodochrosite by Ben Kho of Kho International.
Objects of Art
This hand-forged Damascus dagger piece features knapped rainbow obsidian accented with 17.23 carats of sapphires, jadeite and red spinel eyes.
Phenomenal Gemstones
Keegan Reeves of International Gem Co., in collaboration with Chris Starnes and Jason Brim, created this cushion-shaped, 9.58-carat Tanzanian color-change cobalt spinel.
Stuller Color of the Year Award
Cutting Edge
An oval, 7.33-carat Madagascar ruby from Alan Afshin Hackman of Intercolor USA, in collaboration with David Hackman.
Stuller Color of the Year Award
Spectrum
This ring, Neuvelle Moi et Toi Forever, features a 6.21-carat, red Mahenge spinel and a 3.06-carat diamond, in a frame containing 1.32 carats of diamonds. From Jeffrey Bilgore of Jeffrey Bilgore.
Spectrum Runner-Up
This brooch, Bleeding Heart, Not Broken by Cindy Zhang of Cindy Lu, is designed as a heart. It sports 8.63 carats of rubellite tourmaline with diamond accents.
Best Use of Platinum and Color
Roland Krainz of Krainz Creations designed this Ambrosia necklace featuring opals and accents of diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and tsavorite garnets.
Best Use of Platinum Crown
The Everest ring features a cushion-cut, 9.70-carat Tanzanite and 1.67 carats of diamond accents. From Ricardo Basta of E. Eichberg.
Images: Some of the winners for the Best Of category. (American Gem Trade Association)
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