Press Releases

Jewelers of America Announces Winners of Design Competition

Published

7 years ago

March 14, 2018

INSTORE Staff

(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK – Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry marketplace, has announced the winners of its 28th annual CASE Awards, a national jewelry design competition. The CASE Awards recognizes JA Retail Members who exhibit creativity, artistry, style and excellence in jewelry design.

“The CASE Awards showcases the creativity and expertise of designers in Jewelers of America member retail stores across the country,” says JA President & CEO David J. Bonaparte.

All the winning jewelers are members of Jewelers of America, the national association for fine jewelry businesses. Jewelers of America-member jewelers are among the most reputable jewelers in the United States, backed by a commitment to Jewelers of America’s Code of Professional Practices.

The winners, selected out of 57 entries from JA Retail Members, were determined by a judging panel of industry experts who evaluated the entries on the following criteria: overall design, marketability, practicality/wearability and quality of manufacture. The winners were: C3 Designs in South Milwaukee, WI, for their sterling silver and 14K yellow gold pendant with a hand carved raw Selenite crystal accented by grossular garnet, green tourmalines and andalusite designed by Chris Jensen; Ricardo Basta Fine Jewelry in Los Angeles, CA, for their natural golden rutilated quartz and 18K yellow gold ring designed by Ricardo Basta; and Faye Kim Designs in Westport, CT for their coral and diamond pendant as well as their 18K green gold alloy bracelet designed by Faye Kim.

This year, JA debuted the “People’s Choice” CASE Award, which was determined by the public voting at JA’s website for their favorite jewelry piece from March 5-9. The winner of the “People’s Choice” CASE Award was Master Jewelers, Inc. in Rochester, MN, for their Madeira Citrine pendant set in 14K white gold designed by Bernie Benavidez.

The 2018 CASE Awards, sponsored by Synchrony Financial and Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group, was open only to JA Retail Members and their employees. For more information about the competition and to view the Winner’s Photo Gallery, visit www.jewelers.org/caseawards.

click to Comment(Comment)

Up Next

Live Demonstrations of GIA iD100 at Baselworld

Don't Miss

Frederick Goldman Launches One-Week Bridal Express Program

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.