Events & Awards

Jose Hess Design Awards Announce Judges

Events & AwardsMay 22, 2025

Jose Hess Design Awards Announce Judges

The nonprofit elected five judges who will decide the winners of its design competition.

Jose Hess Design Awards 2025 Trophy
The winning designers of the Jose Hess Design Awards will be announced and celebrated at the JCK Show in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 7.
New York—The Jose Hess Design Awards have announced the judges of this year’s competition.

The awards, which are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, were established in 2022 to honor the legacy of Jose Hess, an award-winning jewelry designer and GIA graduate, who died in February 2021.

The theme of the 2025 awards is “Radiance,” celebrating timeless beauty in fine jewelry works that reflect enduring brilliance, emotion, and artistry.

The judging panel consists of five people who bring a rich mix of heritage, innovation, and influence from across the jewelry industry, said the organization.

The 2025 Jose Hess Design Awards Judges are as follows:

Susan Helmich, Susan Helmich Design, has been a celebrated goldsmith and jewelry designer for more than 50 years. Her creations embody a passion for the earth’s natural beauty, ancient, art, and exceptional craftsmanship, said the organization.

Helmich’s work has been featured in the Smithsonian and honored by AGTA, WJA, and MJSA.

Tracey Ellison, The Diamond Girl, is a social media and fine jewelry influencer with millions of followers on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. She has a front-row view of the innovation in today’s market and is known for her sharp eye and deep love for fine jewelry, said organizers.

Veronica Guarino, Louis Anthony Jewelers, is a leader in jewelry marketing and retail strategy. She has guided the family-owned retailer since it was co-founded by her and Louis A. Guarino Jr. in 1990.

Her dedication to excellence in curation and the customer experience informs her strong point of view on wearable, elegant designs, the organization said.

Louis A. Guarino Jr., Louis Anthony Jewelers, is a graduate gemologist with more than 40 years of experience. His global sourcing background makes him a sought-after expert in discerning true artistry and market appeal in fine jewelry, said the nonprofit.

Magdalena Hess, founder of Jose Hess Design Awards and Jose’s wife, is an award-winning designer and the longtime creative partner of Jose Hess. She is continuing their shared legacy of design excellence through her leadership of the awards program, it said.

 Related stories will be right here … 

The judges will evaluate submitted designs based on originality, craftsmanship, technical proficiency, and consumer wearability.

Finalists were chosen from a competitive field of submissions, each inspired by this year’s theme.

The winning designers will be announced and celebrated at the JCK Show in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 7.

The Jose Hess Design Awards presentation and ceremony will be held at the Designer Lounge in the Design Collective at JCK from 3 to 5 p.m. local time.

The event’s attendees will be the first to view the three award-winning pieces, which will be followed by a cocktail reception.

“Don’t miss the unforgettable celebration of creativity, craftsmanship, and the spirit of design that defines the Jose Hess Design Awards,” said the organization.

The Latest

Bicolor pink and colorless diamond
GradingOct 21, 2025
GIA Examines Rare Bicolor Pink Diamond

The stone’s two zones, one pink and one colorless, may have formed at two different times, the lab said.

Pomellato Rodeo Drive Flagship Exterior
MajorsOct 21, 2025
Pomellato Brings ‘Global Attitude’ to Rodeo Drive Flagship

Hollywood glamour meets Milanese sophistication in the design of Pomellato’s new store in Beverly Hills, California.

Grown Brilliance NYC Flagship Exterior
Lab-GrownOct 21, 2025
Grown Brilliance Opens First Flagship

The New York City store showcases a chandelier with 1,500 carats of lab-grown diamonds designed by an FIT student.

LIM-401 2024 National Jeweler Supplier Bulletin- iD100 Web and Eblast FINAL (2) (1).jpg
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your Business

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

Sothebys the glowing rose pink diamond
AuctionsOct 20, 2025
Sotheby's To Auction 10-Carat Vivid Pink Diamond

Making its auction debut, "The Glowing Rose" is expected to fetch $20 million at the November jewelry sale in Geneva.

Weekly QuizOct 16, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
2025_Gemfields logo.jpg
SourcingOct 20, 2025
2 Mozambique Police Officers Killed at Gemfields’ Ruby Mine

They were attacked on Oct. 15, as approximately 40 miners without licenses marched on the mine’s gate.

Empress Eugénie’s pearl and diamond tiara
CrimeOct 20, 2025
See the ‘Priceless’ Jewels Stolen During Daytime Heist at the Louvre

It took the masked thieves less than 10 minutes to steal eight irreplaceable jewels from two display cases in the museum’s Apollo Gallery.

ja_fall_2024_by_headshot_stories_6824.jpg
Brought to you by
JA New York Fall Is Right Around the Corner

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

Lauren Gayda
SourcingOct 20, 2025
Pristine Gems Names New Director of European Sales

Gemologist Lauren Gayda has previously worked at The Clear Cut, Taylor & Hart, and Effy Jewelry.

Charles London, Mayer and Fran Udell, Mark and Candy Udell
IndependentsOct 17, 2025
From the Jazz Age to the Information Age: London Jewelers Turns 100

In 2026, the jewelry retailer will celebrate a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.

Judi Powers Jewelry Stella Earrings
TrendsOct 17, 2025
Piece of the Week: Judi Powers Jewelry’s ‘Stella’ Earrings

Take a gaze at the sky with this pair of platinum diamond-set star earrings with blue lace agate drops.

Jeffrey Zimmer Reeds Jewelers
IndependentsOct 16, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Jeffrey Zimmer

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

Sothebys salon new bond street
AuctionsOct 16, 2025
Sotheby’s Introduces Custom Jewelry Service

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

Oscar Heyman 2025 Holiday Catalog Cover
MajorsOct 16, 2025
Oscar Heyman’s Holiday Catalog Is Out, and It’s Spectacular

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

Foundrae United in Love Campaign Imagery
CollectionsOct 16, 2025
Foundrae Adds To ‘United in Love’ Collection

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

Kathy Corey
IndependentsOct 15, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Kathy Corey

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

Colorado jeweler Peter Damian Arguello
CrimeOct 15, 2025
Men Receive Lengthy Prison Sentences for 2023 Murder of Colorado Jeweler

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

Logo for Timepieces at Luxury
Events & AwardsOct 15, 2025
JCK, Luxury to Debut New Watch Section in Vegas Next Year

Timepieces at Luxury will take place at The Venetian and, like Luxury, will be invitation-only for the first two days.

Max Fawcett Claibourne Poindexter
AuctionsOct 15, 2025
Christie's Announces New Jewelry Department Leadership

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

Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Tom Dixon
IndependentsOct 14, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Tom Dixon

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 of Shimmer LLC
Events & AwardsOct 14, 2025
Here Are the Winners of the BIJC, JA ‘Emerging Jewelers’ Grant

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

Cooper Flagg family at Day’s Jewelers
IndependentsOct 14, 2025
Day’s Jewelers Crafts Custom Jewelry for No.1 NBA Draft Pick Cooper Flagg

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

Pragnell Kitulo Garnet collection
SourcingOct 14, 2025
Pragnell Debuts Kitulo Garnet Jewelry

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

Astrid & Miyu 2025 12-Day, 24-Day, Solid Gold Advent Calendars
CollectionsOct 10, 2025
Count Down to the Holidays With Astrid & Miyu’s Advent Calendars

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

Front of Marla Aaron porcelain Nymphenburg Lock
CollectionsOct 10, 2025
Piece of the Week: Marla Aaron’s ‘Nymphenburg Lock’

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

Alisa Bunger Frederick Goldman
MajorsOct 10, 2025
Frederick Goldman Names New VP of Sales

Jewelry industry veteran Alisa Bunger has taken on the role.

Feriel Zerouki, De Beers Chief Trade and Industry Officer
SourcingOct 09, 2025
Feriel Zerouki Is Leaving De Beers

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

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy