Best of Winners Announced for AGTA's 2013 Spectrum Awards™ Competition

Winners Announced for AGTA's 2013 Spectrum Awards™ Competition

Winners have been named in the 2013 AGTA Spectrum Awards™ competition hosted by the American Gem Trade Association.  This year marks the 29th anniversary of the competition.

The competition was judged October 20-21 in New York, NY. Judges for the 2013 competition were Candace Edelman of Alex Sepkus, Jennifer Heebner of JCK Magazine, fine jewelry buyer Abby Huhtanen of Bergdorf Goodman, lapidarist Kiwon Jang, and designer Kimberly McDonald.

The annual AGTA Spectrum Awards™ Media Day was held October 22 and featured all of the jewelry and gemstone submissions.  Attendees included top fashion/accessory editors from the trade and consumer press, stylists, and bloggers.  Publications represented includedVogue, W, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Women’s Wear Daily, Marie Claire, Essence, NY Times Magazine, and many more.

SPECTRUM AWARDS - Best of Category Winners:

Best of Show:

James Currens, 

J.W. Currens, Inc.

Platinum "Lava" ring featuring a 12.99 ct. Ruby cabochon accented with marquis-cut Diamonds (1.47 ctw.) and Diamond melee (7.40 ctw.).

Best Use of Color:

Erica Courtney, 

Erica Courtney

18K yellow gold earrings featuring Opals (36.70 ctw.), Apatite (5.92 ctw.) and tsavorite Garnets (1.76 ctw.).

Best Use of Platinum and Color:

Deirdre Featherstone, 

Featherstone Design

Platinum "Shangri-La" earrings featuring Opals (15.86 ctw.) and Tanzanite cabochon drops (48.54 ctw.) accented with purple and blue Sapphires (2.16 ctw.), Tourmalines (4.53 ctw.), tsavorite Garnets (.29 ctw.), Diamonds (.86ctw.) and Turquoise briolettes.

Best Use of Palladium & Color:

Cynthia Renee, 

Cynthia Renee, Inc.

Palladium and stainless steel "Owl Queen" brooch featuring a carved petrified palm owl, accented with Mother of Pearl on a 42.57 ct. green Tourmaline crystal and Diamonds (.16 ctw.).

Fashion Forward:

Jennifer Dawes, 

Dawes Design

18K yellow gold necklace featuring Aquamarines (14.45 ctw.), Emeralds (7.45 ctw.) and Diamonds (1.00 ctw.).

Best Use of Pearls:

Anil Maloo, 
Baggins, Inc.

14K white gold earrings featuring 8.5mm Akoya Pearls, 9mm white South Sea Pearls, 10-11mm Tahitian Pearls and accented with Diamonds (2.42 ctw.).




AGTA Spectrum Awards™ 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.

AGTA Cutting Edge Awards honor excellence and creativity in lapidary arts, including natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls, carvings, and other gem materials.


Platinum Honors were once again awarded with the support of Platinum Guild International.  All entries whose primary metal was platinum were eligible in this category.

Palladium Prestige Awards were once again awarded with the support of Palladium Alliance International.  All entries whose primary metal was palladium were eligible for these awards.

WJA Gem Diva Awards debuted at this year’s Spectrum Awards with the support of WJA, and were presented in the Bridal Wear, Evening Wear, Classical and Business/Day Wear categories.  All women who entered the Spectrum Awards competition were eligible for this category simply by marking the check-box for Gem Diva on their entry form.

All designs that qualified for the Spectrum Awards competition were considered for Manufacturing Honors. This award celebrates outstanding use of colored gemstones and cultured pearls in jewelry appropriate to be manufactured in production quantities.

Fashion Forward Honors recognizes the outstanding use of colored gemstone and/or cultured pearl beads in artful, trend-setting jewelry. All necklaces, earrings, bracelets or other jewelry that qualified for judging in the AGTA Spectrum Awards™ competition automatically qualified for Fashion Forward Honors judging.

The American Gem Trade Association is a not-for-profit Association serving the natural colored gemstone and cultured pearl industry since 1981. The AGTA serves the industry as "The Authority In Color" and has its headquarter office in Dallas, Texas.

Heather Moore Creates Zikomo Collection To Benefit H.E.L.P.

In partnership with Heather Moore Jewelry, Jillian Wolstein of H.E.L.P. has created the Zikomo Collection to document the aspirations of the children of Malawi. Each necklace within the collection tells a unique story pertaining to a specific child's dreams for the future. Each child has their plan for the future on one side of the charm, while their personality is reflected through their signature on the opposite side. Each piece is crafted by hand, and is dedicated to a specific student.

"We believe it is every child's birthright to receive Hope for a better future, Education to grow, unconditional Love, and Protection from disease and illness," said Jillian Wolstein, Founder & Executive Chairwoman of H.E.L.P. "Our goal is to make each child's dream a reality through quality primary education and access to higher education."

Proceeds from the Zikomo Collection will benefit the direct services of H.E.L.P., specifically, the Secondary School Scholarship Program.

In partnership with Heather Moore Jewelry, H.E.L.P. has collaborated with the Heather Moore design team to create the "Zikomo Collection" to further document the aspirations of the beautiful young children of Malawi, Africa. This stunning piece features a Size 2 Yellow Gold ID Tag Charm the signature of Idrissa Alick, an African boy living in Malawi with the dream of becoming an Actor. This aspiration of his is stamped on the opposite side of the charm. Paired to compliment the charm is a Smokey Quartz harriet stone, a mineral from Mount Malosa, Zomba District, Malawi!  This all hangs from a 20" 1.5mm Yellow Gold Chain with a bar reading Help' on side A and 'Zikomo' on side B. Zikomo is the Africans word for Thankfulness.

ABOUT H.E.L.P. 

H.E.L.P.'s mission is to develop the pathway for children living in rural regions of Africa to become integral members and leaders in society through quality education.  H.E.L.P. is committed to cultivating the academic potential of each child through a comprehensive range of opportunities in primary school to prepare students for the next level of education, and to support those efforts through secondary school scholarships.

ABOUT HEATHER MOORE JEWELRY 

Established in 2003, Heather Moore Jewelry has charmed the fashion world with a consistent commitment to exceptional quality, innovation, and sophisticated design. The collection is based on the concept that everyone has something in his or her life to celebrate. Heather Moore creates an opportunity to document milestones and inspirations as well as who, what and where through handmade, specialized designs. All pieces are offered in sterling silver and 14K yellow, white, rose and green gold. Heather Moore Jewelry is doing its part to help preserve the Earth's natural resources by strictly working with 100% recycled metals. The goal of Heather Moore Jewelry is to help you create a timeless piece that commemorates you and everything important in your life. 

SOURCE Heather Moore Jewelry

The Women of Alfred Hitchcock + HSN = Stunning Vintage Jewels

I just got totally caught up in this amazing line from HSN on SOOOO many levels.

First - the brilliant partnership between HSN and Universal Pictures...

Second their genius Halloween Horror pairing of the Alfred Hitchcock beauties with jewelry inspired from that era!

HSN, a leader in multi-channel retail, has partnered with Universal Pictures to launch an exclusive collection of fashion jewelry inspired by some of Universal's most iconic films. In celebration of the legendary studio's centennial anniversary, The Universal Vault Jewelry Collection—consisting of necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and pins—is designed to bring to life the romance, adventure and prestige of the past 100 years in film. In 2012, Universal will be restoring and re-releasing 13 of its most well-known films.

From PR Newswire

"Films have influenced fashion trends for decades," said John Bosco, SVP of Apparel, Accessories and Jewelry for HSN. "Having access to Universal Pictures' rich heritage of iconic films has given us an amazing opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind collection of timeless designs that celebrate the glitz and glamour of Hollywood."

he Universal Vault Collection is inspired by Universal Pictures' extraordinary archives and the debut, themed after the "Glamorous Women of Hollywood," with new themes and designs being added throughout the year based upon additional films. The debut collection featured over 40 unique pieces ranging in price from $22.95 for a pair of button pearl earrings with a pave frame to $199.95 for a canary and clear pear-shaped drop necklace. Other collection highlights include a regal emerald necklace, a stunning aqua and jonquil burst ring and multicolored cluster earrings with pearl accents.

"Universal's library proudly houses some of the most iconic moments in film history, brought to life by the most stunning stars of the past 100 years," said Stephanie Sperber, President, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. "Through The Universal Vault Collection, HSN continues to bring our classic titles to life with the same detail and care that we put into restoring our films for generations to come."

Check out the collection soon everything is selling out!!!!
http://www.hsn.com/jewelry/universal-vault_c-j_a-9254_xc.aspx

Judges Named for 3rd Int'l Pearl Design Competition

CPAA - 3rd Int'l Pearl Design Competition Names Panel of Judges

Pearl is the artist’s muse. Jewelry brings forth the fullest and highest expression.

The Cultured Pearl Association of America is pleased to announce the panel of judges selected for the 2013 International Pearl Design Competition. In its third year, the IPDC, which celebrates artists' expressions of pearl jewelry, drew entries from over 13 countries. Official announcement of the winners takes place on November 1st.

We are very proud to share with you today this year’s judges, each represent varied viewpoints and insight of the jewelry industry.

Winners will be announced on November 1, 2012. Winning entries will be on display during the AGTA and JCK shows in 2013.

2012 Panel of Judges:
Jennifer Heebner, Senior Editor, JCK MagazineJennifer Heebner has been covering the fine jewelry industry for JCK for more than 14 years. She started out as a staff writer for JCK’s niche publication, High-Volume Jeweler, eventually writing for a number of other brand titles, including JCK Luxury, Facets, and of course, JCK, for which she currently writes about style and designs as they apply to the retail jeweler. Most recently, she’s taken ownership of the Style 360 blog onjckonline.com, posting gorgeous jewels, designer interviews, and other fun, topical jewelry-specific news and product details multiple times a week. Jennifer applies her own entrepreneurial savvy—she ran her own antique furniture store and spearheaded fundraising initiatives as a founding board member of WJA’s midAtlantic chapter—to her unique and entertaining style of jewelry-business reporting, and supplements her writing with the occasional jewelry-education course to better tell the stories of those she reports on. She can be found scouring the aisles of most major jewelry shows looking for new designs and talent to share with her readers.
Jill Newman, Senior Editor, of the Robb Report Magazine 

Jill has been covering the international fine jewelry industry for more than 25 years. She has contributed to numerous consumer and trade publications, and websites. Her assignments have taken her around the world, from diamonds mines in South Africa to emerald mines in Brazil , and the Tanzanite mines in Tanzania . She is based in New York City .

Rachel Jackson, Director Fine Jewelry, The XO Group Inc. – the knotIn her role as the director of the fine jewelry category for XO Group Inc., Rachel is responsible for leading the advertising efforts of fine jewelry designers and manufacturers. A twelve year veteran of The Knot, she is the creator of the company’s Jewelry Store Referral Program, which connects consumers to designers and the retail point of sale. The granddaughter of a jeweler, Rachel is thrilled to have the opportunity to help new designers and established brands connect with consumers as they get engaged and celebrate life’s most memorable milestones. She resides with her husband and sons in Florida .
Jean François Bibet, Cartier
A native of France and a graduate from the France Jewelry School of Lyon. Jean worked in French Polynesia for 5 years, creating and modeling Tahitian Black Pearl Jewelry. Moving to the U.S. 13 years ago and began working in high end platinum jewelry for Van Cleef and Arpels. He is currently with Cartier , N.Y. , managing their high end jewelry workshop in North America .

For complete contest details visit www.cpaa.org or call 888-31-Pearl

The Cultured Pearl Association of America, Inc is a non profit group founded in 1957, comprised of the finest manufacturers, wholesalers, dealers and suppliers of Cultured Pearls in the United States.

Our intention is to "cultivate" awareness, interest, demand and successful marketability of Cultured Pearls for the retail community and the consumer level. Through promotion, education, public relations and unwavering commitment we aim to inspire an authentic passion for all Cultured Pearl varieties.