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JA names five Case Awards winners
Jewelers of America has announced the winners of its annual Case Awards, which recognizes JA retail members who exhibit creativity, artistry, style and excellence in jewelry design.
The first-place winners in each category are as follows.
--Jewelry up to $2,000 (retail prices): Susan Drake of Spectrum Art and Jewelry in Wilmington, N.C.--Jewelry from $2,001 to $5,000: Craig Underwood, Becki Lamascus and Tom Weishaar of Underwood’s Fine Jewelers in Fayetteville, Ark.
--Jewelry from $5,001 to $10,000: Chris Roussel of Roussel’s Fine Jewelry in Gramercy, La.
--Jewelry over $10,000 and Best in Show: Belinda Vartenuk of Abshire and Haylan in Stow, Ohio
--Buyer’s Choice: Sherry Shifley and Tom Organ of Perry’s at Southpark in Charlotte, N.C.
Entries were judged at the JA New York Winter show, which took place March 1 to 4 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
The judging panel was made up of JA in-house experts and four industry experts who evaluated the entries in a specific area of concentration: Marc Adwar of Adwar Casting, Cindy Edelstein of the Jeweler’s Resource Bureau, Malak Atut of Zaiken Jewelry and National Jeweler Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
The Buyer’s Choice category was determined by JA New York show attendees, who were invited to vote with a separate ballot.
“JA’s Case Awards retail design competition is the only national platform that showcases the craft and creativity of independent jewelers,” said JA President and CEO David Bonaparte. “We congratulate all Case Awards entrants, as they exemplify the talent and fine craftsmanship found in JA member stores nationwide.”
This year’s Case Awards was sponsored by GE Capital and Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company.
The Case Awards are open to JA retail members and their employees. Additional information about the competition can be found on the JA website.
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