Connect with us

The annual AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards™ recently took place, minting another fresh crop of worthy winners. Spectrum champions include exotic colors of tourmaline and garnet, tsavorites, exquisite emeralds and Ceylon blue sapphires, as well as some rarely seen gems, including kornerupine. Cutting Edge victors comprised a cinnamon-hued suite of zircons, a sunburst-cut kunzite, rhodochrosite, and an exceptional carved beryl that nabbed 1st Place in Carving and Best of Show. Click through to see snaps of all the pieces that took top honors.

story by Jennifer Heebner

Spectrum Best of Show & Cutting Edge Carving – 1st Place: 210.55-carat ballerina carving in green Beryl, Dalan Hargrave, GemStarz Jewelry

Spectrum Best Use of Color: QEII earrings in 18K yellow gold with cushion-cut mint green tourmalines (21.54 CTW), 2 keystone-cut yellow sapphires, calf-cut kornerupines, round amethysts, round diamonds, and marquise-cut green tourmalines, Robert Galustian, Robert Guild Jewelry Corp.

Spectrum Best Use of Pearl & Evening Wear – 2nd Place: Ring in 22K yellow gold with a 13.2 mm cultured golden South Sea pearl, Laurie Reid, LFR Studios

Spectrum Fashion Forward & Evening Wear – 1st Place: Ring in 18K yellow gold and black ceramic with a 4.03-carat natural fancy deep yellow diamond and tsavorite Garnets (0.17 CTW), Jeffrey Bilgore, Jeffrey Bilgore, LLC

Best of Single Entries – Cutting Edge & Cutting Edge Pairs & Suites – 1st Place: Pair of blue/green briolette drop tourmalines (75.57 CTW), Robert Knupfer, Knupfer International Gems, Inc.

Best of Single Entries – Spectrum: Underworld ring in 18K yellow gold, platinum, 22K rose and green gold, 24K yellow gold, and 18K white gold with a 1.62-carat black opal accented with tsavorite garnet, sapphire, and diamond, Buddy Austin, Third Eye Assembly

Spectrum Best Use of Platinum and Color: Platinum Aria ring with a 2.10-carat demantoid garnet with blue zircons (3 CTW) and diamonds, Mary Van Der Aa, Mary Van Der Aa

Spectrum Best Use of Platinum Crown: Platinum hand-fabricated ring with a 6.54-carat trillion-cut tanzanite with round diamonds (1.25 CTW), Brenda Smith, Brenda Smith Jewelry

Spectrum Bridal Wear – 1st Place: Platinum ring with a 2.55-carat rectangular emerald-cut Colombian emerald with round Emeralds (0.31 CTW), custom-cut baguette diamonds (2.77 CTW) and round brilliant diamonds (0.22 CTW), Gabriel Angulo, Pompos Jewelry Corporation

Spectrum Business/Day Wear – 1st Place: Mystic cuff bracelet in high-polished steel, iridescent blue and purple steel, platinum, 18K and 24K gold inlay with round and marquise-shaped tsavorites (5.60 CTW), blue sapphires (0.48 CTW), and diamonds (1.20 CTW), Zoltan David, Zoltan David

Spectrum Classical – 1st Place: Platinum ring with a 6.29-carat blue Ceylon sapphire accented with custom-cut baguette diamonds (2.27 CTW), Princess-cut sapphires (1.79 CTW), round sapphires (0.44 CTW) and round brilliant diamonds (0.29 CTW), Gabriel Angulo, Pompos Jewelry Corporation

Spectrum Men’s Wear – 1st Place: The Kings Ring in Knight steel and 24K yellow gold with a 29.09-carat purple-red cabochon tourmaline with red spinel (0.15 CTW), diamonds (0.02 CTW), and patent inlay bead gold, Zoltan David, Somewhere In The Rainbow

Spectrum Editor’s Choice & Classical – 3rd Place: Art Deco ring in 18K yellow gold and ruthenium with a blue emerald-cut tourmaline (4.84 CTW), round tourmaline (0.38 CTW), and diamonds (0.42 CTW), Ian Delucca, Khobe Delucca

Spectrum Editor’s Choice & Pairs & Suites – 3rd Place: Suite of multicolored, Portuguese-cut zircons (228.64 CTW), Jaimeen Shah, Prima Gems USA

Cutting Edge Classic Gemstone – 1st Place: Joseph Ambalu, Amba Gem Corp. – 4.43 ct. no oil emerald-cut Colombian Emerald

Cutting Edge All Other Cut Gemstones – 1st Place: 32.50-carat sunburst-cut kunzite, Ben Kho, Kho International, Ltd.

Cutting Edge Innovative Faceting – 1st Place: Crescendo 147.96-carat orange golden citrine, John Dyer, Somewhere in the Rainbow

Cutting Edge North American Mined Gemstones – 1st Place: 11.46-carat antique cushion-cut rhodochrosite from Colorado, Ben Kho, Kho International, Ltd.

Cutting Edge Objects of Art – 1st Place: Essence bottle with 900-carat ametrine with citrine and chrome diopside, Dalan Hargrave, GemStarz Jewelry

Cutting Edge Phenomenal – 1st Place: Cosmic Kaleidoscope 14.90-carat hot pink to purple color-change modified round brilliant pyrope garnet, Desmond Chan, Gem Arts International

Color Alert! See the 20 Top Winners in the 2022 AGTA Spectrum Awards

Color Alert! See the 20 Top Winners in the 2022 AGTA Spectrum Awards

The annual AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards™ recently took place, minting another fresh crop of worthy winners. Spectrum champions include exotic colors of tourmaline and garnet, tsavorites, exquisite emeralds and Ceylon blue sapphires, as well as some rarely seen gems, including kornerupine. Cutting Edge victors comprised a cinnamon-hued suite of zircons, a sunburst-cut kunzite, rhodochrosite, and an exceptional carved beryl that nabbed 1st Place in Carving and Best of Show. Click through to see snaps of all the pieces that took top honors.

story by Jennifer Heebner