February 2005 Merchandise / Gemstones The Full Spectrum Gemstone rings and earrings dominate AGTA's Spectrum Awards competition BY ROBERT WELDON, G.G. The colored gem forecast for this year is warm, if winners of the 2005 Spectrum Awards are any indication. Green, yellow, orange and red gems far outnumber cooler blues and purples among the winning designs in the annual competition sponsored by the American Gem Trade Association, Dallas, TX. Rings and earrings are the dominate jewelry categories. The winners represent the best use of colored gems in jewelry design and can indicate color trends you’ll see in your store in the coming year. Only 6% of entries are chosen for awards, based on beauty, wearability, innovation and execution in the following categories: Bridal Wear, Business/Day Wear, Casual Wear, Evening Wear and Men’s Wear. Prizes were awarded in first, second and third places; platinum honors; and, in some cases, honorable mention and manufacturing honors. Winners of Cutting Edge Awards, a separate section of the competition, will appear in our March issue. Judges were Mark Gronlund of Umatilla, FL, an award-winning lapidary artist and jeweler; Alice Keller, editor in chief of Gems & Gemology, the quarterly publication of the Gemological Institute of America, Carlsbad, CA; Mark Mann of Visual Communications Inc., Corvallis, MT, jewelry bench expert and monthly contributor to Professional Jeweler; William Richey of Portland, ME, award-winning jewelry designer; and Eric Wright of Village Goldsmith, Dallas, TX, gem cutter and jewelry designer. ALL PHOTOS BY JOHN PARRISH BEST OF SHOW Glen J. Engelbrecht GJ Designs, Sarasota, FL; (941) 951-6658 18k yellow gold necklace features a 33.33-ct. orthoclase feldspar, 1.90-ct. demantoid garnet and 0.62 carats of diamond accents on a chain of demantoid garnets totaling 11.52 carats. BEST USE OF COLOR Andrew Paetzold Philip Zahm & Associates Inc., Aptos, CA; (831) 662-3533 18k white gold ring showcases a 4.13-ct. blue sapphire surrounded by 3.20 carats of fancy colored corundum and 0.10 carat of diamonds. Bridal Wear First Place Michael Zacharakis D’Errico Jewelers, Scarsdale, NY; (914) 722-1940 9.5mm to 16.5mm South Sea cultured pearls swim around this platinum necklace. Second Place Garo Demirjian Demirjian Jewelry, Scottsdale, AZ; (480) 201-3838 9.5 mm South Sea cultured pearls center these 18k white gold earrings with diamond accents. Third Place Ricardo Basta E. Eichberg Jewelers, Beverly Hills, CA; (310) 271-4796 Platinum necklace holds 5.23 carats of topaz accented with 11 tsavorite garnets and diamonds. Honorable Mention Ricardo Basta E. Eichberg Jewelers, Beverly Hills, CA; (310) 271-4796 Yellow, pink, green, blue, red and white diamonds totaling 17.22 carats add color to this lacy platinum and 18k yellow gold necklace. Platinum Honors Robert Pelliccia J.R. Dunn Jewelers, Light House Point, FL; (954) 782-5000 Ring features a 2.96-ct. blue sapphire circled by 0.76 carat of smaller blue sapphires in a platinum ring with 0.34 carat of diamonds. Business/Day Wear First Place Samuel Getz Samuel Getz Private Jewelers & Designers, Coral Gables, FL; (305) 448-4567 18k yellow and white gold necklace has a 30.21-ct. golden beryl, 0.26-ct. garnet and 0.68 carat of diamonds. Matching earrings have 9.20 carats of golden beryls, 0.23 carat of garnets and 0.22 carat of diamonds. Second Place Robert Bruce Henderson Plateau Jewelers Inc., Sammamish, WA; (425) 313-0657 A 7.46-ct. grossularite garnet highlights this 18k yellow gold and 14k white gold pendant with a 1.26-ct. tsavorite garnet and 1.06 carats of diamonds. Third Place Maria Canale Richard Krementz Gemstones, Newark, NJ; (973) 621-8300 Platinum and 18k gold pin features a 2.28-ct. tanzanite and 2.75-ct. rubellite tourmaline with 1.68 carats of diamond accents. Honorable Mention Julie Buckareff American Jewelry Artworks, London, Ontario, Canada; (519) 649-4227 18k rose gold and platinum brooch features 60.41 carats of quartz, 1.64 carats of tsavorite garnets, 0.14 carat of blue topazes, 0.49 carat of spessartite garnets plus pink and white diamond accents. Manufacturing Honors Lee Charles Buckingham Nieman Marcus, Dallas, TX; (214) 573-5363 An 11.54-ct. amethyst tops this 18k yellow gold ring with 1.60 carats of diamond accents. Platinum Honors Mark Schneider Mark Schneider Design, Long Beach, CA; (562) 437-0448 Platinum and 18k yellow gold ring features a 0.90-ct. emerald accented with 0.18 carat of yellow diamonds and 0.65 carat of white diamonds. Casual Wear First Place Alan Friedman Alan Friedman Designs, Beverly Hills, CA; (310) 278-4944 Eight pink sapphires dot this 18k white gold bracelet with yellow and white diamond accents. Second Place William Trevor Kukovich William Travis Jewelry, Chapel Hill, NC; (919) 968-0011 18k yellow gold and platinum ring features a 4.71-ct. mint green tourmaline and two purple sapphires totaling 0.15 carat. Third Place Mark Lauer Mark Michael Design, Maple Grove MN; (763) 494-5726 18k yellow gold and platinum pendant holds a 16.63-ct. citrine, 0.29-ct. tsavorite garnet and two diamond accents. Honorable Mention Lee Charles Buckingham Nieman Marcus, Dallas TX; (214) 573-5363 11.52-ct. quartz with a rutile center tops this platinum “Bat” ring with 0.49 carat of diamond accents. Honorable Mention Paul Derrickson Federico’s Design Jewelers, Traverse City, MI; (231) 946-4252 18k rose gold and platinum ring holds a 5.84-ct. indicolite tourmaline and two pink sapphires totaling 2.08 carats with yellow and white diamond accents. Manufacturing Honors An Nguyen Lisa Kaye & Co., Durham, NC; (919) 416-0010 18k yellow gold ring features a 1.02-ct. sapphire in ebony wood. Platinum Honors David Hrubec Dal Pezzo Design Inc, Miami, FL; (305) 251-7718 A 2.5-ct. cabochon moonstone seems to rise above this platinum ring accented with two small cultured pearls, 1.08 carats of pink sapphires and white and yellow diamond accents Evening Wear First place Glen J. Engelbrecht GJ Designs, Sarasota, FL; (941) 951-6658 18k yellow gold necklace features a 33.33-ct. orthoclase feldspar, 1.90-ct. demantoid garnet and 0.62 carats of diamond accents on a chain of demantoid garnets totaling 11.52 carats. This also won Best of Show. Second Place Llyn Strelau Strelau Jewels by Design Ltd., Calgary, AB, Canada; (403) 228-0644 “Fall of Angels” necklace features a 6.23-ct. rubellite tourmaline, 4.96-ct. spessartite garnet, 12.66-ct. golden South Sea cultured pearl and six diamond accents in 18k yellow and white gold. Third Place Samuel Getz Samuel Getz Private Jewelers & Designers, Coral Gables, FL; (305) 448-4567 76.26-ct. aquamarine and 1.39 carats of diamond accents hang from a bezel-set diamond necklace. Honorable Mention Sally Lynn Mitschke Montanari Fine Art Jewelers, Kansas City, MO; (816) 531-0750 18k yellow gold earrings hold 12mm golden South Sea cultured pearls with 1.53 carats of yellow sapphires and 0.56 carat of diamonds. Manufacturing Honors Marisa Goebel La Belle La Belle Atelier Marisa, Santa Monica, CA; (310) 829-1210 0.54 carat of diamonds set in 18k white gold orbit 15mm Tahitian cultured pearls in these earrings. Platinum Honors Ron Lodholz Stonehaven Jewelry Gallery, Cary, NC; (919) 462-8888 18k yellow gold and platinum necklace holds a 27.73-ct. citrine, 4.53 carats of tourmalines and 0.51 carat of diamonds. Men’s Wear First Place Mark Schneider Mark Schneider Design, Long Beach, CA; (562) 437-0448 Platinum cuff links hold 11mm black South Sea cultured pearls, 1.20 carats of pink sapphires and 1.61 carats of diamonds. Second Place Lee Charles Buckingham Nieman Marcus, Dallas, TX; (214) 573-5363 Rubies totaling 9.65 carats center these platinum cuff links with 0.96 carat of diamond accents. Third Place Lee Charles Buckingham Nieman Marcus, Dallas, TX; (214) 573-5363 18k yellow gold and platinum cuff links feature matching citrines totaling 13.67 carats and 0.85 carat of diamond accents. Platinum Honors Mark Schneider Mark Schneider Design, Long Beach, CA ; (562) 437-0448 Platinum ring holds jade, tsavorite garnets and yellow diamonds.