JA Still Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE Awards
The deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.

The annual jewelry design competition honors JA members who exhibit Creativity, Artistry, Style, and Excellence in jewelry design.
It is open to all employees of JA member retailers and suppliers, as well as Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) members. MJSA and JA signed an affiliation agreement in September, bringing MJSA under the JA umbrella.
The original deadline was March 20; now, entries will be accepted through April 3.
The competition is divided into eight categories based on retail value, with retail member and supplier member subsets.
The categories are:
Retail Members: Jewelry up to $5,000 retail value;
Supplier Members: Jewelry up to $5,000 retail value;
Retail Members: Jewelry $5,001 to $10,000 retail value;
Supplier Members: Jewelry $5,001 to $10,000 retail value;
Retail Members: Jewelry $10,001 to $20,000 retail value;
Supplier Members: Jewelry $10,001 to $20,000 retail value;
Retail Members: Jewelry $20,001 to $75,000 retail value; and
Supplier Members: Jewelry $20,001 to $75,000 retail value.
Two pieces—one from a retailer and one from a supplier—also will receive “Best in Show” honors.
“The CASE Awards are one of the most meaningful ways we celebrate the artistry and design excellence coming from within our membership,” said Amanda Gizzi, senior vice president of corporate affairs at JA.
“Now that MJSA is part of the JA family, we’re proud to welcome MJSA members into the competition and broaden the spotlight on the incredible talent across our unified organization.”
All entries go through a two-part judging process that begins with a virtual pre-judging round.
The finalists are then invited to submit physical pieces for final evaluation by a panel of industry experts who will judge based on overall design, marketability, wearability, and quality of manufacture.
The CASE Award winners will receive a customized trophy and national trade and consumer media exposure.
JA will also promote all entrants through a social media and digital marketing campaign.
To view the full entry guidelines and submit designs, visit JA’s website or contact JA Member Services at 800-223-0673.
The Latest

Buying discipline at trade shows starts with clarity about your inventory levels, Smith writes.

The company’s jewelry sales were up in Q4 and the fiscal year, with Richemont raising prices in part because of the cost of gold.

The “Bauble” capsule collection of colorful one-of-a-kinds includes our Piece of the Week, the “Bauble” earrings, featuring rose zircon.

As gold prices rise, today’s retailers are looking for alternatives at prices that will appeal to wider audiences.

The updated catalog has a newly dedicated section for gift wrapping.


Everett covers colored stones’ surging popularity, the mellow return of the “Mellon Blue,” and his “The Devil Wears Prada” doppelgänger.

Fourth-generation CEO Lilly Mullen wants to emphasize experience, connection, and personalized service.

With the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.

The addition of the diamond-producing countries as nation affiliated members broadens the federation’s global representation, WFDB said.

The NYPD is warning elderly New Yorkers to keep their jewelry hidden when walking outside to avoid being a target.

Designer Viviana Langhoff has realized her dream of owning a space for her Chicago jewelry store that looks and feels like her brand.

The sessions will run from Friday, May 29, to Sunday, May 31, with one being a live taping of an episode of Couture’s podcast.

Former Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry executive Morgan P. Richardson is joining the lab-grown diamond jewelry brand.

The $400 pocket watch is a blend of Audemars Piguet’s iconic eight-sided Royal Oak and Swatch’s unserious Pop watches from the ‘80s.

With gold prices on the rise, the “Modern Electrum” collection uses an alternative, non-tarnishing metal alloy composed of gold and silver.

Fruchtman Marketing has new owners, Erin Moyer-Carballea and Manuel Carballea, and will relocate to Miami.

In a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Smith lists 10 time-tested principles about sales that still ring true.

In a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Golan spells out how the growing economic divide in the U.S. is reshaping the market.

The “Limitless Expansion of Joy and Hope” collection evokes summer through colored gemstones and motifs of butterflies and florals.

The jewel, circa 1890, is from the late Victorian era and was owned by descendants of the last high king of Ireland.

This is what the nine recipients plan to do with the funds.

The Western star’s 14-karat gold signet ring sold for six times its low estimate following a bidding war at U.K. auction house Elmwood’s.

The discussion, "Rebuilding the Jewelry Workforce," will take place on Saturday, May 16, in Troy, Michigan.

The jewelry industry is reassessing its positioning as Gen Z reshapes the retail landscape and lab grown continues to gain market share.

A matching pair of 18.38-carat, D-color diamonds from Botswana’s Jwaneng mine sold for $3.3 million, the top lot of the jewelry auction.

Sponsored by A Diamond Is Forever

The next generation of lapidarists are entrepreneurial, engaged online, and see the craft as a means for artistic expression.



























