Industry Group Hands Out Spectrum Awards

RAPAPORT... The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) has revealed the winners of its 2020 Spectrum Awards, covering a number of categories, including Best of Show and Bridal.This year, honors were also handed out in new categories, including Best of Single Entries, which is granted to those who submit only one entry, and Gem Diva, which was sponsored by the Women's Jewelry Association, honoring female designers in various categories. Meanwhile, the AGTA will give out an accolade for North American Mined Gemstones, under its Cutting Edge award category, it noted.The 2020 winners are as follows:David Nassi, of New York-based 100% Natural, won the Best of Show award for the second year in a row, for a pair of pear-shaped, 90.48-carat total weight, spessartite garnets. Nassi also secured the new North American Mined Gemstone accolade, for a shield-shaped, 0.80-carat untreated red beryl from Utah.The Best Use of Color award went to Rosa Van Parys, of Rosa Van Parys Jewelry, for her 18-karat yellow gold Links necklace, featuring a black Tahitian cultured pearl accented with multicolored sapphires, tsavorite garnets, aquamarines, multicolored diamonds and amethysts.Brenda Smith, of Brenda Smith Jewelry, collected the Best Use of Pearls award for an 18-karat rose gold Black Lace ring featuring a cultured pearl accented with pink and lavender sapphires and diamonds.The accolade for Best Use of Platinum and Color went to Adam Neeley, of Somewhere in the Rainbow, for his platinum and 18-karat yellow gold Dark Knight ring, featuring a 9.81-carat, black opal accented with blue sapphires, tsavorite garnets and diamonds.The Best Use of Platinum Crown prize went to Kathrin Schoenke, of KNS Platinum Solutions, for her platinum ring containing a cushion-cut, 18.65-carat indicolite tourmaline accented with blue and pink sapphires.Sean Olufson, of Olufson Designs, took home the prize for Best of Single Entries Spectrum for his platinum pendant featuring an oval, 3.39-carat, pink sapphire surrounded by matched pear-shaped alexandrites accented with diamonds.The Best of Single Entries Cutting Edge award went to Afshin and David Hackman, of Intercolor USA, for an oval-shaped, 7.04-carat ruby.Peter Schmid, of French Designer Jeweler, took home the Fashion Forward honor for 22-karat and 18-karat yellow gold Lady Gaga Metropolitan Gala earrings, featuring pear-shaped rubelite tourmalines and aquamarines accented with diamonds.Matthew Trent was the winner of the Editor's Choice award for an 18-karat rose gold ring with a 20.65-carat, autumn-colored tourmaline accented with ombre sapphires.In the Bridal Wear division, Niveet Nagpal, of Omi Prive, won first place for a platinum ring featuring an oval-cut, 3.38-carat emerald, accented with diamond epaulettes. Nagpal also won in the Platinum Honors Classical Wear category for a platinum ring with an oval-shaped, 10.10-carat, pink sapphire accented with diamonds, pink sapphires and alexandrite.Nikki Swift, of Nicole Mera, claimed the top spot in the Business and Day Wear category for her platinum ring featuring pear-shaped, pink and lavender spinels accented with diamonds. The entry also took home the award for Platinum Honors & Platinum Innovation Business and Day Wear. Additionally, Swift took home the prize for the Platinum Honors Evening Wear category, for a platinum ring featuring a kite-shaped, 3-carat, grey spinel accented with baguette diamonds and round diamonds. The Classical division top honor went to Joseph Ambalu, of Amba Gem Corp., for a platinum ring featuring an oval-cut, 14.28-carat, blue Sri Lankan sapphire accented with diamonds. Ambalu also took first place in the All Other Cut Gemstones category for a brilliant-cut pear-shaped, 21.81-carat Paraiba tourmaline.The winner in the Evening Wear category was Michael Tope of Raintree, for his 18-karat yellow and rose gold and platinum Casatheia ring, featuring an 8.40-carat rubellite tourmaline paired with a 2.33-carat, blue sapphire accented with chrysoprase, Montana sapphires, diamonds and a pear-cut turquoise. Jeremy Dunn, of Dunn & Co., took home the first prize in the Men's Wear category for a pair of platinum cufflinks set with Asscher-cut Malaya garnets and blue sapphire melee. The entry also garnered the award for Platinum Honors - Men's Wear. The Platinum Honors Bridal Wear accolade went to Benjamin Javaheri, of Uneek Jewelry, for a platinum ring featuring a cushion-cut, 11.58-carat, blue sapphire accented with diamonds. The Platinum Innovation Bridal Wear award was given to Jacob Wosinski of Jacob Raymond Custom Jewelry, for his platinum ring with a radiant-cut, 1.39-carat, mint-green Maine tourmaline. Sean Smokovich of Somewhere in the Rainbow took home the award for Platinum Innovation Evening Wear, for a pair of platinum and 18-karat yellow gold Razzle Dazzle earrings featuring trapiche rubies and diamonds.The Gem Diva Bridal Wear award went to Kathleen Kerr of Fair Trade Jewellery Company, for an 18-karat yellow and white gold halo ring containing a 1.49-carat, bicolored Australian sapphire accented with multicolored sapphire melee and diamonds.Yanqing Zhang Asdurian took home first place in the AGTA Cutting Edge award for Carving, for a jadeite snail carving, while Thomas Trozzo won the top prize in Innovative Faceting for a 70-carat, free-form faceted and carved ametrine. Image: Michael Tope's Casatheia ring, which won the award in the Evening Wear category. (American Gem Trade Association)