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Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk About
Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association
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PHOTO Some pieces never win an award and still change a career. Every year, designers and gem cutters enter the AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards for more than a shot at the trophy. They're chasing the shot that comes after: the photo that lands in an editor's inbox, the write-up nobody paid for, the call from a buyer who spotted the piece online first.
Winners get the obvious rewards: featured in Prism magazine, honored at the Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards Gala during AGTA GemFair Tucson, tagged across social media. However, the real prize is often the coverage nobody guarantees. Editors comb through every entry, placing or not, looking for what's next, and pieces that never crack the winner's circle regularly end up written about and shared for tens of thousands of eyes to see.
Winners get the obvious rewards: featured in Prism magazine, honored at the Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards Gala during AGTA GemFair Tucson, tagged across social media. However, the real prize is often the coverage nobody guarantees. Editors comb through every entry, placing or not, looking for what's next, and pieces that never crack the winner's circle regularly end up written about and shared for tens of thousands of eyes to see.
"Every year we look forward to the Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards because they truly change lives and elevate careers," says John W. Ford, Sr., CEO of AGTA. "It's exciting to watch all the entries pour into the office and wonder who might win. But even if a piece doesn't officially place in the competition, it will receive a lot of attention from editors, many of whom write about entrants and their designs."
There are categories for nearly every kind of work: seven Spectrum categories from Bridal Wear to Engagement Rings, eight Cutting Edge categories covering everything from faceting to carving, and special and sponsored awards judged separately. New for 2026, the Innovative Design Award opens the field to pieces with a wholesale cost under $10,000, recognizing standout creativity without requiring a five-figure entry. Also new is the Stuller Color of the Year Award, honoring the best use of 2026's Signature Red.
Entries are open to all designers, cutters, and companies in the U.S. and Canada. AGTA membership is not required.
We invite you to click here to submit your entry before September 25 for Early Bird pricing (final entry deadline is October 9).
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