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Color Rocks! | November 29, 2010 (0 comments)
Dallas, TX—With one royal and one celebrity engagement each recently having been celebrated with a colored gemstone, the American Gem Trade Association hopes all jewelry lovers get their colors on, possibly even with one of the winners in its annual Spectrum Awards competition.
The Spectrum Awards competition, now celebrating its 27th anniversary, was created to encourage creativity in the use of colored gemstones in fine jewelry design. This year’s competition drew 450 entries, 35 of which had never before participated. Judging was held October 23-24 in New York City.
The Best In Show winner is pictured at the top of this article. Created by Todd Reed, Boulder, CO, it’s a palladium cuff bracelet featuring a 22.40 ct. aquamarine accented with grey diamonds (6.90 cts, t.w.) and white diamonds (2.20 cts. t.w.).
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.
Competition categories include Bridal, Business/Day Wear, Classical, Evening Wear, and Men's Wear. As in previous years, the Platinum Honors category, sponsored by Platinum Guild International, recognized outstanding design among those entries whose primary metal was platinum.
The Manufacturing Honors award celebrated outstanding use of colored gemstones and cultured pearls in jewelry that can be manufactured in production quantities, while Fashion Forward Honors recognized outstanding use of colored gemstone and/or cultured pearl beads in artful, trend-setting jewelry. All pieces in the Spectrum competition were eligible to compete in both the Manufacturing Honors and Fashion Forward categories, as well as in their design category of entry.
AGTA’s Cutting EdgeAwards, held simultaneously,honor excellence and creativity in the lapidary arts, including natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls, carvings, other gem materials, and objects of art. Cutting Edge categories include: Open Category – Classic Gemstones, Open Category – All Other Faceted Gemstones, Open Category – Phenomenal Gemstones, Pairs & Suites, Faceting, Carving, Combination, and Objects of Art.
Judges for 2011 were Tanya Dukes of Elite Traveler magazine, Jennifer Gandia of Greenwich Jewelers, Glenn Lehrer of Lehrer Designs, Mallary Marks of Mallary Marks, Inc., and Robin Rotenier of Rotenier, Ltd.
Awards will be presented during the 2011 AGTA GemFair Tucson, February 1 - 6 at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, AZ. Winning entries will be displayed during the show and award recipients will be recognized during the AGTA Dinner Dance and Awards Gala, set for 7:00 pm Saturday, February 5. Tickets are $100; cocktail attire is encouraged.
For more information, call (800) 972-1162 or visit www.agta.org. For inquiries regarding the AGTA Spectrum Awards competition, contact Adam Graham, phone as above or email adam@agta.org.
A full listing of winners can be found here, but below is a sampling of some winning pieces.
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Bridal Wear - Entry Platinum Honors: Robert Pelliccia, J.R. Dunn Jewelers, Lighthouse Point, FL, for this platinum ring featuring a 1.37 ct. round blue sapphire accented with diamonds (.46 cts. t.w.) and blue sapphires (.28 cts. t.w.). |
Men's Wear - Manufacturing Honors: Oliver Smith, Oliver Smith Jeweler, Scottsdale, AZ, for sterling silver and rose gold ring featuring Madagascar ocean jasper. |
Objects of Art - Honorable Mention: Darryl Alexander, Alexander's Jewelers, Gilbert, AZ, for "Got Paint?", an opalized wood sculpture with a sterling frame in a black marble base. The paints are sugalite, mookite, turquoise and onyx, with quartz dish and sterling tube with coral. The brushes are onyx, agate, hematite, quartz, and multiple woods. |
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Classical - 1st Place: Samuel Getz, Samuel Getz Designs, Miami, FL, for this platinum and 18K yellow gold necklace featuring yellow sapphires (68.77 cts. t.w.), blue sapphires (24.34 cts. t.w.), red spinels (24.20 cts. t.w.) and diamonds (22.38 cts. t.w.). |
Classical - 2nd Place: Sean Ryan, Schmitt Jewelers, Phoenix, AZ, for this 18K white and rose gold "Just Peachy" ring featuring a 4.50 ct. oval padparadscha sapphire accented with white micro-pave diamonds (1.13 cts. t.w.).
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Classical - Honorable Mention: Frederic Sage, Great Neck, NY, for this 18K white gold "Modern Deco" cufflinks featuring sea-foam green tourmalines (4.48 cts. t.w.) and diamonds (.56 cts. t.w.).
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Classical - Platinum Honors: Christopher Olson, Molina Fine Jewelers, Scottsdale, AZ, for this platinum "Temple of the Sacred Heart" ring featuring a 10.05 ct. oval untreated ruby accented with white diamonds (7.18 cts. t.w.) and rubies (.22 cts. t.w.). |
Business/Day Wear - Platinum Honors: Maria Canale, Richard Krementz Gemstones, Newark, NJ, for this platinum "Wave" pendant featuring a 2.18 ct. Paraiba tourmaline accented with diamonds (3.72 cts. t.w.). |
Evening Wear - 3rd Place: Samuel Getz, Samuel Getz Designs, for this 18K white gold ring featuring a 43.05 ct. spherical black opal accented with tsavorite garnets (2.70 cts. t.w.), blue sapphires (2.51 cts. t.w.), iolites (1.53 cts. t.w.), Paraiba tourmalines (.71 cts. t.w.) and diamonds (.63 cts. t.w.).
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Evening Wear - Honorable Mention: Erica Courtney, Los Angeles, CA, for this 18K yellow gold earrings featuring tanzanites (77.99 cts. t.w.) and diamonds (3.38 cts. t.w.). |
Evening Wear - Platinum Honors: Ralph Wobito, Zultanite Gems LLC, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, for platinum earrings featuring zultanite (diaspore) briolettes (25.15 cts. t.w.), accented with white diamonds (0.95 cts. t.w.). |
Men's Wear – 2nd Place: Eddie Sakamoto, Schmitt Jewelers, Phoenix, AZ, for this platinum "Suspense" ring featuring a 14.49 ct. blue star sapphire accented with diamond baguettes (3.60 cts. t.w.). |
