Events & AwardsAug 19, 2024
Nominations Are Open for the 2025 Gem AwardsEvents & AwardsAug 05, 2024
Accessories Council Accepting Entries for Annual Design Awards
There are two categories for fine jewelry, as well as two for fashion/costume jewelry.
The Accessories Council is accepting entries now through Aug. 30 for its sixth annual Design Excellence Awards. Members of the council’s board of directors choose the finalists, and the public votes on the winners. Finalists will be announced Sept. 10, and the winners will be revealed at a breakfast on Nov. 4.
New York—Designers still have time to enter pieces for consideration in the Accessories Council’s annual Design Excellence Awards.
The awards launched in 2019 to recognize the best in design across a wide variety of accessories, including handbags, sunglasses, eyeglasses, shoes, and jewelry.
There are four categories for jewelry: fine jewelry under $1,000 (suggested retail price); fine jewelry over $1,000 (SRP); fashion jewelry under $100 (SRP); and fashion jewelry over $100 (SRP).
Last year’s winner in the fine jewelry category was Lagos for its 18-karat gold and diamond “Caviar” Apple Watch bracelet, and, in fashion jewelry, Brosway Italia’s “Chakra Mystic” bracelet and the ombre blue “Rock Stars” chandelier earrings from Nadri.
Related stories will be right here …
The awards launched in 2019 to recognize the best in design across a wide variety of accessories, including handbags, sunglasses, eyeglasses, shoes, and jewelry.
There are four categories for jewelry: fine jewelry under $1,000 (suggested retail price); fine jewelry over $1,000 (SRP); fashion jewelry under $100 (SRP); and fashion jewelry over $100 (SRP).
Last year’s winner in the fine jewelry category was Lagos for its 18-karat gold and diamond “Caviar” Apple Watch bracelet, and, in fashion jewelry, Brosway Italia’s “Chakra Mystic” bracelet and the ombre blue “Rock Stars” chandelier earrings from Nadri.
Members of the public vote on the winners from finalist pools selected by the Accessories Council’s board of directors. The council said it had more than 10,000 votes for products last year.
The board chooses the finalists based on excellence in design, unique appearance and/or function, consumer needs addressed by product, appropriate aesthetics, innovative materials or technology, market positioning and competitive performance, social images, emotional appeal, and sustainability.
Entries are being accepted now through Aug. 30.
Finalists will be announced in partnership with Fashionphile on the evening of Sept. 10 at Fashionphile’s flagship store on West 26th Street in New York.
The winners will be revealed at the Design Excellence Awards breakfast, scheduled for Nov. 4 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at The Fifth Avenue Hotel, 1 W. 28th St.
For more information, visit the 2024 Design Excellence Awards website.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
IndependentsAug 14, 2026
Smyth Jewelers to Open Fourth LocationThe family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.
CrimeAug 14, 2026
Wife of Man Convicted in Jeweler’s Murder Sentenced for Conspiracy Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.
TrendsAug 14, 2026
Paul Morelli’s Latest ‘Wavey Vine’ Earrings Embrace ColorThe reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsRetailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.
Supplier BulletinAug 13, 2026
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
Weekly QuizAug 13, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
FinancialsAug 13, 2026
Pandora’s ‘Talisman’ Collection Shines, Lab-Grown Diamond Sales FallIn the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.
AuctionsAug 13, 2026
This Gold Cadbury ‘Conundrum’ Egg Set a World Auction RecordThe 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
SourcingAug 13, 2026
2,488-Carat Diamond, Largest Found in Botswana, Has a New Owner Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.
CollectionsAug 13, 2026
John Hardy Infuses ‘Icon,’ ‘Heishi’ Collections with ColorThe expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.
Lab-GrownAug 13, 2026
Jean Dousset Opens Third StoreThe lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Eshed-Gemstar on the Painstaking Process of Cutting ‘The Legacy Emerald’The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Elderly NYC Woman Targeted in Jewelry Swap SchemeTwo suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Another Diamond Mine Poised to CloseFinsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Jewelry Store Employee Gets 20 Years to Life in Choking Death of BossMichel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.
MajorsAug 12, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names New SVP of SalesLongtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.
AuctionsAug 11, 2026
Verdura Unicorn Brooch With Royal Connection Up for Auction The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.
MajorsAug 11, 2026
Signet Jewelers Selects Mattel Exec to Lead Zales, BanterJamie Cygielman will take on the role on Aug. 24.
IndependentsAug 11, 2026
Polly’s Fine Jewelry Co-Owner Richard Moore Dies at 69Moore, Polly’s husband, is remembered as a family man with an easygoing spirit and a love for sports and the outdoors.
ColumnistsAug 11, 2026
Creative Connecting: How to Sell Colored Gemstones to Gen ZDuvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share the best ways to display, present, and explain colored gemstones to younger customers.
TechnologyAug 10, 2026
Colorado Jeweler Launches Customization Tool He Built HimselfHonest Hands Ring Co. Founder Benjamin Bosworth shared his thoughts on jewelry technology and why AI can never replace the human element.
MajorsAug 10, 2026
QVC Exits Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Names New Interim CEOQVC Group President and CEO David Rawlinson is temporarily being replaced by a familiar face, former QVC CEO Mike George.
CollectionsAug 10, 2026
State Property Puts a Ripple in the ‘The Voyager’ CollectionThe brand also added two one-of-a-kind brown diamond pieces to the “Sanssouci” series of its “Gardens” collection.
MajorsAug 10, 2026
And IJO’s 2026 Vendor of the Year Is … Ostbye took home top vendor honors at the Independent Jewelers Organization’s show, held last month in Kentucky.
Supplier BulletinAug 07, 2026
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsSponsored by Stratus Estate Buyers
MajorsAug 07, 2026
Retail Veteran Pam Cloud Appointed President of Blue NileCloud, who will officially join Blue Nile on Monday, spent 26 years at Tiffany & Co. and founded jewelry brand Roseate.
MajorsAug 07, 2026
Pandora Appoints Paulo Garcia as New CFO Garcia will take over from the company’s current CFO, Anders Boyer, who is retiring at the end of November.
