2012 AGTA Spectrum Awards - Best of Winners

Winners Announced for AGTA's 2012 Spectrum Awards™ Competition 

Winners have been named in the 2012 AGTA Spectrum Awards™ competition hosted by the American Gem Trade Association.  This year marks the 28th  anniversary of the competition.

The competition was judged October 22-23 in New York, NY. Judges for the 2011 competition were Master Goldsmith Klaus Burgel, Sylvain Chervin of Carvin French, Cindy Edelstein of the Jewelers Resource Bureau, Patricia Faber of Aaron Faber Gallery, and Clay Zava of Zava Master Cuts.

The annual AGTA Spectrum Awards™ Media Day was held October 24 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 included Vogue, W, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Women’s Wear Daily, Marie Claire, Essence, Smart Money, and many more.

SPECTRUM AWARDS:  

BEST OF CATEGORY Winners: 
Best of Show:
Todd Reed, Todd Reed, Inc.
Palladium and 22K yellow gold locket featuring blue Moonstones, grey Diamonds (24.51 ctw.), blue
Sapphires (17.34 ctw.) and white Diamonds (5.10 ctw.) opening to reveal a 76.03 ct. Moldavite Buddha.

Fashion Forward:  
Belle Brooke Barer, Belle Brooke Designs, Inc.
Oxidized sterling necklace featuring an approximately 30 ct. blue Chalcedony cabochon accented with
Diamonds (.55 ctw.).

Best Use of Pearls:  
Anil Maloo, Baggins, Inc.
18K white gold and black rhodium plated earrings encrusted with light cognac Diamonds (8.16 ctw.) and
13.3mm cultured South Sea Pearls.

Best Use of Color:
Deirdre Featherstone, Featherstone Design
Platinum earrings featuring removable Opal enhancers (15.64 ctw.) accented with blue Zircons (3.27 ctw.),
Tanzanites (3.53 ctw.), Paraiba Tourmalines (.40 ctw.) and Diamonds (5.79 ctw.).

Best Use of Platinum and Color: 
Michael Endlich, Pave Fine Jewelry
Platinum ring featuring a 19.05 ct. cushion-cut Aquamarine with pave-set Diamonds (.41 ctw.).

Best Use of Palladium and Color  
Dennis de Jonghe - Dennis de Jonghe
Palladium pendant featuring a 16.39 ct. Aquamarine accented with a 2.09 ct. Moonstone, Diamonds (.26
ctw.) and Pearls.

Photos from AGTA Spectrum Awards Facebook Page and JCK Magazine

2012 Cutting Edge Awards - Entries Due Soon!

Time to get those entries in! Deadlines...

Deadline for entry is Friday, September 23, 2011.  No exceptions will be made.

Deadline for the New York Drop-Off Program is Tuesday, October 4, 2011.  If you plan to hand-deliver your piece on this date, all paperwork and payments are due to the Dallas office September 23.  

Cutting Edge AwardsThe AGTA Cutting Edge Awards honor excellence and creativity of the lapidary arts, including natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls, carvings, other gem materials and objects of art in U.S. and Canada. A panel of judges will evaluate entries in the Cutting Edge Awards. 

Categories include:
Classic gemstones – Limited to outstanding examples of ruby, emerald and sapphire with traditional gemstone cutting techniques.

All other faceted gemstones – Open to outstanding examples of any gemstone that is faceted with traditional gemstone cutting techniques.

Phenomenal gemstones – Open to outstanding examples of any phenomenal gemstone (stars, cat’s eyes, opals, etc.) with traditional gemstone cutting techniques.

Pairs & Suites – Two or more gemstones to be judged as a set.

Innovative Faceting – Innovative faceting and lapidary techniques

Carving – Carving of any natural gem material in any style.

Objects of Art – Carvings, bowls, sculpture, intarsia, etc., of gem materials not intended to be worn. These may or may not incorporate metal, wood or other non-gem materials as base, frame or decorative component.



Entries in Classic, All other faceted, Phenomenal and Pairs & Suites may have been created anywhere in the world, but must be submitted by U.S. or Canadian companies. Entries in the remaining Cutting Edge categories must have been created and submitted by lapidaries in the U.S. or Canada. They will be evaluated by a panel of distinguished industry judges based on originality, overall beauty, quality and technique of lapidary work, and quality and rarity of the gem material.

Entry forms on the AGTA Website... http://www.agta.org/awards/entry.html