Carved Paraiba suite takes Spectrum’s top honors

Dallas--A suite of Paraiba tourmaline carved in a nautilus shell shape by Allen Kleiman took home Best of Show honors in the American Gem Trade Association’s 2016 Spectrum Awards, and snagged top honors in the Cutting Edge Awards as well.

This is the second time that a Cutting Edge entry has won Best of Show, according to AGTA. The last time that happened was when Dalan Hargrave won with a sunstone, moldavite and diamond “Celestial City” carving in the 2004 awards.

Judging for the 32nd edition of Spectrum took place in New York Saturday and Sunday, with the winners revealed Monday. This year’s judges were: Ronald Arends of Aires Jewelers; Stephen Avery, of Stephen M. Avery Inc.; Deirdre Featherstone of Featherstone Design; Lauren Kulchinsky-Levison of MayFair Rocks; and Aron Suna of Suna Bros.

The winners will receive their awards during the 2016 AGTA GemFair Tucson, which is scheduled for Feb. 2 to 7. Winning entries will be displayed throughout the show and AGTA Spectrum Awards recipients will be recognized at the AGTA’s gala on Feb. 6.

Here is a complete list of the winners of the 2016 Spectrum Awards.

Best of Category
Best of Show: Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman & Co.
Best Use of Color: Bella Campbell, Campbellian Collection
Best Use of Pearls: Naomi Sarna, Naomi Sarna Designs
Best Use of Platinum and Color: Andrew Costen, Costen Catbalue
Best Use of Silver and Color: William Travis Kukovich, William Travis Jewelry
Fashion Forward: Brian Cook, Nature’s Geometry

Bridal Wear
First Place: Tony Nemyer, Grimball Jewelers
Second Place: Laurence Bruyninckx, Laurence Bruyninckx
Third Place: Caroline Chartouni, Caroline C
Entry Platinum Innovation: Michael Endlich, Pave Fine Jewelry
Gem Diva Award: Erica Courtney, Erica Courtney Inc.
Manufacturing Honors: Michael Jakubowski, Gem Fanatic
Platinum Honors: Kathy Kinev, Jewel Creations Inc.
Savor Silver Award: Hisano Shepherd, little h

Business/Day Wear
First Place: Ricardo Basta, E. Eichberg Inc.
Second Place: Heath London, Heath London Jewelry
Third Place: Kim Hurlbert-Sarosi, Sarosi by Timeless Gems
Entry Platinum Innovation: Heena Chheda-Shah, Valani
Gem Diva Award: Gurmit Kaur Campbell, SRW
Honorable Mention: Heath London, Heath London Jewelry
Manufacturing Honors: Stuller Inc.
Platinum Honors: Michael Endlich, Pave Fine Jewelry
Savor Silver Award: Elizabeth Garvin, Elizabeth Garvin Fine

Classical
First Place: Brent Malgarin, Elegant Gems Ltd.
Second Place: Lindsay Jane, Ambassador Gems
Third Place: Gil, Gil Int’l
Entry Platinum Innovation: Lorenzo Chavez, Geogem-USA
Gem Diva Award: Naomi Sarna, Naomi Sarna Designs
Honorable Mention: Josette Patterson, Mark Patterson
Platinum Honors: Wick & Greene Jewelers
Savor Silver Award: William Travis Kukovich, William Travis Jewelry

Evening Wear
First Place: Claudia Kretchmer, Somewhere in the Rainbow
Second Place: Ricardo Basta, E. Eichberg Inc.
Third Place: Randy Coffin, Somewhere in the Rainbow
Gem Diva Award: Lisa Linhardt, Linhardt Design
Honorable Mention: Alexia Connellan, Alexia Connellan LLC
Manufacturing Honors: Troels D. Larsen, Troels D. Larsen Jewelry
Platinum Honors: Eddie Sakamoto, Somewhere in the Rainbow
Savor Silver Award: Priyanka Murthy, Arya Esha

Men’s Wear
First Place: Mark Schneider, Mark Schneider Design
Second Place: Llyn L. Strelau, Jewels by Design
Third Place: Mark Schneider, Mark Schneider Design
Manufacturing Honors: Craig Slavens, Studio 247 Fine Jewelry
Platinum Honors: David Hines, Nvit Blanche
Savor Silver Award: William Travis Kukovich, William Travis Jewelry

And, the winners for the Cutting Edge Awards are as follows.

Carving
First Place: Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman & Co.
Second Place: Glenn Lehrer, Lehrer Designs Inc.
Third Place: Rodney Rahmani, Brilliant Stars
Honorable Mention: Glenn Lehrer, Lehrer Designs Inc.

Classic Gemstone
First Place: Joseph Ambalu, Amba Gem Corp.
Second Place: David Nassi, 100% Natural Ltd.
Third Place: Sailesh Lakhi, Sparkles and Colors USA Inc.

Innovative Faceting
First Place: Dalan Hargrave, Sunstone Butte Mining
Second Place: Dalan Hargrave, B. Harju
Third Place: John Dyer, John Dyer & Co.

Objects of Art
First Place: Ziad H. Noshie, Almaza Jewelers
Second Place: Ralph Wobito, Wobito Gems Ltd.

Pairs & Suites
First Place: Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman & Co.
Second Place: Mikola Kukharuk, Nomad’s
Third Place: Ajay Bansal, Best In Gems

Phenomenal
First Place: Robert Shapiro
Second Place: Sailesh Lakhi, Sparkles and Colors USA Inc.
Third Place: Steve Wallner, Westview Gems

All Other Faceted
First Place: John Dyer, John Dyer & Co.
Second Place: Hemant Phophaliya, A G Color Inc.
Third Place: Darrell Jang

This suite of Paraiba tourmalines weighing 58.07 total carats, carved into nautilus shell shapes, won both Best of Show as well as the first place in the Carving category.
102815 Best of Show 2
These earrings from Bella Campbell of the Campbellian Collection won the Best Use of Color Award. The 18-karat yellow gold earrings feature blue-green tourmalines accented with emeralds.
102815 Best Use of Color
William Travis Kukovich of William Travis Jewelry created this oxidized silver and mixed gold pendant featuring a brown diamond accented with rose-cut diamonds, which won the Best Use of Silver and Color award.
102815 Best Use of Silver and Color
The Fashion Forward award was given to this 24-karat yellow gold “Wheel of Light” pendant featuring quartz, paraiba tourmaline, hauyn, ruby, spessartite garnet, golden rutilated quartz and fire agate beads from Brian Cook of Nature’s Geometry.
102815 Fashion Forward
First place honors in the Bridal category went to this platinum and 18-karat yellow gold ring featuring a round purple spinel and diamond accents created by Tony Nemyer of Grimball Jewelers.
102815 Bridal
This 18-karat yellow gold “Enchanted Frog” ring with carnelian, tsavorite garnets and diamonds from Ricardo Basta of E. Eichberg Inc. was honored with the first place position in Business/Day Wear.
102815 Business Day Wear
The first place honors in the Classical category went to this necklace from Brent Malgarin of Elegant Gems, Ltd. The platinum necklace features a 12.53mm natural pearl, 15.22mm natural pearl, and a blue zircon accented with diamonds.
102815 Classical
Claudia Kretchmer of Somewhere in the Rainbow created this platinum and 24-karat crystallized gold “RockStar2” pendant with a color-change blue zircon and diamonds, which won first place in the Evening Wear category.
102815 Evening Wear
This platinum and 18-karat yellow gold ring from Mark Schneider won first place in Men’s Wear. The piece features peridot and a pair of spessartite garnets accented with tsavorite garnets, diamonds and a yellow diamond (not seen).
102815 Mens Wear
This 8.06-carat unheated Burmese sapphire from Joseph Ambalu of Amba Gem Corp. won first place in the Classic Gemstone category.
102815 Classic Gemstone
Dalan Hargrave of Sunstone Butte Mining’s 63.63-carat “Celestial City” sunstone carving won first place in the Innovative Faceting category.
102815 Innovative Faceting
Allen Kleiman’s pair of unheated oval morganite stones from Madagascar got top honors in the Pairs & Suites category.
102815 Pairs Suites
The first place winner of the Phenomenal category was a pair of black opals weighing 33.40 total carats from Robert Shapiro (only one of which is pictured here).
102815 Phenomenal
John Dyer’s 21.96-carat multi-faceted cushion-cut Imperial topaz won first place in the All Other Faceted category.
102815 All Other Faceted

This suite of Paraiba tourmalines weighing 58.07 total carats, carved into nautilus shell shapes, won both Best of Show as well as the first place in the Carving category.

These earrings from Bella Campbell of the Campbellian Collection won the Best Use of Color Award. The 18-karat yellow gold earrings feature blue-green tourmalines accented with emeralds.

William Travis Kukovich of William Travis Jewelry created this oxidized silver and mixed gold pendant featuring a brown diamond accented with rose-cut diamonds, which won the Best Use of Silver and Color award.

The Fashion Forward award was given to this 24-karat yellow gold “Wheel of Light” pendant featuring quartz, paraiba tourmaline, hauyn, ruby, spessartite garnet, golden rutilated quartz and fire agate beads from Brian Cook of Nature’s Geometry.

First place honors in the Bridal category went to this platinum and 18-karat yellow gold ring featuring a round purple spinel and diamond accents created by Tony Nemyer of Grimball Jewelers.

This 18-karat yellow gold “Enchanted Frog” ring with carnelian, tsavorite garnets and diamonds from Ricardo Basta of E. Eichberg Inc. was honored with the first place position in Business/Day Wear.

The first place honors in the Classical category went to this necklace from Brent Malgarin of Elegant Gems, Ltd. The platinum necklace features a 12.53mm natural pearl, 15.22mm natural pearl, and a blue zircon accented with diamonds.

Claudia Kretchmer of Somewhere in the Rainbow created this platinum and 24-karat crystallized gold “RockStar2” pendant with a color-change blue zircon and diamonds, which won first place in the Evening Wear category.

This platinum and 18-karat yellow gold ring from Mark Schneider won first place in Men’s Wear. The piece features peridot and a pair of spessartite garnets accented with tsavorite garnets, diamonds and a yellow diamond (not seen).

This 8.06-carat unheated Burmese sapphire from Joseph Ambalu of Amba Gem Corp. won first place in the Classic Gemstone category.

Dalan Hargrave of Sunstone Butte Mining’s 63.63-carat “Celestial City” sunstone carving won first place in the Innovative Faceting category.

Allen Kleiman’s pair of unheated oval morganite stones from Madagascar got top honors in the Pairs & Suites category.

The first place winner of the Phenomenal category was a pair of black opals weighing 33.40 total carats from Robert Shapiro (only one of which is pictured here).

John Dyer’s 21.96-carat multi-faceted cushion-cut Imperial topaz won first place in the All Other Faceted category.

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Carved Paraiba suite takes Spectrum’s top honors

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