Here Are the 2021 Spectrum Award Winners

After a few years of loose stones taking top honors, the “Best Of” award went to a finished jewel this year.

Brecken Branstrator brecken.branstrator@nationaljeweler.com

These earrings from Adam Neeley won “Best of Show” honors as well as first place in the Evening Wear category in the 2021 AGTA Spectrum Awards.

Dallas—The winners of the American Gem Trade Association’s 2021 Spectrum Awards have been revealed.

The organization held the competition on Oct. 23 and 24 in Dallas, with the following judges choosing the winning designs: Judy Evans, Judy Evans Design Studio; Amber Gustafson, Amber’s Designs Fine Jewelry; Tony Logan, Jay Dean Winchester; Kelly Mitchell, Kelly Mitchell Fine Jewelry; and Matthew Trent, Matthew Trent.

The full list of winners is below.

“Best of” Awards
Best of Show: Adam Neeley (Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry)
Best Use of Color: Adam Neeley (Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry)
Best Use of Pearls: Michael Tope (Raintree LLC)
Fashion Forward: Stanislav Petrov (Stanislav Petrov Inc.)
Best of Single Entries—Cutting Edge: Misael Angel Rodriguez (Gem Arts International)
Best of Single Entries—Spectrum: Scott Keating (Somewhere In The Rainbow)
Best Use of Platinum and Color: Llyn Strelau (Somewhere In The Rainbow)
Best Use of Platinum Crown: Lindsay Jane Chatham (K. Jons Jewelry Co.)

See: The Competition’s “Best Of” Winners

Best of Show. Adam Neeley 14-karat rose and white gold “Galassia” earrings featuring specialty-cut tanzanites (24.84 total carats) accented with akoya cultured pearls and diamonds (4.04 total carats)

Best Use of Color. Adam Neeley suite of specialty cut green tourmalines, weighing 47.80 total carats, and tanzanites, weighing 12.69 total carats

Best Use of Pearls. Michael Tope 18-karat yellow gold and platinum “Kalaimaia” earrings featuring Tahitian cultured pearls, green tourmalines (6.30 total carats), yellow diamonds (0.58 total carats), white diamonds (0.40 ctw.) and turquoise

Fashion Forward. Stanislav Petrov 18-karat yellow and white gold “Violet” ring with purple nano-ceramic coating featuring amethysts (1.50 total carats), yellow sapphires (1.90 total carats) and diamonds (0.02 total carats)

Best of Single Entries—Cutting Edge. Misael Angel Rodriguez 24-piece suite of cat’s-eye emerald cabochons (37.90 total carat weight)

Best of Single Entries—Spectrum. Scott Keating 18-karat yellow gold “Hot Scarab Nights” bracelet featuring specialty-cut blue zircons (10.12 total carats) and pink tourmalines (5.66 total carats) accented with 1.50 carats of sapphire melee and 0.32 carats of diamond melee

Best Use of Platinum and Color. Llyn Strelau platinum “Dreamweaver” necklace featuring multicolored akoya cultured pearls, 0.40 total carats of diamonds, and a removable platinum pendant featuring a specialty cut beryl suite: a 5.28-carat aquamarine, a 4.56-carat heliodor and a 2.86-carat morganite

Best Use of Platinum Crown. Lindsay Jane Chatham platinum “Love You Forever, Love You for Always” ring featuring a 7.47-carat round yellow zircon accented with diamonds (1.04 total carats) and lavender sapphires (0.90 total carats)

Bridal Wear
First Place and Platinum Honors: Suna Bros. (Suna Bros.)
Second Place: Susan Helmich (Somewhere In The Rainbow)
Third Place and Manufacturing Honors: Nikki Swift (Nicole Mera LLC)
Honorable Mention: Niveet Nagpal (Omi Prive)
Honorable Mention: Benjamin Javaheri (Uneek Jewelry)
Platinum Innovation: Michael Endlich (Pave Fine Jewelry)
WJA Gem Diva: Sherry Bender (The Goldsmith Ltd. of Chicago)

Business/Day Wear
First Place: Niveet Nagpal (Omi Prive)
Second Place: Stanislav Petrov (Stanislav Petrov Inc.)
Third Place: Llyn Strelau (Somewhere In The Rainbow)
Honorable Mention: Robin Callahan (Robin Callahan Designs LLC)
Manufacturing Honors: Timothy Foster (T. Foster & Company)
Platinum Honors and Platinum Innovation: Michael Endlich (Pave Fine Jewelry)
WJA Gem Diva: Rosa Van Parys (Rosa Van Parys Jewelry)

Classical
First Place: Llyn Strelau (Jewels by Design)
Second Place: Raja Mehta (A G Gems & Jewelry Inc.)
Third Place: Niveet Nagpal (Omi Prive)
Honorable Mention: Joseph Murawski (Joden World Resources LLC)
Platinum Honors: Craig Slavens (Luxe Fine Jewelry)
WJA Gem Diva: Beatrix Laura Jessner (B & W Jewels LLC)

See: The Spectrum First Place Winners

Bridal Wear, First Place and Platinum Honors. Suna Bros platinum ring featuring a 9.18-carat oval moonstone cabochon accented with lavender sapphires (1.36 total carats) and diamonds (0.56 total carats)

Business/Day Wear, First Place. Niveet Nagpal platinum pendant featuring an 8.12-carat pear-shaped moonstone cabochon accented with Paraiba-type tourmalines (0.86 total carats) and diamonds (0.96 total carats)

Classical, First Place. Llyn L. Strelau 18-karat yellow gold “Luxuriant” sautoir necklace featuring 18 x 16 mm black and white South Sea cultured pearls and 12 mm black and white South Sea cultured pearls, accented with diamonds (3.50 total carats) on strands of Japanese baroque keshi cultured pearls

Evening Wear, First Place. Adam Neeley 14-karat rose and white gold “Galassia” earrings featuring specialty-cut tanzanites (24.84 total carats) accented with akoya cultured pearls and diamonds (4.04 total carats)

Men’s Wear, First Place. Rodney Rahmani 18-karat yellow gold and platinum ring featuring a 12.86-carat cat’s-eye chrysoberyl cabochon accented with diamonds

Evening Wear
First Place: Adam Neeley (Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry)
Second Place: Leon Mege (Leon Mege Inc.)
Third Place: Scott Keating (Somewhere In The Rainbow)
Honorable Mention: Paula Crevoshay (Mellika Inc.)
Honorable Mention: Tariq Riaz (Tariq Riaz LLC)
Manufacturing Honors: Tariq Riaz (Tariq Riaz LLC)
Platinum Honors: Robert Glenn (Geogem-USA)
WJA Gem Diva: Caroline Chartouni (Caroline C)

Men’s Wear
First Place: Rodney Rahmani (Brilliant Stars)
Second Place: Michael Endlich (Pave Fine Jewelry)
Third Place: Gaston Rives (Gaston Jewelry Studio Inc.)
Honorable Mention: Robert Pelliccia (J.R. Dunn Jewelers)
Manufacturing Honors: Llyn Strelau (Jewels by Design)
Platinum Honors: Lindsay Jane Chatham (K. Jons Jewelry Co.)

The winners of the AGTA Cutting Edge Awards, which recognize excellence in lapidary arts, are as follows.

Classic Gemstones
First Place: Allen Kleiman (A. Kleiman & Co.)
Second Place: Joseph Ambalu (Amba Gem Corp.)
Third Place: Allen Kleiman (A. Kleiman & Co.)

All Other Cut Gemstones
First Place: Sailesh Lakhi (Sparkles and Colors USA Inc.)
Second Place: David Nassi (100% Natural Ltd.)
Third Place: Joseph Ambalu (Amba Gem Corp.)
Honorable Mention: Kenneth Blount (100% Natural Ltd.)

Carving
First Place: Larry Woods (Gem Arts International)
Second Place: Desmond Chan (Gem Arts International)
Third Place: Meg Berry (Megagem)
Honorable Mention: Yanqing Zhang Asdurian (Yanqing Asdurian)

Innovative Faceting
First Place: Larry Woods (Gem Arts International)
Second Place: Brett Kosnar (Dudley Blauwet Gems)
Third Place: Dalan Hargrave (Robin Callahan Designs LLC)
Honorable Mention: John Burleyson (GemRite)

See: The Cutting Edge First Place Winners

Classic Gemstones, First Place. Allen Kleiman 4.35-carat round Mozambique ruby

All Other Cut Gemstones, First Place. Sailesh Lakhi 30.50-carat oval brilliant-cut untreated mandarin garnet

Carving, First Place. Larry Woods 67.75-carat “Eye of the Dragon” bicolored Oregon sunstone carving

Innovative Faceting, First Place. Larry Woods 43.80-carat “Celestial Compass Rose” specialty cut green tourmaline

North American Mined Gemstones, First Place. Brad Payne 12.86-carat “Colorado Candy Crush” modified pear-cut rhodochrosite from the Sweet Home Mine, Colorado

Objects of Art, First Place. Yanqing Zhang Asdurian jadeite carving of a boot

Pairs & Suites, First Place. Hemant Phophaliya pair of almond-shaped tanzanite drops (59.54 total carats)

Phenomenal, First Place. Misael Angel Rodriguez 24-piece suite of cat’s eye emerald cabochons (37.90 total carats)

North American Mined Gemstones
First Place: Brad Payne (Somewhere In The Rainbow)
Second Place: Derek Katzenbach (Katzenbach Designs)
Third Place: Joyce Wang (Obsessed Over Gems)
Honorable Mention: Dalan Hargrave (Robin Callahan Designs LLC)

Objects of Art
First Place: Yanqing Zhang Asdurian (Yanqing Asdurian)
Second Place: Christopher Wolfsberg (Christopher Wolfsberg)
Third Place: Sharon Khazzam (Sharon Khazzam Studio)
Honorable Mention: Dalan Hargrave (GemStarz Jewelry)

Pairs and Suites
First Place: Hemant Phophaliya (A G Color Inc.)
Second Place: Bryan Lichtenstein (3090 Gems LLC)
Third Place: Adam Neeley (Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry)
Honorable Mention: Joseph Ambalu (Amba Gem Corp.)
Honorable Mention: Hemant Phophaliya (A G Color Inc.)

Phenomenal
First Place: Misael Angel Rodriguez (Gem Arts International)
Second Place: David Nassi (100% Natural Ltd.)
Third Place: Brett Kosnar (Dudley Blauwet Gems)

The winning pieces will be showcased at the 2022 AGTA GemFair Tucson event, scheduled for Feb. 1-6 at the Tucson Convention Center.