Press Releases

Designer Bella Campbell Wins Fourth AGTA Spectrum Award

Published

9 years ago

January 21, 2016

INSTORE Staff

(Press Release)
Designer Bella Campbell of Campbellian Collection in Morristown, NJ, has been named the winner of the 2016 AGTA Spectrum Award for Best Use of Color.

This is the fourth year she has placed as a Spectrum prize winner. Her win in 2016 is for a pair of 18k pink gold earrings featuring 17.05 carats of blue-green tourmalines, accented by 4.14 carats of emeralds, shown here. Campbell’s earrings will be on exhibit as part of the 2016 AGTA Spectrum Awards Collection in the 1600 aisle of the AGTA GemFair’s Preview Promenade. Nearby in Booth #1622, Campbell will be showing her wholesale collection to jewelers for the duration of the fair from Feb. 2-7. The designer will accept her honor at the AGTA Spectrum Awards Gala on Saturday, Feb. 6.

Known for the vivid patterns of color in her designs, Campbell credits some of her inspiration to a background as a trained physicist. "As a scientist, I have been fascinated by fractals, which bring repeating patterns and order to various forms in nature," she says. “Just as the patterns in a peacock’s feathers embody natural harmony, so the color patterns and combinations I bring to my jewels are meant to celebrate the inner beauty of the women who wear them."

Campbell also believes that her roots in the country of Georgia, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, have influenced her jewelry and her unique combinations of colored gemstones. Georgia is situated on one of the branches of the ancient Silk Road that carried trade from China and India to Europe. It boasts a tradition of design influenced by cross-cultural references and a heritage of distinctive architecture and dress.

"There is a centuries-old reverence for artisanship and quality in jewelry from my native land, and all of us are beneficiaries of that ancient tradition," Campbell says. "Georgians also see the world in vivid colors, and that has strongly influenced the color combinations I use in my jewelry."

The designer is riding a wave of high-fashion interest in Georgian designers, such as the brightly colored creations of Georgian expatriate Demna Gvasalia, leader of the Paris label Vetements and the new creative director of Balenciaga. In fact, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week recently held its first-ever edition in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital city, where publications such as Vogue, The New York Times, Elle and Vanity Fair beat a path to take in Georgian runway shows and street fashion.

To see more of her jewelry, visit her at Booth 1622 at the AGTA GemFair in Tucson, AZ, or go to www.campbellian.nyc. She can also be contacted personally at 908-656-5614 Call: 908-656-5614 or Bella@campbellian.nyc.

Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration

After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.