One of the most highly anticipated design competitions of the year, the 2012 Spectrum Awards, hosted by the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), has once again brought colored gemstone jewelry to the forefront of the industry and media with a rainbow of creativity. The competition was judged in New York City in a studio loft at the artist residences Westbeth in Greenwich Village. Judges for this year’s competition were Master Goldsmith Klaus Bürgel; Sylvain Chervin, Carvin French; Cindy Edelstein, Jewelers Resource Bureau; Patricia Faber, Aaron Faber Gallery, and Clay Zava, Zava Master Cuts. The judges selected the winning pieces based on overall beauty and wearability, innovative design, effective use of materials, quality of gemstones, quality of workmanship, broad-base consumer appeal and potential to generate positive publicity for natural colored gemstones. The Cutting Edge Awards, which honor excellence and creativity in the lapidary arts, were judged at the same time. The competition also includes Platinum Honors, recognizing those pieces with platinum as the primary metal; Palladium Prestige Awards, celebrating pieces with palladium as the main metal; Manufacturing Honors, acknowledging pieces that can be manufactured in production quantities and Fashion Forward Honors, which recognizes trend-setting jewelry. This year’s AGTA Spectrum Awards™ were presented during the 2012 AGTA GemFair™ at a gala event in Tucson, where the winning entries were displayed during the show.
BEST OF SHOW & EDITOR’S CHOICE (tie)
Todd Reed
Todd Reed, Inc.
Palladium, 22-karat yellow gold, blue moonstone, gray and white diamond, blue sapphire and moldavite Buddha locket.
EDITOR’S CHOICE (tie)
Manya Tessler
Manya & Roumen
Yellow gold, carved black jade and fire opal ring.
Best Use of Color
Deirdre Featherstone
Featherstone Design
Platinum, opal, blue zircon, tanzanite, Paraiba tourmaline and diamond earrings.
Best Use of Platinum and Color
Michael Endlich
Pavé Fine Jewelry
Platinum, aquamarine and diamond ring.
Best Use of Palladium and Color
Dennis de Jonghe
Dennis de Jonghe
Palladium, aquamarine, moonstone, diamond and pearl pendant.
Best Use of Pearls
Anil Maloo
Baggins, Inc.
18-karat white gold, black rhodium, cognac diamonds and cultured South Sea pearl earrings.
First Place
Ion Ionescu
Ionescu Design, Inc.
Palladium, black rhodium, labradorite and Paraiba tourmaline “Pillow for Dreaming” ring.
Second Place
Adam Neeley
Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry
14-karat black rhodium-plated white gold, peridot and blue sapphire ring.
Third Place
Robert Pelliccia
J.R. Dunn Jewelers
18-karat white gold, natural blue jade, sapphire and diamond dangle earrings.
Platinum Honors
Evelyn Clothier
Evelyn Clothier Jewelry
Platinum, brown and white diamond butterfly brooch.
Palladium Prestige Award
Naomi Sarna
Naomi Sarna Designs
Palladium, topaz and diamond ring.
Manufacturing Honors
Yehouda Saketkhou
Yael Designs
18-karat white gold, Mexican fire opal and diamond “Lave” ring.
Honorable Mention
Colette Steckel
Colette Jewelry
18-karat blackened yellow gold, blue checkerboard moonstone and diamond pendant.
Honorable Mention
Michael Hezar
Michael John IMAGE
18-karat white gold, aquamarine and diamond bracelet.
Honorable Mention
Lawrence Gordon
Aspire Designs, Ltd.
18-karat white gold, moonstone, blue sapphire and diamond ring.
First Place
Maria Canale
Richard Krementz Gemstones
Platinum, blue sapphire and diamond “Lace” ring.
Second Place
Erica Courtney
Erica Courtney
18-karat yellow gold, diaspore, demantoid garnet and diamond earrings.
Third Place
Craig Slavens
AuRTWORK Jewelry
Platinum, 18-karat yellow gold,
black and white diamond pendant.
Platinum Honors
James Currens
J.W. Currens, Inc.
Platinum, ruby and diamond ring.
Platinum Innovation
Mark Schneider
Mark Schneider Design
Platinum, blue sapphire and diamond ring.
Palladium Prestige Award
Mirjam Butz-Brown
Adorn Gallery
Palladium, 14-karat yellow gold, quartz, mother-of-pearl, diamond and amethyst earrings.
Manufacturing Honors
Mark Schneider
Mark Schneider Design
Platinum, black Tahitian pearl, cultured freshwater pearls accented with white and black diamond earrings.
Honorable Mention
Leonard McCue
L.A.M. Goldsmiths
Platinum, moonstone and diamond “Hearts and Arrows” ring.
Honorable Mention
Yehouda Saketkhou
Yael Designs
18-karat white gold, tanzanite and diamond “Baroness” earrings.
First Place
James Currens
J.W. Currens, Inc.
Platinum, unheated ruby cabochon and diamond ring.
Second Place
Ashok Sancheti
Pioneer Gems
Platinum, emerald and diamond earrings.
Third Place
Jeffrey Bilgore
Jeffrey Bilgore, LLC
Platinum, morganite, fancy color and
white diamond pendant.
Platinum Honors
Erica Courtney
Erica Courtney
Platinum, imperial pink topaz and diamond ring.
Platinum Innovation
Steph Farber
LeRoy Jewelers
Platinum, rutilated quartz, rainbow moonstone and diamond “Waterfall” pendant.
Palladium Prestige Award
Dennis de Jonghe
Dennis de Jonghe
Palladium, white South Sea pearl and diamond ring.
Manufacturing Honors
Ricardo Basta
E.Eichberg, Inc.
18-karat yellow gold, platinum, ruby, tsavorite garnet and sapphire eternity band set.
Honorable Mention
Frank Caballero
Frank Caballero
18-karat white and yellow gold, Madeira citrine and diamond ring.
Honorable Mention
Christo Kiffer
Sissy’s Log Cabin
Platinum, black opal, emerald, blue sapphire and diamond ring.
First Place & Fashion Forward
Belle Brooke Barer
Belle Brooke Designs, Inc.
Oxidized sterling silver, blue chalcedony cabochon and diamond necklace.
Second Place
Michele Mercaldo
Michele Mercaldo Contemporary Jewelry
Palladium, pink sapphire and diamond ring.
Third Place
Heather Moore
Heather B. Moore, Inc.
14-karat yellow gold, rubellite tourmaline and diamond “I Love You More than the Moon, the Stars and the Sun” necklace.
Platinum Honors
Leon Mege
Leon Mege, Inc.
Platinum, Paraiba tourmaline and diamond ring.
Platinum Innovation
Susan Drake
Spectrum Art & Jewelry
Platinum, yellow gold, red spinel and diamond ring.
Palladium Prestige Award
Dawn Muscio
D. Muscio Designs
Palladium, 14-karat rose gold, chrysocolla, peridot and diamond “Isis” ring.
Manufacturing Honors
Norman Turgeon
Turgeon-Raine Jewellers
18-karat rose gold, amethyst, chrome tourmaline and diamond earrings.
Honorable Mention
Pamela Froman
Pamela Froman Fine Jewelry
18-karat yellow and pink gold, opal and diamond “Crushed Frame” ring.
Honorable Mention
Sylva Yepremian
Sylva & Cie.
18-karat yellow gold, trapiche emerald and diamond necklace.
First Place
Mark Schneider
Mark Schneider Design
Platinum, ruby and yellow diamond engraved ring.
Second Place
Ryan Roberts
Ryan Roberts, Ltd.
18-karat yellow gold, platinum, indicolite tourmaline, tsavorite garnet and diamond ring.
Third Place
Llyn Strelau
Jewels by Design
19-karat white gold, black onyx, Gibeon meteorite carving, tsavorite garnet and black diamond “Green Arrow” cufflinks.
Platinum Honors
Mark Schneider
Mark Schneider Design
Platinum, rubellite tourmaline, white and
yellow diamond ring.
Palladium Prestige Award
Evelyn Huang
evelynH. Jewelry, Inc.
Palladium, color-change diaspore and
diamond “Zultan” ring.
Manufacturing Honors
Ashleigh Branstetter
Ashleigh Branstetter
Sterling silver, Tahitian pearl and blue sapphire cufflinks.
Honorable Mention
Link Wachler
Link Wachler Designs
Silver, 14-karat rose gold, pearl, sapphire,
ruby and emerald “Eye to Eye” ring.
Honorable Mention
Matt Conable
William Henry
22-karat yellow gold over sterling silver, fossil walrus ivory and ruby pocketknife.
First Place
Allen Kleiman
A. Kleiman & Co.
30.04-carat unheated oval yellow sapphire.
Second Place
Phillip Youngman
Richard Krementz Gemstones
7.66-carat cushion-cut blue sapphire.
Third Place
Joseph Ambalu
Amba Gem Corp.
6.07-carat unheated ruby.
Honorable Mention
Richard Krementz
Richard Krementz Gemstones
19.18-carat antique-cut yellow sapphire.
Honorable Mention
Joseph Ambalu
Amba Gem Corp.
8.06-carat oval padparadscha sapphire.
First Place
Allen Kleiman
A. Kleiman & Co.
10.07-carat oval purple spinel.
Second Place
Roger L. Dery
Spectral Gems, Inc.
8.77-carat trillion step-cut Merelani mint garnet.
Third Place
Phillip Youngman
Richard Krementz Gemstones
15.20-carat cushion-cut sphene.
Platinum Honors
Ben Kho
Kho International, Inc.
18.80-carat round Portuguese-cut rhodochrosite.
First Place
Robyn Dufty
DuftyWeis Opals, Inc.
27.30-carat black opal cat’s eye.
Second Place
Sailesh Lakhi
Sparkles and Colors, Inc.
17-carat oval moonstone cabochon.
Third Place
Joseph Ambalu
Amba Gem Corp.
8.51-carat oval alexandrite.
First Place
Allen Kleiman
A.Kleiman & Co.
Pair of oval red spinels, 22.28 total carat weight.
Second Place
Allen Kleiman
A.Kleiman & Co.
Cushion-cut mint tourmaline suite, 158.74 total carat weight.
Third Place
Aivan Pham
Commercial Mineral
Pair of fan-cut rubellite tourmalines, 26.75 total carat weight.
Honorable Mention
Aivan Pham
Commercial Mineral
Graduated suite of Asscher-cut rubellite tourmalines, 26.74 total carat weight.
First Place
Naomi Sarna
Naomi Sarna Designs
368.50-carat carved amethyst.
Second Place
Darryl Alexander
Alexander’s Jewelers
Carved agate feather.
First Place
Dalan Hargrave
Geogem-USA
30-carat Morganite.
Second Place
John Dyer
John Dyer & Co.
63.57-carat “Super Citrine.”
Third Place
Darrell Jang
Darrell Jang
9-carat to 10-carat elongated octagon and
concave-cut tourmaline.
Honorable Mention
Richard P. Homer
Gems by Design, Inc.
30.95-carat rutilated quartz with a single natural needle in the center.
Honorable Mention
Darryl Alexander
Sunstone Butte Mining Co.
70-carat bubble-cut sunstone.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - February 2012. To subscribe click here.