Meet Jewelers of America’s 2026 ‘20 Under 40’ Class
The annual list honors rising professionals on the retail and supply sides of the jewelry industry.

Launched in 2022, the program recognizes rising professionals in the jewelry industry under the age of 40.
The program features two lists, one recognizing jewelry retail members and one for jewelry supplier members, which was introduced last year.
Each list recognizes 20 individuals for a total of 40 honorees.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this year’s 20 Under 40 class, an inspiring group of professionals who represent the next generation of leadership in our industry,” said David Bonaparte, president and CEO of Jewelers of America.
“By continuing to recognize both retailers and suppliers, the program highlights the collaboration and creativity that fuel the jewelry community.”
The retail recipients are:
Bobby Bengivengo Jr., owner at Cellini Design Jewelers in Orange, Connecticut;
SJ Boardman, senior sales consultant and social media marketing manager at Summerwind Jewelers & Goldsmiths in Portsmouth, New Hampshire;
Kyle Bullock, owner at Bullock's Jewelry in Roswell, New Mexico;
Lauren P. Clawson, store manager and advertising & marketing advisor at Huntington Fine Jewelers in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma;
Baileigh Daoud-Soricelli, managing partner and director of marketing at Daoud's Fine Jewelry in Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
Shelly Devine, Graduate Gemologist and certified appraiser at Devine & Co. Private Jeweler in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California;
Karen Fox, shop manager at Fox Fine Jewelry in Ventura, California;
Taylor Frank, president at Eiseman Jewels in Dallas, Texas;
Charlie Green, director of stores at Lux Bond & Green in West Hartford, Connecticut;
Morgan Hancock Lewis, director of marketing at Merkley Kendrick Jewelers in Louisville, Kentucky;
Griffin Holbeck, vice president of sales and store director at Korman Fine Jewelry in Austin, Texas;
Brittany Kelly, manager and designer at David Adams Fine Jewelry in Fayetteville, Arkansas;
Tony Maggio, owner at Reflections in Gold in Venice, Florida;
Sylvan Eugene Needham V, assistant manager at S.E. Needham Jewelers in Logan, Utah;
Mackenzie Nguyen, director of retail & e-commerce at Ylang 23 in Dallas, Texas;
Sara Beth Brown Prendeville, president at Brown & Co. in Atlanta, Georgia;
Sarah Martin Rowe, founder and principal designer at The Leake Co. in Louisville, Kentucky;
Victoria Ruta, engineer technician at Tiffany & Co. in New York, New York;
J.C. Sanders, owner and jeweler at Sanders Jewelry in Andalusia, Alabama; and
Olivia Wickersham, director of sales & operations at The Bevy in Denver, Colorado.
The supplier recipients are:
Laura Berardocco, sales director and senior vice president at Roberto Coin Inc. in New York, New York;
Domenique Collins, strategic partnerships & roadmap at Adaptive in Saratoga Springs, New York;
Rohan Desai, operations manager at Star Gems in Atlanta, Georgia;
Elliot Dilamani, vice president of global sales at Dilamani in Great Neck, New York;
Javier Garza, founder at Xavier Jewelers in Austin, Texas;
Josh Genovese, vice president at Child-Genovese Insurance Agency, Inc. in Hingham, Massachusetts;
Melanie Goldfiner Goldberg, chief marketing & business development officer at Rahaminov Diamonds, Inc. in Los Angeles, California;
Sarah Haugaard, co-founder and creative & operations director at Lionheart in New York, New York;
Hiba Husayni, founder and designer at Zahn-Z in New York, New York;
Nicolai Israileff, co-owner at ASBA USA in Sarasota, Florida;
Gaurav Khandelwal, chief operating officer at Union Gems in Houston, Texas;
Steven LeVian, manager of couture at Le Vian Corp. in Great Neck, New York;
Casey Perez, founder and designer at Casey Perez in Brooklyn, New York;
Meir Saban, president at Saban Onyx in New York, New York;
Olga Shatrova, designer and founder at Olga Shatrova LLC in Irvine, California;
Stella Song, founder and CEO at Stella Song Designs in Irvine, California;
Nicole Stern, co-founder and vice president at Everspark in Great Neck, New York;
DeAndre Williams, senior account executive at Aurora Payments in Tempe, Arizona;
Ersin Yildirim, owner and CEO at Golden Planet USA Inc. in New York, New York; and
Gabriella Zwirn, founder and designer at Nur Jewels in Carlsbad, California.
The recipients were chosen by a panel of industry judges, and were evaluated on their professional success, innovative thinking, leadership qualities, and dedication to the greater jewelry community.
Each nominee also demonstrated a commitment to the Jewelers of America Code of Professional Practices and the highest standards of professional ethics, said JA.
For more info about this year’s recipients, visit the JA website.
The Latest

Keith Rolfe, CFO and COO of Lagos, is now at the jewelry brand’s helm while Steven takes on the role of executive chairman.

Alberto Perez-Elias is one of four men charged in the armed robbery of a Cape Coral, Florida, jewelry store and remains at large.

The “Kat Florence Luminas” will be offered together as one lot and could fetch up to $637,000.

Submit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.

Four directors were elected to the AGTA board and will serve three-year terms beginning in February.


Ken Citron joins the celebrity memorabilia-focused auction house ahead of its first week-long series of events in Abu Dhabi.

The jewelry retailer said it sees opportunity at higher price points, particularly in natural diamonds for bridal and fashion.

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

The auction, held in Bangkok, was 96 percent sold by lot, with nearly 411,000 carats of Mozambiquan rubies sold.

Fine Jewelry 2027-2028 has more than 900 new styles, including silver, gold-filled, gold-plated sterling silver, and vermeil jewelry.

Learn more about the new terms for lab-grown diamonds and composite gemstones, and the major changes in store for precious metals jewelry.

With high durability and a wide range of colors to choose from, sapphires may be the ultimate birthstone, Gizzi claims.

Laughter is often considered a distraction in the workplace, but it has benefits for both staff and management, Peter Smith writes.

Gretchen Koback Pursel is the new chief people officer at the company formerly known as Saks Global.

The California jeweler is renovating its store in Fresno, with plans to show off the new space in December.

A lifelong practitioner of Pilates, Gabrielle looked to the springs’ tension and suspension when creating this ring, our Piece of the Week.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 13.

The auction house has promoted Remi Guillemin, formerly its head of watches for the Americas and EMEA, to the role.

Zaven Ghanimian discussed the value of human craftsmanship and where the implementation of artificial intelligence does work.

Jewelers of America also revealed the recipients of the Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship and its own scholarship programs.

The British actor, known for his roles in “Twilight” and “The Odyssey,” will star in a campaign for the Master Control Chronometre.

The “Confetti Disco,” “Champagne Cheers,” “Tuxedo,” and “Classic Punk” jewelry collections each capture a distinct spirit of celebration.

Nelson Holdo of Newport Beach pleaded guilty to multiple counts of felony grand theft and writing bad checks and was sentenced Monday.

Cat ladies of the jewelry world, unite. Sandy Lerner’s “significant” collection of cat jewelry and other objects is going up for auction.

Arnaud Michon, the former Omega USA President, will now lead Messika’s Americas region during its international development.

The branding references the back-to-back jewelry shows that new parent company Forge will host in Miami's Coconut Grove this November.

The stainless steel Patek Philippe “Calatrava” watch from the 1930s sold for nearly $80,000 at a recent Hansons Cornwall auction.
























