2024 AGTA Spectrum Awards Open for Entries
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the jewelry design contest and the deadline for entries has just been extended.

Dallas—The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) has announced it is now accepting entries for its 2024 AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge awards.
The annual contest, now in its 40th year, recognizes design excellence in the world of colored gemstones and cultured pearls.
The winners of the awards set the standard for beauty and innovation, launch trends, and earn worldwide recognition, said AGTA.
They will receive mentions in the press and on social media, along with a celebration at the Spectrum & Cutting Edge awards gala during AGTA GemFair in Tucson next February.
“Lives are changed by winning Spectrum and Cutting Edge awards,” said John W. Ford, Sr., the CEO of AGTA.
“I know mine was—my awards helped put my company name on the map in the gemstones and jewelry world. AGTA is excited to see this year’s entries and who will take the top prizes.”
The winners will be chosen by a vetted panel of five judges who are experts from different industry segments.
This year’s judges are: Jean Francois Bibet, Cartier; Peggy Grosz, Assael Inc.; Sherry Bender, The Goldsmith Ltd.; Susan Jacques, GIA; and Suza Landa, Suzy Landa Fine Jewelry.
They will judge the entries this fall in Dallas, Texas.
Entrants must choose their categories for the Spectrum and Cutting Edge awards, while judges and representatives of sponsored categories will assign pieces for the “Best Of” honors and two sponsored awards—one to highlight female designers and one recognizing the use of platinum.
The 2024 Spectrum awards for finished jewelry include categories like bridal, business/day wear, evening wear and men’s wear, as well as a “New for 2024” category.
For the Cutting Edge awards, entrants can submit loose goods and non-wearable gems to categories including pairs and suites, innovative faceting, and carvings, as well as “North American Mined Gemstones.”
There are also the “Editor’s Choice Spectrum” and “Editor’s Choice Cutting Edge” categories, for which winners are chosen on Editor’s Day at an invitation-only event later this year, and the “Buyer’s Choice Spectrum in Tucson” and “Buyer’s Choice Cutting Edge in Tucson,” for which winners will be chosen by buyers during GemFair Tucson 2025.
The deadline to qualify for early bird pricing is Sept. 20, extended from the original early bird deadline of Sept. 6, with all entries paid for and received by AGTA before this date.
The first entry is $265, and all additional entries are $205 each.
The deadline to enter the AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge awards is now Oct. 9, extended from the original deadline of Sept. 20.
It is $295 for the first entry and $225 for every additional entry.
The awards are open to all companies and individuals in the United States and Canada. AGTA membership is not required to enter.
For the full list of eligibility requirements and judging criteria, visit AGTA’s website.
To submit an entry to the awards, visit this page of AGTA’s website.
The Latest

Jeffrey Zimmer's decades of leadership at Reeds Jewelers are defined by integrity, a love of sourcing gemstones, and a heart for community.

The new high jewelry design and production process takes 30 days or less from concept to completion, the auction house said.

The holiday catalog for 2025 features never-before-seen images of more than 100 one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

You deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.

The brand has released a second installment of its collection of traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.


Corey rescued New England chain Day’s Jewelers, preserving its legacy with strong people skills, pragmatism, and a “get-it-done” attitude.

Charles Robinson Shay was sentenced to life in prison plus 120 years while his accomplice, Michael James McCormack, got 75 years.

The upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.

The auction house named a new global head of jewelry, as well as a new head of the jewelry department for the Americas.

As chairman of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Tom Dixon has been tasked with honoring the past and shaping the future of the family-run store.

Katty Villapando Lyte and Mica Rencher received a $10,000 grant for their business, Shimmer Culture LLC.

The parents of the Dallas Mavericks rookie bought their engagement ring at a Day’s store in Bangor, Maine, in 1997.

The UK-based brand sourced the gemstones, which are fully traceable, from an artisanal mining community in Tanzania.

The trio of Advent calendars include a version with 18-karat gold and lab-grown diamond jewelry in a red lacquer jewelry box.

Created in collaboration with Nymphenburg Porcelain, the lock is part of a four-piece collection that took two years to bring to fruition.

Jewelry industry veteran Alisa Bunger has taken on the role.

The company and industry leader’s two-decade tenure with De Beers will come to a close at the end of the month.

“The Winter Egg” set the world auction record for a Fabergé piece twice at previous Christie’s sales.

The company will pay 1.5x silver’s current spot price for each pound of silver oxide batteries submitted.

The line includes a “Shadow” series crafted exclusively for the new men’s offering and reimagined styles from the brand’s core collections.

The rough on offer was recovered from a newer area at the Montepuez mine.

The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.

The champagne colorway in her newest “Ombré” collection combines white and trendy brown diamonds, a departure from her usual vibrant hues.

Kosann partnered with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to create a set of necklaces inspired by the artwork on samurai sword handguards.

Carlos Jose Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo face life in prison for the October 2024 murder of 72-year-old Detroit-area jeweler Hussein Murray.

The brand’s first high jewelry collection, “Tempest” plays with movement while calling to mind the folklore of the sea.

Proceeds from its jewelry raffle will go to a volunteer-run fire and rescue group in the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales, Australia.