2018 GEM Award Winners Chosen

RAPAPORT... Jewelers of America picked the winners of its 16th annual GEM Awards, held on Friday in New York. Irene Neuwirth of Irene Neuwirth Jewelry won in the jewelry-design category for her modern style using raw, unmanufactured gemstones, while Marion Fasel took home the prize for media excellence for online magazine TheAdventurine.com.The retail-innovation award went to Moda Operandi, which lets consumers preorder styles that they see models wear on a runway before they are widely available. It also provides items from designers that it picks specifically to suit its customers.  The lifetime-achievement award went to Sally Morrison, a jewelry marketing specialist who has worked with De Beers, the World GoldCouncil and Gemfields. Will & Grace actress Debra Messing (pictured) received the jewelry-style award.The event took place at Cipriani 42nd Street, a luxury venue in New York's Midtown. Image: Abbey Drucker