Continental Buying Group’s Las Vegas edition of its Curated Designer Project includes Chris Ploof Designs, Folium, GemologyGeek, Joyla Jewelry, Rahul’s Jewels, Melinda Lawton Jewelry, Jason McLeod Jewelry, and Anty.
Las Vegas—Continental Buying Group (CBG) has expanded its Curated Designer Project (CDP) for its Las Vegas show.
The event is slated for May 26-27 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, with the CDP located in the Augustus Showroom.
The CDP was created to bring the best independent designers into the CBG ecosystem, it said, offering retail members access to work that is distinctive and handcrafted.
Following the success of its debut at the CBG Miami show earlier this year, the Las Vegas edition has doubled in size to eight designers.
Chris Ploof Designs and Folium will return, with GemologyGeek, Joyla Jewelry, Rahul’s Jewels, Melinda Lawton Jewelry, Jason McLeod Jewelry, and Anty joining the CDP for the first time.
“What makes the CDP special is the quality and distinctiveness of the work,” said Matt Tratner, president of CBG.
“These are not brands you will find in every store. Each of these eight designers brings a completely original point of view, and that is exactly what independent retailers need to stand apart in their markets.”
Chris Ploof Designs
From top to bottom, Chris Ploof Designs’ “Supernova” ring in 18-karat yellow gold and Damascus stainless steel ($4,650), “Cosmic” ring in 14-karat red gold and Damascus stainless steel ($3,925), and “Kona” ring in 18-karat yellow gold and Damascus stainless steel ($3,465)
Based in Leominster, Massachusetts, Chris Ploof has been fascinated with blacksmithing from a young age.
Ploof’s first job was in the bicycle industry while in high school, which influences his “Precious Links” designs inspired by bike chains.
After graduation, he joined the Army, and when he wasn’t deployed, he purchased his first anvil to forge items as he began participating in Civil War reenactments.
Ploof later re-entered the cycling industry, becoming the head mechanic and trainer of a multi-store bicycle retail chain. In the mid-1990’s, he began working on sand casting some parts, which is where he learned that he loved working in the small scale that jewelry provides.
He attended a metalsmithing program and worked as an apprentice in a local jewelry store, purchased meteorite iron, and learned about working with Mokume gane and Damascus steel—signatures of his offerings.
Ploof founded Chris Ploof Designs in 2004. Recently, he was chosen as the first American designer to work with a new alloy, Modern Electrum, for his latest collection, according to the brand.
Folium
Folium’s “Serpentis” statement ring in platinum with a 1.16-carat no heat ruby in the snake’s mouth and diamond accents throughout ($59,300) (Image credit: Ella Sophie Photography)
Folium is a brand rooted in the language of nature, inspired by botanical structures and the imperfect geometry of living systems.
With designer and master goldsmith Myles Ryan as its CEO, the brand centers symbolic storytelling and exceptional craftsmanship.
It is based in Oakland, California, where Ryan creates Folium’s sculptural, hand-engraved jewels that blend ancient techniques with a contemporary aesthetic.
Ryan was first introduced to the bench by his grandmother and later, he worked in an apprenticeship with master goldsmith Zoltan David.
He creates each piece as a talisman imbued with wearable strength, symbolism, and a sense of personal legacy.
GemologyGeek
GemologyGeek’s 18-karat yellow gold ring features a 1.77-carat pear-cut blue-green tourmaline from Namibia flanked by 1.56 carats of Ascher-cut lagoon tourmalines from Brazil, which are all framed by fancy-cut diamonds that have an optical phenomenon and two bullet-cut diamonds ($17,850).
Founded by Erica Silverglide in New York City, GemologyGeek first began in 2016 as her educational gemology platform and online colored gemstone shop before Silverglide debuted her first finished collection, “Ignite,” earlier this year.
Silverglide’s relationship with color began when she was a child as she noticed subtle shifts in hue or saturation that others couldn’t perceive and gemstones were the first place that her way of seeing color made sense.
She went on to graduate from the Savannah College of Art and Design, completed her G.G. at GIA, and spent the next 15 years working in New York City’s top jewelry houses where she designed, sourced rare gemstones and diamonds, managed manufacturing, and built vendor relationships before starting GemologyGeek.
Silverglide said her brand exists to show clients why optical behavior, pleochroism, inclusions, and the way facets influence a stone’s color and brilliance matter, and to give designers and retailers access to stones that are exceptional.
“This is a brand for those who value truth in materials—designers, retailers, clients, and collectors who want beauty backed by science, sourced by standards, and pieces that create connections for generations,” she said.
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Joyla Jewelry
Joyla Jewelry’s beaded necklace featuring turquoise, pearls, lapis, zircon, chrysocolla, dumortierite, labradorite, sky blue topaz, and 24-karat gold vermeil ($450)
Lori Gadola’s passion for extraordinary gemstones inspired her to launch Joyla Jewelry.
Based in Ocean City, Maryland, the brand’s offerings feature vivid gemstones like garnet, carnelian, labradorite, moonstone, turquoise, tanzanite, and topaz alongside 24-karat gold vermeil.
Its “Affirmation” collection is a tribute to gemstones with each design incorporating a symbol to remind one of the positivity that you can bring to your own life each day.
“We celebrate the beauty of our world by capturing its vibrance as jewelry,” said Joyla Jewelry.
Rahul’s Jewels
Rahul’s Jewels’ “Sanctum Aether” pendant featuring a 2-carat, kite-shaped, rose-cut, heat treated black diamond set in 14-karat yellow gold ($1,350)
Rahul Gupta founded Rahul’s Jewels in New York City with the idea that fine jewelry should feel personal, expressive, and inclusive.
Each collection is designed to celebrate individuality and challenge the traditional idea of luxury through a brand built on blending natural diamonds with contemporary design and meaningful storytelling.
Clean lines, sculptural shapes, and understated luxury are hallmarks of Rahul’s Jewels, crafted with 14-karat gold and materials like black PVD-coated stainless steel.
Gupta grew up surrounded by trays of diamonds at his father’s business before following his own path through the industry. During this time, he didn’t see himself, his friends, his community, or his joy in the jewelry.
“I didn’t see the fire of queer expression, the brilliance of culture, or the raw beauty that lives outside the mainstream,” said Gupta, leading him to create his own brand centering lesser-known diamonds as a metaphor to celebrate the mysterious, rare, and too often ignored.
Many pieces are gender inclusive and the brand’s debut fine jewelry collection, “Sanctum,” reflects its core values while exploring themes of protection, strength, grounding, and transformation with rose-cut diamonds.
Rahul’s Jewels supports organizations focused on equality, inclusion, and social impact.
Melinda Lawton Jewelry
Melinda Lawton Jewelry’s 14-karat yellow gold earrings featuring round blue topaz in a bezel setting with cascading clusters of blue topaz briolettes and Japanese Akoya keshi pearls ($2,800) (Image courtesy of Melinda Lawton)
With a background in film and television design, Melinda Lawton founded her namesake brand in 2003.
Based in Hendersonville, North Carolina, the brand is defined by its one-of-a-kind and limited-production designs that have a distinctive use of color, rare stones, and refined craftsmanship.
Lawson bases her designs on the gemstones, resulting in pieces that feel both organic and highly intentional.
Throughout her offerings she uses diamonds, colored gemstones, and pearls.
Jason McLeod Jewelry
Jason McLeod Jewelry’s slim “Star” cuff from the “Time Traveler” collection, in 14-karat yellow gold with a diamond ($9,795)
Jason McLeod discovered jewelry making as both a creative outlet and a form of personal transformation after a life-changing car accident redirected the course of his life.
He began as a self-taught designer and metalsmith, with his career now spanning more than two decades. McLeod focuses on sculptural fine jewelry that bridges timeless craftsmanship with futuristic imagination.
McLeod works primarily in Argentium sterling silver, platinum, and 14- to 22-karat gold crafted through traditional metalsmithing techniques combined with modern innovation.
He’s inspired by Art Deco structure, organic flowing forms, celestial imagery, and the imaginative possibilities of science fiction.
The Charlottesville, Virginia-based brand is most recognized for its “Time Traveler” collection inspired by star charts, coded marking, and the idea of artifacts discovered from another era. The new gold version of the collection is slated to launch at the CBG Las Vegas show.
Anty
Anty’s “Criss Cross” ring in 18-karat white fold with 40 round brilliant diamonds ($2,890)
Anty co-founders and sisters Amany and Engy Afify founded their Washington, D.C.-based brand with a mission to tell a story of heritage, empowerment, and the celebration of individuality through designs that are timeless, distinctive, and refined.
Amany brings a background of economics to the brand, previously working for organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank. She was a jewelry hobbyist and transitioned to a being professional jeweler during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Engy’s journey includes being a pharmaceutical scientist and an international model, which gives her a unique perspective on style and design.
Together, their brand combines cultural influences from their Egyptian heritage with a commitment to inclusivity and ethical craftsmanship.
Anty, which means “you” in Arabic, is known for its use of 18-karat gold, diamonds, and gemstones in gender neutral designs. The brand will be launching a new silver collection inspired by the cycles of nature at the end of the year.
