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Carlsbad, CA--Catherine Aulick, a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), was awarded the ninth and final Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design on February 6. The ceremony took place in Tucson during the American Gem Trade Association GemFair.

[Image via GIA]

According to a press release from GIA, Aulick's winning hand-rendered sketch incorporates gold, peridot, and Ethiopian opal. Her work was chosen from a pool of 12 finalists representing international GIA campuses. As part of the recognition, the designer will travel to Italy to meet with foundation representatives.

"Hand rendering has given me a new and beautiful language for communicating my designs," Aulick stated, as reported by GIA. The institute noted that the award program, which initially launched in 2018 to highlight student drafting and illustration skills, is officially concluding this year.

GIA Chief Learning Officer Cathryn Ramirez indicated that the organization is actively developing a new design competition to replace the current program, as stated in the announcement. The 2026 judging panel overseeing the final Buccellati award included industry professionals Alishan Halebian, Andrew Connors, Charles Lewton-Brain, Nanz Aalund, and Remy Rotenier.

Read the news release on GIA's website.