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New Engagement-Ring Category Shines at Gem-Studded AGTA Awards

November 6, 2024  |  Marni Davimes Weinbaum
First-place winners at AGTA image

The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) has revealed the winners of its 2024 Spectrum and Cutting Edge awards, marking the 40th anniversary of the former.

This year’s contest, which ran from October 31 to November 1, received more than 375 submissions, the organization said Monday. Notable trends included the use of sapphires, tourmalines, and other blue and pink stones, as well as purple and orange gems.

Category-wise, “Evening Wear garnered the most entries at 75, and Men’s Wear had 27 entries, which reflects a slight increase,” said AGTA CEO John Ford. “We also have the new Engagement Ring category, and the 21 entries in it were just an explosion of vibrant color and far outweighed my expectations” for the traditionally diamond-dominated segment. “We also saw a substantial number of first-time entrants.”

The judges this year were longtime jeweler Jean Francois Bibet, Sherry Bender of Chicago retailer The Goldsmith, Susan Jacques from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and Suzy Landa of Suzy Landa Fine Jewelry. Peggy Grosz, formerly of pearl specialist Assael, withdrew from the panel due to a conflict.

Spectrum, which has been running since 1984, honors outstanding jewelry design, while Cutting Edge has been recognizing lapidary talent since 1992.

Here are the winners for each category in the Spectrum contest:

Best of Show and First Place in Evening Wear

Sophia D. En Tremblant Butterfly brooch in platinum image
Sophia D. En Tremblant Butterfly brooch in platinum and 18-karat yellow gold by Joseph Dardashti and Sophia D. Karmel of Joseph Dardashti. The brooch features 0.55 carats of emeralds, 3.02 carats of rubies, 0.65 carats of sapphires and 7.55 carats of diamonds.

Best Use of Color

Platinum ring by Niveet Nagpal image
Platinum ring by Niveet Nagpal of Omi Gems featuring an emerald-cut, 12.42-carat bicolor tourmaline with 0.70 carats of spinel, 0.68 carats of demantoid garnets and 0.41 carats of diamonds.

Best Use of Pearl

Helix cufflinks by Robin Callahan
Helix cufflinks by Robin Callahan of Robin Callahan Designs in 14-karat white gold with two pairs of Keshi pearls and 6.31 carats of black diamonds.

Fashion Forward and Editor’s Choice

Cromatica earrings in titanium Adam Neeley image
Cromatica earrings in titanium and 14-karat white gold by Adam Neeley of Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry, featuring tanzanites and garnets totaling 20.66 and 23.62 carats respectively, along with 1.26 carats of diamond accents.

Best of Single Entries

Whisper of the Ancestors lapel pin by Matthew Tuggle image
Whisper of the Ancestors lapel pin by Matthew Tuggle of Tuggle Designs and contributors Lauren Tuggle, Ryan Anderson and Kyle Forgey. The piece showcases a fantasy-cut, 18.23-carat sunstone with 1.15 carats of mixed teal tourmaline and 0.76 carats of diamonds in 18-karat rose gold, yellow gold and platinum.

Best Use of Platinum and Color, and First Place in Men’s Wear

Blue Me Away platinum ring by Craig Slavens image
Blue Me Away platinum ring by Craig Slavens of Luxe Fine Jewelry, starring a bezel-set cabochon cat’s eye blue topaz weighing 13.59 carats alongside 2.16 carats of ombré blue sapphires and 1.45 carats of diamonds.

Best Use of Platinum Crown

(No image available)

The Girl Can Fight platinum ring by Marie Fellhauer of Holly Hawks Curations and contributor Southern Diamond Jewelers. The piece features a 32-carat morganite with 1.72 carats of pink- and white-diamond embellishments.

First Place in Bridal Wear

Earrings by Christina Penuel image
Earrings by Christina Penuel of Mark Loren Designs featuring Yangtze pearls in 14-karat yellow gold, as well as 3.04 carats of sapphires and 0.88 carats of amethyst.

First Place in Business/Day Wear

Mariana ring in platinum by Maia Carlson image
Mariana ring in platinum by Maia Carlson of Weber Goldsmith Gallery and contributor Brad Weber. It showcases a concave-cut, 18.44-carat aquamarine with step-cut and pavé-set diamonds totaling 1.89 carats.

First Place in Classical

Convertible platinum ring by Beatrix Laura Jessner image
A convertible platinum ring by Beatrix Laura Jessner of B&W Jewels with a 2.04-carat Brazilian Paraíba tourmaline and 3.99 carats of diamonds. The piece is also wearable as a pendant.

First Place in Engagement Rings

Platinum ring by Niveet Nagpal of Omi Gems image
A platinum ring by Niveet Nagpal of Omi Gems, featuring a 10.08-carat tsavorite garnet with an additional 0.60 carats of tsavorite garnets and 0.66 carats of diamonds surrounding it.

The Cutting Edge Award winners are as follows:

Best of Show and First Place in North American Mined Gemstones

The Montana Sun sapphire by John Dyer image
The Montana Sun sapphire, a 33-carat specimen from Rock Creek, Montana, by John Dyer of John Dyer Gems.

Best of Single Entries and First Place in Objects of Art

Blue Boy intarsia box by Philip Louer image
Blue Boy intarsia box by Philip Louer of North American Gem Carvers and contributors Nicolai Medvedev and Susan Helmich. A stingray crafted in 22-karat gold sits atop the piece, which also features Australian opal, Virgin Valley opal, maw sit sit, Nevada turquoise, golden quartz, sugilite, malachite, dinosaur bone, diamonds and 2.20 carats of tourmaline.

First Place in All Other Cut Gemstones

Cushion-cut Paraíba tourmaline by Joseph Ambalu
A cushion-cut, 27.42-carat Paraíba tourmaline by Joseph Ambalu of Amba Gem Corp.

First Place in Carving

The Encounter by Patrick Dreher of Dreher Carvings image
The Encounter by Patrick Dreher of Dreher Carvings, featuring a 1,105-gram agate geode with a calcite and goethite interior and onyx accents.

First Place in Classic Gemstones

No-oil Brazilian emerald by Allen Kleiman image
An emerald-cut, 8.33-carat, no-oil Brazilian emerald by Allen Kleiman of A. Kleiman & Co.

First Place in Innovative Faceting

The Deco Nouveau aquamarine by Lee Haynes image
The Deco Nouveau, a 54-carat aquamarine by Lee Haynes of LWH Gems featuring a mixed-cut wave pavilion and nouveau deco crown.

First Place in Pairs and Suites

Cushion-cut, Sri Lankan blue sapphires by Niveet Nagpal image
A suite of cushion-cut, Sri Lankan blue sapphires totaling 114.89 carats by Niveet Nagpal of Omi Gems.

First Place in Phenomenal

Round cabochon-cut Australian black opal by Ruben Bindra
A round cabochon-cut, 10.15-carat Australian black opal by Ruben Bindra of B & B Fine Gems.

Main image: Some of the first-place winners. (AGTA)

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