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AGTA Moves Spectrum Awards Judging To Summer; Announces Winners | August 03, 2016 (0 comments)
New York, NY—The American Gem Trade Association last week announced the winners of its prestigious Spectrum Awards, honoring outstanding design using colored gemstones. (Left, a ring from Omi Gems.)
The competition judging was held July 23 and 24 in New York. This year marks the first summer judging; previously held in late September each year. The awards themselves still will be presented during AGTA’s annual GemFair tradeshow, January 31 - February 5 in Tucson, AZ.
Judges for the 2017 competition were: Gail Brett-Levine of National Association of Jewelry Appraisers; Diane Garmendia of 33 Jewels at El Paseo; Jay Mednikow of Memphis, TN-based J.H. Mednikow & Co., Inc.; Victor Velyan of Victor-Christy Studios; and Lew Wackler of Lew Wackler Gem Co.
Douglas K. Hucker, AGTA CEO, said, "The AGTA Spectrum Awards always showcases the best, most innovative, and the most exciting evolutions in the design and colored gemstone industry, and this year was certainly no exception. Unquestionably the quality of the gemstones and metals in the craftsmanship was elevated this year in all of the entries we received, and that was evident in the choices our expert judges made."
Entries were judged on the basis of 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.
Prizes were awarded for first, second, and third places, plus honorable mention in each category, and also for manufacturing honors, platinum honors (sponsored by Platinum Guild International), WJA Gem Diva (sponsored by Women’s Jewelry Assocation) and, in certain categories, entry platinum, also sponsored by PGI. There were also “Best Of” winners in various categories.
AGTA’s Cutting Edge Awards, held in tandem with the Spectrum Awards, honor excellence and creativity in lapidary arts, including natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls, carvings and other gem materials.
Here were the Spectrum Awards’ first place and “best of” category winners.
Best of Show: Ruben Bindra, B & B Fine Gems, for a suite of round, brilliant Russian demantoid garnets (24.67 ctw.).
Best Use of Color: Derek Katzenbach, Katzenbach Designs, for a 14K white gold ring featuring a 4.97 ct. bicolored tourmaline accented with tsavorite garnets, tourmalines and diamonds (.69 ctw.):
Best Use of Pearls: Judy Evans, Oliver & Espig Gallery of Fine Arts, for a platinum pendant featuring a 13.44mm golden South Sea cultured pearl, accented with diamonds:
Best Use of Platinum and Color: Kathy Kinev, Jewel Creations, Inc., for her platinum "St. Chapelle" ring featuring rubies, sapphires, tsavorite garnets, and blue and white diamonds.
Fashion Forward first place: Lorenzo Chavez, Geogem-USA, for a platinum and 18K yellow and rose gold "Gift from the Abyss" pendant featuring a 124.73 ct. carved Kunzite accented with blue zircons and diamonds (.82 ctw.).
Bridal Wear (sponsored by The Knot) first place and Platinum Honors: Ricardo Basta, E. Eichberg, Inc., for a platinum "Royal Blue" ring featuring a 12.00 ct. blue sapphire accented with diamonds (2.59 ctw.). The ring features a detachable 18K yellow gold "Quilt" jacket featuring Turquoise accented with Diamonds (.43 ctw.) and tsavorite Garnets (.16 ctw.).
Business/Day Wear first place: Ricardo Basta, for an 18K yellow gold and platinum "Honey" ring featuring a 13.58 ct. Heliodor accented with Sapphires (.82 ctw.) and diamonds (.96 ctw.):
Classical first place: Niveet Nagpal, Omi Gems, Inc., for an 18K rose gold ring (shown top of page) featuring a 4.01 ct. cushion-cut pink spinel accented with spinel melee (.52 ctw.), diamond melee (.82 ctw.) and a .01 ct. alexandrite.
Evening Wear first place: David Gross, David Gross Group, for a platinum necklace featuring 21 unheated Mozambique rubies (29.33 ctw.) accented with Diamonds (21.61 ctw.).
Men's Wear, first place and Platinum Honors: Mark Schneider, Mark Schneider Design, for a platinum and 18K yellow gold ring featuring a 8.76 ct. maw sit sit accented with black, white and yellow diamonds (2.27 ctw.) and tsavorite garnets (.93 ctw.).
For more information regarding the AGTA Spectrum AwardsTM competition, please contact Megan Whitmire at megan@agta.org or (800) 972-1162.