Armenian Designer Secures Second Couture Prize

RAPAPORT... Designer Mike Saatji of Mike Joseph Jewellery won theCouture prize for high-end diamond jewelry on Sunday in Las Vegas - his second award in the competition to date. The Armenian-born jeweler received the Best inDiamonds Above $20,000 accolade at the Couture Design Awards. A total of 15awards were presented at the ceremony, which took place during the Couture luxury jewelry design exhibition at the JCK Las Vegas fair. Saatji (pictured) received his first Couture honor in 2015 in the Gold Jewelry Below $20,000category. Meanwhile, Paul Schneider - the owner of Twist in Portland, Oregon - received the Cindy Edelstein Award, named for the jewelry consultant and authorwho died in 2016. Several Couture designers, as well as Schneider's daughterSasha, presented the prize in a video. The rest of the winners are: The People's Choice:Julez BryantThe Editor's Choice: Fernando JorgeBest in Debuting: VramBest in Men's: Shamballa JewelsBest in Haute Couture: Nikos KoulisBest in Diamonds Above $20,000: Mike JosephBest in Diamonds Below $20,000: Studio RevesBest in Gold: Carolina BucciBest in Colored Gemstones Above $20,000: Amrapali JewelsBest in Colored Gemstones Below $20,000: ArkBest in Silver: Heather B. MooreBest in Bridal: Eva FehrenBest in Platinum: KuwayamaBest in Innovative: Stephen WebsterBest in Pearls: Autore