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Broken English, Fernando Jorge Among Gem Award Nominees
National Jeweler’s own Brecken Branstrator also received a nod for her work covering the colored gemstone industry.
New York—Jewelers of America has announced the nominees for the 2019 Gem Awards, the annual upscale gala that recognizes top names in jewelry design, journalism and retail.
This year, JA will present awards in three categories: mainstays Jewelry Design and Media Excellence, and Retail Excellence, a bit of a departure from the third category last year, which was Retail Innovation.
The winners in each category will be announced live during the Gem Awards ceremony, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York.
And the nominees are …
Jewelry Design
Fernando Jorge. Also a native of Brazil, the now U.K.-based Jorge takes inspiration from the laidback attitude and effortless sensuality of his home country. He uses locally sourced gemstones and minerals detailed with his signature finish: unique cuts and gold snake chain. Jorge holds a master’s degree in jewelry design from Central Saint Martins in London and has won numerous awards since launching his eponymous collection in 2010.
Silvia Furmanovich. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, to a family of goldsmiths who created adornments for the Vatican, Furmanovich started with an appointment-only business in 1998. She opened her first store in São Paulo in 2009. Her pieces are handmade by artisans in her native Brazil, and the daring designs combine her attention to detail with her passions for the natural world, ancient cultures and unusual materials, such as oxidized copper, shells or woven bamboo.
Valérie Messika. Messika is the daughter of a diamantaire who learned the diamond trade from the inside out while working under her father. In 2005, she founded her own brand, Messika, and has been injecting classic diamond designs with a newfound cool factor ever since. She opened a flagship store in Paris in 2013 and a high jewelry atelier in the city two years later. Messika is the only woman in France to head her own independent jewelry maison.
Media Excellence
Brecken Branstrator. Branstrator started with National Jeweler as an associate editor in 2013 and was promoted to senior editor in 2016. A North Carolina native and a graduate of University of North Carolina’s prestigious journalism school, Branstrator has distinguished herself as one of the top reporters covering the colored gemstone market today. She travels the world to bring back stories on responsible sourcing, mining, pricing and trends.
Will Kahn. Even after over a decade of jewelry editing and styling, Town & Country’s Kahn is fueled by his discovery of new designers and jewels. As the magazine’s market and accessories editor, he oversees the shopping pages, styles jewelry stories and dresses the occasional celebrity. And his #willsnotebook posts on Instagram are among the most unique to hit the jewelry social media world, bringing his passion for fine jewelry to a new audience.
Michael Thompson. An expert on the business of watches, Thompson has been covering the watch and jewelry industry since the late 1980s, when he was hired as senior editor at JCK magazine and then watch editor at Professional Jeweler. Since 2005, he has been editor-in-chief of International Watch. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Hiram College and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.
Retail Excellence
Broken English. Broken English offers a thoughtfully curated mix of contemporary and vintage jewelry in chic, intimate surroundings. Owner Laura Freedman opened her first store in Los Angeles in 2006 before expanding to New York City’s SoHo neighborhood in 2014 and to Newport Beach, California in 2017. All three stores have this in common: a commitment to exceptional customer service and to supporting the artistry and craftsmanship of the world’s leading designers.
Cellini Jewelers. New York independent Cellini Jewelers first opened its doors at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 1977. Today, the Cellini flagship store on Park Avenue offers everything from custom treasures to timeless designs from designers such as Carrera y Carrera, Fabergé, Sutra and Wellendorff, while its horology collection includes rare timepieces from some of the world’s most exclusive and innovative watchmakers, including De Bethune, Greubel Forsey, MB&F and Ressence.
Threads. Threads (ThreadsStyling.com) is influencing a highly engaged global audience of high-net-worth millennials through innovative editorial content on Instagram, Snapchat and other social media platforms. Sales and styling advice are made using messaging platforms while orders are facilitated directly through mobile chat platforms. According to the company, there are no limits to the products and service they can provide, as it is not bound by inventory constraints.
In addition to awards in these three categories, JA will present the 2019 Gem Award for Lifetime Achievement to Stewart Wicht, who is retiring at the end of the year as head of Rolex Watch U.S.A. Inc.
For more information about the Gem Awards, visit Jewelers.org/GemAwards.
National Jeweler is a for-profit subsidiary of Jewelers of America, which purchased the publication in 2015. The two organizations act independently of each other.
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