Elite World News

Dallas—Each year, the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) salutes designers and lapidary artists who work wonders with colored gemstones through its annual AGTA Cutting Edge and Spectrum Award competitions.

Here is a full list of all the winners:

Spectrum Awards

Bridal Wear

1st Place, Bridal Wear: Arun Bohra, Arunashi, Los Angeles
18-karat white gold ring featuring a 13.77-carat silver moonstone accented with champagne diamonds (2.11 total carat weight).

  2nd Place, Bridal Wear: Carley McGee-Boehm, Carley, Solana Beach, Calif. 18-karat white gold “Chimera” ring (right)featuring a 13.75-carat oval cuprian tourmaline cabochon accented with black spinel and diamond.

3rd Place, Bridal Wear: Julie Buckareff, JJ Buckar, Toronto
Platinum earrings featuring aquamarines (24.83 total carat weight), white diamond heart and arrow (1.95 total carat weight) and champagne diamonds (1.54 total carat weight).

Business/Day Wear

1st Place, Business/Day Wear: Gennadiy Berdnik, Andrew Sarosi, Los Angeles
18-karat yellow gold and vitreous enamel pendant featuring a 9.41-carat oval blue zircon accented with diamonds (0.50 total carat weight).

  2nd Place, Business/Day Wear: Katy Briscoe, Katy Briscoe Inc., Houston, Texas
18-karat yellow gold earrings (left)featuring carved rose quartz, freshwater pearls and diamonds (0.30 total carat weight).

3rd Place, Business/Day Wear: Jeffrey Bilgore, Jeffrey Bilgore LLC, New York
Platinum brooch featuring a 7.15-carat fire opal accented with yellow diamonds (0.10 total carat weight).

Honorable Mention, Business/Day Wear: Frederic Sage, Frederic Sage, Great Neck, N.Y.
18-karat white and green gold “Empress” ring featuring a 32.05-carat moonstone accented with diamonds (1.04 total carat weight).

Manufacturing Honors, Business/Day Wear: Yahouda Saketkhou, Yael Designs, San Francisco
18-karat rose gold ring featuring a 12-millimeter Tahitian cultured pearl accented with diamonds (0.51 total carat weight).

Classical

1st Place, Classical: Richard Krementz Gemstones, Newark, N.J.
Platinum ring featuring an antique-faceted yellow sapphire accented with diamonds (15.66 total carat weight).

2nd Place, Classical: Robert Wander, Robert Wander for Winc Creations, Honolulu, Hawaii
18-karat yellow gold brooch featuring a lizard of multicolored sapphires (4.86 total carat weight), garnets (6.01 total carat weight) and chocolate diamonds (0.11 total carat weight) atop a red coral branch.

3rd Place, Classical: Jeffrey Bilgore, Jeffrey Bilgore LLC, New York
Platinum ring featuring a 9.05-carat natural Padparadscha sapphire accented with diamonds (1.41 total carat weight).

Honorable Mention, Classical: Ricardo Basta, E. Eichberg Inc., Beverly Hills, Calif.
Palladium “Zebra” brooch featuring black diamonds (7.86 total carat weight), white diamonds (3.95 total carat weight), rubies (1.05 total carat weight), emeralds (0.38 total carat weight) and tsavorite garnets (0.30 total carat weight).

Evening Wear

1st Place, Evening Wear: Ricardo Basta, E. Eichberg Inc., Beverly Hills, Calif.
18-karat yellow gold and platinum necklace featuring multicolored diamonds (39.98 total carat weight).

2nd Place, Evening Wear: Andrew Costen, Costen Catbalue Goldsmiths, Vancouver, British Colombia
19-karat white gold earrings featuring free-form fire opals (20.25 total carat weight) accented with two tsavorite garnets (1.19 total carat weight) and diamonds (0.78 total carat weight).

3rd Place and Fashion Forward, Evening Wear: James Currens, J.W. Currens Inc., New York
“The Big Bang” platinum amulet featuring a 424-carat crystal accented with moonstones (24.81 total carat weight), opals (9.41 total carat weight) and pink, white and yellow diamonds (21.46 total carat weight).

Honorable Mention and Best Use of Color, Evening Wear: Jennifer Rabe Morin, Jennifer Rabe Morin, Santa Barbara, Calif.
18-karat white and yellow gold ring featuring a 19.53-carat mauve agate cabochon accented with amethysts (1.84 total carat weight) and diamonds (0.85 total carat weight).

Men’s Wear

1st Place, Men’s Wear: Cynthia Nockold, J. Yontef Diamonds and Jewelry, Nashville, Tenn.
Platinum ring featuring blue sapphires accented with diamonds (2.73 total carat weight).

2nd Place, Men’s Wear: Shant Dakessian, Simone and Son, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Platinum and 18-karat yellow gold cuff links featuring green tourmalines (4.92 total carat weight) accented with natural yellow diamonds (0.62 total carat weight).

3rd Place, Men’s Wear: Andrew Costen, Costen Catbalue Goldsmiths, Vancouver, British Columbia
19-karat white gold, 18-karat yellow gold and steel necklace featuring a 22.02-carat sapphire crystal pendant.

Honorable Mention, Men’s Wear: Robert Wander, Robert Wander for Winc Creations, Honolulu, Hawaii
18-karat yellow gold cuff links featuring aquamarines (87.20 total carat weight) and chocolate diamonds (1.58 total carat weight).

Cutting Edge Awards

Classic Gemstones

1st Place, Classic Gemstone: John Blair, Blair Brothers Goldsmiths, Williamsport, Pa.
10.34-carat step-cut natural pink sapphire.

2nd Place, Classic Gemstones: Jeffrey Bilgore, Jeffrey Bilgore LLC, New York
12.38-carat natural cushion-cut sapphire.

3rd Place, Classic Gemstones: Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman and Co., San Francisco
4.03-carat cushion-cut ruby.

Honorable Mention, Classic Gemstones: Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman and Co., San Francisco
32.05-carat natural cushion-cut yellow sapphire.

All Other, Faceted

1st Place, All Other Faceted: Ben Kho, Kho International Ltd., Decatur, Ga.
40.46-carat fancy trilliant morganite.

2nd Place, All Other Faceted: Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman and Co., San Francisco
17.83-carat oval green cuprian tourmaline.

3rd Place, All Other Faceted: Justina DeVries, Beija Flor Gems, Haiku, Hawaii
6.62-carat cushion-cut rhodochrosite.

Honorable Mention, All Other Faceted: John D. Dyer, John D. Dyer/P.G. Co., Edina, Minn.
6.97-carat radiant-cut tourmaline.

Honorable Mention, All Other Faceted: Allen Pung, Parade Designs Inc., Los Angeles
46.98-carat peridot.

Phenomenal

1st Place, Phenomenal: Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman and Co., San Francisco
21.71-carat cat’s eye chrysoberyl.

  2nd Place, Phenomenal: Jeffrey Bilgore, Jeffrey Bilgore LLC, New York
54.93-carat oval star sapphire (right).

3rd Place, Phenomenal: Jeffrey Bilgore, Jeffrey Bilgore LLC, New York
15.54-carat natural oval star ruby.

Pairs and Suites

1st Place, Pairs and Suites: John D. Dyer, John D. Dyer/P.G. Co., Edina, Minn.
Pair of ametrines (28.91 total carat weight).

2nd Place, Pairs and Suites: Hemant Phophaliya, AG Color Inc., New York
Pair of tanzanite faceted drops (44.35 total carat weight).

3rd Place, Pairs and Suites: Douglas Mays, Wild and Petsch, Camas, Wash.
Pair of baguette peridots (24.32 total carat weight).

Faceting

1st Place, Faceting: Ben Kho, Kho International Ltd., Decatur, Ga.
22.75-carat fantasy cushion-cut sphalerite.

2nd Place, Faceting: Stephen Kotlowski, Zultanite Gems LLC, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
11.27-carat emerald square-cut Zultanite diaspore.

3rd Place, Faceting: John D. Dyer, John D. Dyer/P.G. Co., Edina, Minn.
30.28-carat citrine.

Honorable Mention, Faceting: John A. Rhoads, D and J Rare Gems Ltd., Salida, Colo.
39.67-carat brilliant-cut beryl.

Carving

1st Place, Carving: Dalan Hargrave, Dust Devil Mining, Spring Branch, Texas
217-carat “Sweet Nectar” sunstone carving.

2nd Place, Carving: Chu-Alice Chan, AJ Art Land Inc., Chicago
29.80-carat “Indigo Blossom” aquamarine carving.

3rd Place, Carving: Chu-Alice Chan, AJ Art Land Inc., Chicago
80.0-carat carved aquamarine cabochon.

Combination

1st Place, Combination: John D. Dyer, John D. Dyer/P.G. Co., Edina Minn.
37.74-carat “Pink Jubilation” morganite.

2nd Place, Combination: Larry Woods, Jewels from the Woods, Blanco, Texas
57.12-carat four directions radiant-cut aquamarine.

3rd Place, Combination: Dalan Hargrave, Gem Starz, Spring Branch, Texas
85.25-carat “graphix-cut” ametrine.

Honorable Mention, Combination: John D. Dyer, John D. Dyer/P.G. Co., Edina, Minn.
53.08-carat “Golden Reflections” golden beryl.

Objects of Art

1st Place and Best of Show, Objects of Art: James Currens, J.W. Currens, Inc., New York
“The American Queen” honeycomb box featuring orange and blue sapphires (3.91 total carat weight), citrines (3.02 total carat weight), rubies (0.15 total carat weight), tsavorite garnets (0.24 total carat weight) and yellow and white diamonds (1.98 total carat weight).