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Fashionable color sweeps the Spectrum Awards
October 29, 2008
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| James W. Currens' platinum "Kaleidoscope X2" ring won the AGTA Spectrum Award for best use of color and fashion-forward honors. |
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New York--A sun-soaked penthouse studio in Greenwich Village was ablaze with every conceivable hue on Monday when the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) gave editors a preview of the winners and the runners-up for its 2009 AGTA Spectrum Awards, which spotlight the beauty and diversity of colored gemstones.
Now in its 25th year, the competition was held from Oct. 25-26 in New York City with the judging panel composed of Tom Heyman of Oscar Heyman, Donna Sturm of Verdura, Claudia Mata of Town and Country magazine and lapidarist Walter Casaravilla.
Among the gemstone trends surfacing this year was moonstone, opal and morganite--with the latter even making its way into the bridal category.
In terms of design, pave accents, black diamonds, oxidized metals and palladium were among the striking newcomers to the competition.
A tendency to view colored stones in a different way was another theme, and one that was well-established in one winning piece, the "Kaleidoscope X2" ring by James W. Currens. The piece features differently colored triangular-shaped gemstones that create a 3-D kaleidoscope effect under a dome of 85-carat crystal.
"This year, the trend seemed to be any material that will give you a big, bold look with color," AGTA Chief Executive Officer Douglas Hucker said.
He noted that the entries for bridal wear were especially interesting, with colorful attention-getting gemstones bumping aside the usually demure classics associated with the category.
The AGTA Spectrum Awards are judged on the basis of overall beauty and wearability, innovative design, effective use of materials, quality of gemstones, workmanship, broad-based consumer appeal and the potential to generate positive publicity for colored gemstones.
The AGTA Cutting Edge Awards, also displayed at the press preview, honor excellence and creativity in lapidary arts.
Best of Category Winners
Best of show and first place in evening wear:
Frederic Sage, Frederic Sage, Great Neck, N.Y.
"Enchanted Stallion" brooch, 158.26 carats of hand-carved enhanced turquoise, 3.77 carats of diamonds and 0.16 carats of demantoid garnet set in 18-karat green and white gold.
Best use of color and fashion-forward honors:
Business/day wear: James W. Currens, J.W. Currens, New York
Platinum "Kaleidoscope X2" ring featuring an 85-carat crystal surrounding 10.13 carats of diamonds, 2.5 carats of amethyst, 1.45 carats of aquamarine, 0.9 carats of fire opal, 1.1 carats of topaz, 4.89 carats of citrine, 2.13 carats of garnet and 2.85 carats of tourmaline.
Best use of platinum and color, and platinum honors in bridal wear:
Erica Courtney, Erica Courtney, Los Angeles
Platinum necklace featuring an 112.84-carat aquamarine briolette accented with 4.79 carats of diamonds and aquamarine.
Best use of pearls, bridal wear:
James W. Currens, J.W. Currens, New York, N.Y.
Platinum and 18-karat yellow gold "Celebration" ring featuring a 16-millimeter South Sea white pearl, a 12.5-millimeter South Sea golden pearl, a 14.4-millimeter Tahitian pearl and a 10.15-millimeter Tahitian black pearl accented with 3.76 carats of white and yellow diamonds.
SPECTRUM AWARDS
Bridal Wear
First place, bridal wear:
Judy Evans, Richard Krementz Gemstones, Springdale, N.J.
Platinum earrings featuring 27.08-carat morganite briolettes accented with 2.35 carats of diamonds.
Second place, bridal wear:
Evelyn Clothier, Evelyn Clothier Jewelry, Philadelphia
Platinum earrings featuring white donut agates accented with 4.15 carats of diamonds.
Third place, bridal wear:
Carley McGee-Boehm, Carley Jewels, Solana Beach, Calif.
Palladium earrings featuring 18.09 carats of cuprian tourmaline accented with black spinel and rock crystal quartz heliolith.
Best use of pearls, bridal wear:
James W. Currens, J.W. Currens, New York
Platinum and 18-karat yellow gold "Celebration" ring featuring a 16-millimeter South Sea white pearl, a 12.5-millimeter South Sea golden pearl, a 14.4-millimeter Tahitian pearl and a 10.15-millimeter Tahitian black pearl accented with 3.76 carats of white and yellow diamonds.
Manufacturing honors, bridal wear:
Michael Endlich, Pave Fine Jewelry, Oakland, Calif.
Platinum ring featuring a 2.85-carat rainbow moonstone cabochon accented with 0.2 carats of diamonds.
Platinum honors and best use of platinum and color, bridal wear:
Erica Courtney, Erica Courtney, Los Angeles
Platinum necklace featuring an 112.84-carat aquamarine briolette accented with 4.79 carats of diamonds and aquamarine.
Business/Day Wear
First place, business/day wear:
Devta Doolan, Devta Doolan Jewelry, Portland, Maine
24-karat yellow and 14-karat rose gold necklace featuring 630 jasper cabochons.
Second place, business/day wear:
Jennifer Rabe Morin, Jennifer Joailliers, Santa Barbara, Calif.
18-karat white gold ring featuring a 38.67-carat star rose quartz cabochon accented with 7.19 carats of pink sapphire and 1.04 carats of diamonds.
Third place, business/day wear:
Ashleigh Branstetter, Ashleigh Branstetter, Baton Rouge, La.
18-karat yellow gold ring featuring a 32.1-carat pink tourmaline cabochon accented with 0.58 carats of diamonds.
Best use of color and fashion-forward, business/day wear:
James W. Currens, J.W. Currens, New York
Platinum "Kaleidoscope X2" ring featuring an 85-carat crystal surrounding 10.13 carats of diamonds, 2.5 carats of amethyst, 1.45 carats of aquamarine, 0.9 carats of fire opal, 1.1 carats of topaz, 4.89 carats of citrine, 2.13 carats of garnet and 2.85 carats of tourmaline.
Honorable mention, business/day wear:
Glen J. Engelbrecht, G J Designs, Sarasota, Fla.
18-karat yellow gold pendant featuring a drusy quartz leaf accented with 1.13 carats of diamonds.
Manufacturing honors, business/day wear:
Yehouda Saketkhou, Yael Designs, San Francisco
Platinum ring featuring a 13-millimeter black Tahitian pearl accented with pave diamonds.
Platinum honors, business/day wear:
Evelyn Clothier, Evelyn Clothier Jewelry, Philadelphia
Platinum earrings featuring 13.68 total carats of triangle-cut green tourmaline accented with 1.5 carats of diamonds.
Classical
First place, classical:
Gregore Morin, Gregore Joailliers, Santa Barbara, Calif.
18-karat white and yellow gold frog brooch featuring 2.32 carats of opal, 1.08 carats of moonstone and 0.03 carats of pink sapphire.
Second place, classical:
Erica Courtney, Erica Courtney, Los Angeles
18-karat yellow gold ring featuring a 17.51-carat chalcedony cabochon accented with 3.1 carats of turquoise cabochons and diamonds.
Third place, classical:
Jeffrey Bilgore, Jeffrey Bilgore, New York
Platinum ring featuring a 14.8-carat cushion-cut blue-green tourmaline accented with 0.7 carats of diamonds.
Honorable mention, classical:
JJ Buckareff, JJ Buckar, Toronto
18-karat yellow gold cameo featuring a carved shell accented with 2.03 carats of diamonds, 1.08 carats of tsavorite and spessartite garnet, 3.08 carats of pink, blue and yellow sapphire, and 0.3 carats of Paraiba tourmaline.
Manufacturing honors, classical:
Richard Krementz Gemstones, Richard Krementz Gemstones, Springfield, N.J.
Platinum and 18-karat yellow gold ring featuring a 5.37-carat blue sapphire accented with 1.05 carats of diamonds.
Platinum honors, classical:
Aron Suna, Suna Bros. Inc., New York
Platinum ring featuring a 7.74-carat antique cushion-cut topaz accented with 0.62 carats of diamonds.
Evening Wear
First place and best of show, evening wear:
Frederic Sage, Frederic Sage, Great Neck, N.Y.
"Enchanted Stallion" brooch, 158.26 carats of hand-carved enhanced turquoise, 3.77 carats of diamonds and 0.16 carats of demantoid garnet set in 18-karat green and white gold.
Second place, evening wear:
JJ Buckareff, JJ Buckar, Toronto
Platinum "Ribbons" ring featuring an 11.5-carat tanzanite accented with 3.5 carats of ideal-cut diamonds.
Third place, evening wear:
Evelyn Clothier, Evelyn Clothier Jewelry, Philadelphia
Platinum earrings featuring 70.86 carats of green beryl drops with 4.23 carats of square- and round-cut tourmaline and 0.78 carats of diamonds.
Honorable mention, evening wear:
Yehouda Saketkhou, Yael Designs, San Francisco
18-karat white and yellow gold ring featuring a 60-carat yellow sapphire accented with 10 carats of white and yellow diamonds.
Manufacturing honors, evening wear:
Erica Courtney, Erica Courtney, Los Angeles
18-karat yellow gold earrings featuring 17.56 carats of pear-shaped and antique cushion-cut tanzanite.
Platinum honors, evening wear:
Michael daCosta, Fortune's Fine Jewellery, Toronto
Platinum brooch featuring a 0.57-carat brown diamond accented with 0.52 carats of yellow diamonds, 9.15 carats of ruby, pink and yellow sapphire, and 1.58 carats of diamonds.
Men's Wear
First place, men's wear:
Ricardo Basta, E. Eichberg, Beverly Hills, Calif.
18-karat yellow gold and platinum cuff links featuring 14.7 carats of lavender chalcedony cabochons, 1.57 carats of round yellow sapphire, 0.17 carats of diamonds and 0.08 carats of ruby.
Second place, men's wear:
Robert Pelliccia, J.R. Dunn Jewelers, Lighthouse Point, Fla.
Platinum and 22-karat yellow gold ring featuring a 1.75-carat emerald-cut alexandrite accented with 0.69 carats of diamond baguettes.
Third place, men's wear:
Jack Bigio, Basser and Bigio, New York
22-karat and 18-karat yellow gold cuff links featuring 30.5 carats of bi-color watermelon tourmaline slices.
Manufacturing honors, men's wear:
Ricardo Basta, E. Eichberg, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Palladium ring featuring a 19.68-carat oval-cut brown zircon.
Platinum honors, men's wear:
Mark Schneider, Mark Schneider Design, Long Beach, Calif.
Platinum ring featuring an 11.54-carat indicolite tourmaline accented with 1.58 carats of white and yellow diamonds.
CUTTING EDGE AWARDS
A1-Open Category Classic
First place, A1, open category classic gemstone:
John M. Bachman, John M. Bachman, Boulder, Colo.
29.92-carat natural yellow sapphire.
Second place, A1, open category classic gemstone:
Joseph Ambalu, Amba Gem Corp., New York
6.05-carat emerald-cut natural blue sapphire.
Third place, A1, open category classic gemstone:
Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman and Co., San Francisco
9.13-carat heart-shaped natural yellow sapphire.
A2-Open Category All Other
First place, A2, open category all other faceted:
Jeffrey Bilgore, Jeffrey Bilgore, New York
11.44-carat oval-cut red spinel.
Second place, A2, open category all other faceted:
Joseph Ambalu, Amba Gem Corp., New York
10.45-carat natural elbaite tourmaline.
Third place, A2, open category all other faceted:
Joseph Ambalu, Amba Gem Corp., New York
8.62-carat oval-cut natural Paraiba tourmaline.
A3-Open Category
First place, A3, open category phenomenal:
James W. Currens, J.W. Currens, New York
34.8-carat natural fancy boulder opal cabochon.
Second place, A3, open category phenomenal:
Omi Nagpal, Omi Gems, Inc., Los Angeles
5.98-carat cushion-cut alexandrite.
Third place, A3, open category phenomenal:
Stephen Kotlowski, Zultanite Gems, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
80.25-carat oval zultanite.
B-Pairs and Suites
First place, B, pairs and suites:
Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman and Co., San Francisco
28.47-carat cushion-cut peridot.
Second place, B, pairs and suites:
Nandu Nichani, Temple Trading Co., Encinitas, Calif.
Pair of silver pear-shaped moonstones totaling 107.09 carats.
Third place, B, pairs and suites:
Thomas Trozzo, Trozzo, Culpeper, Va.
46.98-carat suite of dimple-cut round citrines.
Honorable mention, B, pairs and suites:
David A. Brackna, Gemcutter, Germantown, Md.
"Carousel"-cut assembled opal inlaid and surrounded by a 17.58-carat heliodor.
C-Faceting
First place, C, faceting:
Ben Kho, Kho International, Ltd., Decatur, Ga.
15.05-carat cushion-cut rhodochrosite.
Second place, C, faceting:
Shawn Maddox, Jewels From the Woods, Blanco, Texas
19.01-carat "Celestial Compass" peridot.
Third place, C, faceting:
Christopher Wolfsberg, K.S. Export, Castle Hayne, N.C.
41.65-carat modified square-cut heliodor.
D-Carving
First place, D, carving:
Larry Woods, Jewels From the Woods, Blanco, Texas
40.47-carat lightning ridge opal carving.
Second place, D, carving:
Glenn Lehrer, Lehrer Designs, Inc., Larkspur, Calif.
"Solar Flare" 70.13-carat carved transparent-orange brazilian opal.
Third place, D, carving:
Darryl Alexander, Alexander's Jewelers, Gilbert, Ariz.
25.7-carat "Autumn Forming" agate free-form carving.
E-Combination
First place, E, combination:
Michael M. Dyber, Michael M. Dyber doing business as Ledge Art Studio, Rumney, N.H.
89.79-carat carved aquamarine.
Second place, E, combination:
Cheng Ming, Milani Jewelry Co., Ltd., Coquitlam, B.C.
11.0-carat round citrine.
Third place, E, combination:
John Dyer, John Dyer and Co., Edina, Minn.
106.84-carat "Aqua Exuberance" aquamarine.
Honorable mention, E, combination:
John Dyer, John Dyer and Co., Edina, Minn.
27.12-carat concave-cut trillion aquamarine.
F-Objects of Art
First place, F, objects of art:
Dalan Hargrave, GemStarz, Spring Branch, Texas
Executive desk set featuring lightning ridge opal, black galaxy, black jade and quartz, totaling 1,500 carats.
Second place, F, objects of art:
Dalan Hargrave, Juniper Ridge Opal, Spring Branch, Texas
"Cheese" carving featuring a full variety of Juniper Ridge opal totaling 2,400 carats total.
Third place, F, objects of art:
R.A. "Art" Guyon, International Gem Mart, Southlake, Texas
"Moods" sculpture of Jasper.
Honorable mention, F, objects of art:
Robert Wander, Robert Wander for Winc Creations, Honolulu, Hawaii
Walking stick with an 18-karat yellow gold "flamingo" handle featuring 95.58 carats of multicolored sapphires and 1.57 carats of chocolate diamonds.
This year's AGTA Spectrum Awards will be presented during the 2009 AGTA GemFair Tucson to be held from Feb. 4-9 at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Ariz.
Winning entries will be displayed during the show and AGTA Spectrum Awards recipients will be recognized during the AGTA Dinner Dance and Awards Gala, which starts at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7. Tickets for the gala are $100 and cocktail attire is encouraged.
For further information, call (800) 972-1162 or visit the AGTA's Web site, AGTA.org.
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