The 2017 Spectrum and Cutting Edge Award Winners

Mikola Kukharuk of Nomad’s with a pair of neon blue tourmalines (53.56 ctw.)

The AGTA Spectrum and Cutting Edge Awards is already the most important and prestigious colored gemstone competition in the world. According to Douglas K. Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association, which sponsors the annual event, this year’s group of approximately 500 entries shows that the competition just gets better.

“It is evident that the entrants take this competition very seriously,” Hucker said.

The Spectrum Awards, which honors the best in jewelry design using colored gemstones, usually gets the lion’s share of the publicity. However, this year it is the Cutting Edge Awards that stood out with it’s the rare gemstones, and the craft and artistry of the lapidaries. For example, the Best of Show was a pair of neon blue tourmalines and two pieces by gem artist, Naomi Sarna, which won overall awards. In the Objects of Art category there were three exceptional finalists with the winner creating a working kaleidoscope using gems to create the patterns inside.

Below are the best gems and jewels from a very competitive field.

Overall winners of Spectrum and Cutting Edge Awards

Best of Show (top photo)
Mikola Kukharuk of Nomad’s with a pair of neon blue tourmalines (53.56 ctw.).

Best Use of Color

Naomi Sarna of Naomi Sarna Designs with 18k and 24k yellow and 18k white gold maple leaf earrings featuring multicolored diamonds, sapphires and garnets.

Best Use of Pearls

Naomi Sarna of Naomi Sarna Designs with freshwater cultured pearls strung with sunstone beads with an 18k yellow gold and black rhodium clasp set with white, pink and green diamonds.

Best Use of Platinum and Color

Eddie Sakamoto of Somewhere in the Rainbow with platinum “Dancing Waves” neck collar featuring a 57-carat aquamarine accented with diamonds (8.0 ctw.).

Fashion Forward

Ardeshir Dabestani of Asha Gallery, Ltd. with 18k white and yellow gold “Solar Flare” back-drop necklace featuring a 436-carat citrine accented with aquamarines (44.50 ctw.), yellow beryls (87.30 ctw.) and diamonds (23.54ctw.).


AGTA Cutting Edge Award Winners

All Other Faceted

First Place: Brett Kosnar of Beija Flor Wholesale with a 24.26-carat round, Portuguese-cut rhodochrosite.

Second Place: Ruben Bindra of B & B Fine Gems with a 6.49-carat square East African natural tsavorite garnet.

Third Place: Hemant Phophaliya of A G Color, Inc. with a 22.15-carat fancy-shaped tanzanite, “Superman.”

Carving

First Place: Meg Berry of Pala International with a 625-carat chyrsocolla with druzy quartz carving, titled “Metamorphosis.”

Second Place: Dalan Hargrave of GemStarz Jewelry with a freestyle carved sunstone chameleon named “Henry.”

Third Place: John Dyer of John Dyer & Co. with a 115.71-carat morganite carving, titled “Joyful Morganite.”


Classic Gemstone

First Place: David Nassi of 100% Natural, Ltd. with a 15.30-carat unheated Ceylon pink sapphire.

Second Place: Allen Kleiman of A. Kleiman & Co. with a 38.48-carat unheated oval Madagascan blue sapphire.

Third Place: Joseph Ambalu of Amba Gem Corp. with a 5.80-carat untreated Colombian step-cut emerald.


Innovative Faceting

First Place: Christopher Wolfsbergwith a 32.75-carat specialty-cut quartz with chrysoprase and opal.

Second Place: John Dyer of John Dyer & Co. with a 21.58-carat red spinel hexagon.

Third Place: John Dyer of John Dyer & Co. with a 63.86-carat specialty-cut tourmaline.


Objects of Art

A view inside the “Colors of Maine” kaleidoscope by Derek Katzenbach of Katzenbach Designs with the images made of multicolored Maine tourmalines and Maine quartz lenses

First Place: Derek Katzenbach of Katzenbach Designs with “Colors of Maine” kaleidoscope featuring multicolored Maine tourmalines (71.74 ctw.) and Maine quartz lenses (24.92 ctw.) set in 18k yellow and white gold.

Second Place: Susan Helmich of “Somewhere in the Rainbow” with a “Straight on to Neverland” pendulum and brooch featuring a 14.01-carat rubellite tourmaline, an 8.94-carat rubellite tourmaline, a 4.08-carat indicolite tourmaline, a 13.8mm golden cultured pearl and diamonds (5.24 ctw.) on a carved frosted quartz base.

Third Place: Liam Powers of Liam Powers Jewelry, LLC with a sterling silver and multi-karat gold chalice featuring diamonds, alexandrites, sapphires, moldavites and phenakites.


Pairs & Suites

First Place and Best of Show (top photo): Mikola Kukharuk of Nomad’s with a pair of neon blue tourmalines (53.56 ctw.).

Second Place: Hemant Phophaliya, A G Color, Inc. with a pair of fancy pear-shaped tanzanites (49.38 ctw.).

Third Place:  Robyn Dufty, DuftyWeis Opals, Inc. with a pair of black opals (17.61 ctw.), titled “Tears of the Gods.”


Phenomenal (gemstones with special optical properties)

First Place: Joel Price with a 100.66-carat harlequin pattern black opal.

Second Place: Joseph Ambalu of Amba Gem Corp. with a 7.31-carat emerald-cut Brazilian alexandrite.

Third Place: Robert Shapiro with a 7.60-carat boulder opal.


AGTA Spectrum Award Winners

Bridal Wear

First Place: Ricardo Basta of E. Eichberg, Inc. with an 18k white gold and rhodium “Double the Love” ring featuring a 12.62-carat heart-shaped blue zircon accented with a 0.75-carat heart-shaped diamond and diamond pave.

Second Place: Lindsay Jane of Lindsay Jane Designs with platinum “Butterfly” earrings featuring detachable drops of boulder oopal (39.92 ctw.) accented with zoisites (2.10 ctw.), diamonds (1.02 ctw.) and Paraiba tourmalines (0.10 ctw.).

Third Place: Judy Evans of Oliver & Espig Gallery of Fine Arts with a platinum and 18k yellow gold ring featuring a 15.3mm South Sea golden cultured pearl accented with white diamonds (1.17 ctw.) and yellow diamonds (1.12 ctw.).


Business/Day Wear

First Place: Adam Neeley of Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry with an 18k rose and 14k rose and white gold “Cosmos” pendant featuring a 24.06-carat specialty-cut morganite accented with diamonds (3.14 ctw.).

Second Place: Llyn Strong, llyn strong fine art jewelry  with a lapis lazuli necklace (155.0 ctw.) featuring an 18k yellow gold clasp and a 30.90 ct. boulder opal accented with black diamonds, tsavorite garnets, rubies and sapphires.

Third Place: Mimi Favre of Mimi Favre Studio with platinum “Waterdrop” earrings featuring detachable Tanzanite drops (25.50ctw.) on Sapphire studs (1.75 ctw.) with white Sapphires (0.58 ctw.).


Classical

First Place: Allen Kleiman of A. Kleiman & Co. with platinum and 18k pink gold earrings featuring unheated oval pink sapphires (36.65 ctw.) accented with diamonds (5.09 ctw.).

Second Place: Niveet Nagpal of Omi Prive  with a platinum and black rhodium ring featuring a 20.03-carat cushion-cut blue sapphire accented with blue sapphires, baguette diamonds and round diamonds.

Third Place: Oscar Heyman platinum ring featuring a 32.30-carat Cat’s-Eye Chrysoberyl.


Evening Wear

First Place and Best Use of Platinum and Color (pictured above): Eddie Sakamoto of Somewhere in the Rainbow with the platinum “Dancing Waves” neck collar featuring a 57-carat aquamarine accented with diamonds (8.0 ctw.).

Second Place and Best Use of Color (pictured above): Naomi Sarna of Naomi Sarna Designs with 18k and 24k yellow and 18k white gold maple leaf earrings featuring multicolored diamonds, sapphires and garnets.

Third Place: Caroline Chartouni of Caroline C with a platinum ring featuring an 8.09-carat oval pink sapphire accented with round and pear pink sapphires (9.84 ctw.) and diamonds (8.67 ctw.).


Men's Wear

First Place: Ricardo Basta, E. Eichberg, Inc. an 18k yellow gold with black rhodium “Estrella” ring featuring a 7.50-carat starburst trapiche sapphire accented with black diamonds and yellow Sapphire melee.

Second Place: Peter Schmid, French Designer Jeweler with an 18k rose gold and platinum ring featuring a 15.74-carat garnet accented with a pink diamonds, green diamonds and white diamonds.

Third Place: Dawn Muscio of D. Muscio Designs with an 18k yellow gold and stainless steel ring featuring a 4.39-carat  emerald-cut green tourmaline accented with amethysts and diamonds. 

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet, the Forbes website and on Instagram @JewelryNewsNetwork

Inaugural TEFAF New York Spring Fair Focuses On Modern And Contemporary Art And Design

Comes d'Abondance earrings containing 62 pebble rubies from Mozambique, 398 diamonds and 304 round cut rubies set on white gold with some parts plated in black rhodium 

TEFAF's venture into the U.S. continues with the inaugural TEFAF New York Spring Fair at the Park Avenue Armory May 4 - 8, with the opening VIP preview on May 3. The fair will feature 92 dealers from around the world who specialize in Modern and Contemporary Art and Design. In addition, there will be dealers exhibiting jewelry, African & Oceanic art, and antiquities. 

This fair follows the first edition of TEFAF New York Fall, launched in October 2016 at the Park Avenue Armory, concentrating on fine and decorative art from antiquity to 1920. 

TEFAF, The European Fine Art Fair, is best known for the TEFAF Maastricht art fair in The Netherlands. It is considered to be one of the world’s leading art fairs.

In what will likely be a tradition of the TEFAF New York fairs in the spring and fall, The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering will host the inaugural “Opening Night” festival on Wednesday, May 3, providing an exclusive and private preview of the fair’s pieces before it opens to the public the following day. 

A fibula brooch by Joel Arthur Rosenthal (JAR), made of tourmaline, garnet and diamond, Paris, circa 1993. Presented by Simon Teakle Fine Jewelry

Proceeds from the opening event will benefit The Society’s patient care, research and education programs at MSK. More than 2,000 high profile guests from the fashion, art, philanthropic and design are expected to attend. 

Exhibitors who deal in antique and period pieces will be exhibiting items from JAR, Bulgari and jewelry creations from leading artists, including Max Ernst, Gio Pomodoro and Louise Nevelson. 

Place Vendôme jeweler, Reza, is the lone contemporary high jewelry artist exhibiting, bringing a number of pieces defined by exceptional gems and a sleek, understated approach to traditional jewelry design. 

A necklace by Gio Pomodoro Made up from five irregular textured 24k gyellow gold placquettes, further decorated with 18k yellow gold kinetic armatures, kinetic ball, melted granules, and white gold highlights, and set with circular-cut emeralds. Presented by Didier Ltd. 

Among the world-class art dealers exhibiting at the fair are Acquavella Galleries, Applicat-Prazan, Di Donna, Richard Green, Hauser & Wirth, Paul Kasmin, Sean Kelly, Eykyn Maclean, Helly Nahmad, Lisson Gallery, Galerie Perrotin, Christophe van de Weghe, White Cube and David Zwirner.

For information and tickets to the “Opening Night of TEFAF New York Spring” event, contact Ali Warlich, The Society of MSK, at warlicha@mskcc.org, 212.639.7972. Tickets can also be ordered online. 

Single entry tickets to TEFAF New York Spring are $50 for adults and $25 for full-time students with a valid ID. Multiple Entry tickets are $75. They can be purchased online. 

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet, the Forbes website and on Instagram @JewelryNewsNetwork

Artist Jewels, Led By Andrew Grima, Featured At Bonhams London Auction

Gold, diamond and fire opal brooch/pendant, 1970, by Andrew Grima.  All photos courtesy of Bonhams except where noted

All of the big names, including Cartier, Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels, will be part of the Bonhams London Fine Jewelry sale on April 27. However, the auction house will also feature the works of several contemporary jewelry artists, led by Andrew Grima.

Jean Ghika, head of Jewellery for Bonhams UK & Europe, was particularly excited about the five pieces by Grima that will be included in the sale. She says the Anglo-Italian jewelry designer, known for his modern works in the 1960s and ’70s, is a “pioneer of his day” who placed a strong emphasis on textures and conceptual designs.

“It wasn’t about the stones but the concept,” she said during a recent meeting at Bonhams London headquarters. “He was very instep with the changing trends. He represented an interest in jewelry as an art form rather than a conglomerate of stones.”

The Grima pieces she highlighted are:

Jean Ghika, head of Jewellery for Bonhams UK & Europe
displays the Andrew Grima pendant. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

A gold, diamond and fire opal brooch/pendant, 1970, with the oval-cut opal set among an abstract arrangement of textured 18k gold cinnamon sticks, with a brilliant-cut diamond accent. Its estimate is £5,000 - £7,000 ($6,275 - $8,800).

A rutilated quartz, cultured pearl and diamond torque necklace, 1990, with the textured torque suspended at the front by a carved rutilated quartz “apple” with brilliant-cut diamond highlights, surmounted by a grey cultured pearl and brushed leaves. Its estimate is £7,000 - £10,000 ($8,800 - $12,500).

A color change sapphire and diamond ring, 1977, with a cushion-shaped, unheated Sri Lankan sapphire set within an abstract surround of brilliant-cut diamonds mounted on stalks. Its estimate is £5,000-7,000 ($6,275 - $8,800).

The auction of 141 lots will offer a breadth of jewels including signed pieces, antique items and colorful gems. 

The top lot is a Van Cleef & Arpels ring featuring a 10.28-carat E color marquise-cut diamond set between pear-shaped diamonds with an estimate of £150,000 - £200,000 ($188,200 - $251,000).

Signed jewels
The top three items in this group are:

A diamond 'Fuchsia' brooch and earring suite by Van Cleef & Arpels is among the top items in this group. The brooch is designed as a fuchsia flower head, its petals pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds and its stamen reveals an articulated cascade of pear-shaped diamonds. Its estimate is £70,000 - £100,000 ($87,800 - $125,500).

In addition, the auction will offer an Art deco diamond bracelet by Cartier, circa 1925. Signed “Cartier Londres,” the finely pierced articulated geometric strap is decorated with cushion-shaped old brilliant and single-cut diamonds. Its estimate is £20,000 - £30,000 ($25,100 - $27,600).

Another standout in this group is an enamel and diamond “Serpenti” bracelet-watch by Bulgari, circa 1965-1970. The articulated bracelet is composed of a series of overlapping scales applied with orangey-yellow and red enamel. The serpent’s head has a forked tongue and marquise-cut diamond eyes. Its mouth opens to reveal a circular watch dial. Its estimate is £50,000-60,000 ($62,700 - $75,300).

Antique jewels
Some of the standouts in this group are:

A 19th century diamond rivière necklace composed of 45 collet-set cushion-shaped diamonds weighing 43 carats. Its estimate is £60,000 - £80,000 ($75,300 - $100,380).

Photo by Anthony DeMarco

A Georgian diamond panel bracelet, circa 1780, composed of a series of individually sprung plaques, each pavé-set with old brilliant-cut diamonds, within a border of similarly-cut diamonds, mounted in silver closed back settings. Its estimate is £8,000 - £10,000 ($10,000 - $12,500).

An early 18th Century gold and diamond necklace of Portuguese origin in its original fitted case. It’s designed as a series of ribbon-bow motif links suspending a chandelier fringe. Its estimate is £10,000 - £15,000 ($12,500 - $18,800).

A special spinel
Bonhams is placing a special emphasis on spinels. These gems in red and blue (there are other colors) are sometimes mistaken for and are actually rarer than rubies and sapphires. However, their prices are lower. In September 2015, the 50.13-carat Hope Spinel fetched the world record price of $1.4 million at Bonhams London Fine Jewellery Sale, also setting a world record of $30,000 per carat, nearly double the previous record.

For this sale Bonhams is offering an early 20th century spinel and diamond ring. The 5.3-carat Burmese, unheated, step-cut spinel, circa 1915, is set within an octagonal surround of old single-cut diamonds. Its estimate is £15,000 - £20,000 ($18,800 - $25,100).

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet, the Forbes website and on Instagram @JewelryNewsNetwork

Inside The Haute Joaillerie Section Of TEFAF Maastricht

Wallace Chan introduces a group tour at TEFAF to his dreamlike world

From the dreamlike world of Wallace Chan to the precise jewelry art of Hemmerle, the high jewelry area of TEFAF Maastricht, though small, contained a wealth of variety. And from the moment the show started, the jewelry lovers who came to the small out-of-the-way city of Maastricht, Netherlands, to attend The European Fine Arts Fair (more commonly known as TEFAF) started buying.

The bamboo framed exhibition space of Hemmerle

On the March 9 preview day, moments after the doors opened at the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre (MECC) for the VIP buyers, I was inside the bamboo framed Hemmerle exhibition space when a woman came in, tried on a pair of one-of-a-kind gold earrings made with a wax process that created gold strands in a basket-like weave. She walked back and forth briefly looking in the mirror and bought them on the spot. I took a picture before they were whisked away.

Hemmerle earrings that sold within minutes after TEFAF opened. Old mine cut diamonds appear to be floating inside gold strands that looked as if they were weaved

“The fair is our first public presentation each year and we are glad to report strong consistent sales from the first 10 minutes of day 1,” said Christian Hemmerle at the close of the 10-day fair.

These earrings from Wallace Chan have everything: wood and titanium; emeralds, sapphires and diamonds; shadows and light 

Before I had a chance to enter Wallace Chan’s booth, the famed Hong Kong jewelry artist sold one of his elaborate titanium and colored-gem brooches. Chan, who always is in a good frame of mind, was particularly happy at this year’s show, saying he loves seeing old friends here.

Belperron diamond and ruby necklace. the center stone is a
rare star ruby

Meanwhile, Ward and Nico Landrigan, the father and son team that own the mid-20th Century brands, Verdura and Belperron, also were in good spirits after selling a circa 1960 yellow gold and diamond Verdura brooch. 

A Verdura bird clutching a natural pearl with diamond and emerald wings.

I was trying to have lunch with the public relations representative of Hancocks of London and couple of other jewelry writers (I said trying because the restaurant was so full they stopped serving food, giving an idea of how crowded it was), when the PR rep looked at her phone and suddenly said, “I have to go the tiara’s been sold.” The “tiara” is the Spencer family Edwardian diamond tiara. It was given to Lady Delia Spencer, great aunt to Princess Diana, by her father the 6th Earl Spencer, on her wedding day in 1914. Set with more than 800 old cut diamonds, estimated to weigh a total of 48 carats, the tiara can be transformed into a choker necklace and bracelet.

The Spencer Tiara sold by Hancocks of London

Very few of the prices of these sales were revealed but these are not typical impulse purchases. These are items that sell from tens of thousands of dollars to the stratosphere. One price that was revealed was the “Nef” necklace, from German high jeweler Otto Jakob that sold for €142,000 ($153,580).

An emerald ring by Reza

I had to cancel an appointment with Olivier Reza, the head of the Parisian jewelry brand, Reza, because the jeweler’s booth was too crowded with customers. 

Van Cleef & Arpels transformable necklace and earrings, 1959, made of emeralds, yellow and blue sapphires, and diamonds

Van Cleef & Arpels and Chopard, the two largest brands in the high jewelry section, brought combinations of vintage and new jewels. 

Chopard L.U.C. XPS made with Fairmined gold

Opening day, March 10, was more manageable but still very crowded. I spoke to one woman lived about an hour away in Germany who said it was the first time she attended an art fair. She came to see Wallace Chan’s exhibit and was so amazed and astounded by what he presented that she returned to the booth seven times. She purchased Chan’s book “Dream Light Water” and had the artist sign it. 

Honcocks of London's booth

Final numbers released by TEFAF show that the fair was very active with more than 71,000 visitors, from more than 60 nations visiting the 275 dealers during the 10-day fair. This includes approximately 200 museums. 

The bust Verdura and Belperron booth

High jewelry amounts to one of nine art categories that TEFAF offers. The others are Antiques, Classical Antiquities, Curated, Design, Modern, Paintings, Paper, and Showcase. Trade fair officials were touting some of the larger sales. Among them:

* Antiquariat Bibermuehle AG Heribert Tenschert sold a 12-volume series of books, Historia naturalis, originally created for Emperor Rudolph II of Habsburg, 1596-1610, to a private collector. The series came to market for the first time in 25 year and was sold for a seven-figure sum. 

* Tomasso Brothers Fine Art sold an important work by the Renaissance master Giambologna (1529-1608). It is the earliest recorded work by the artist and the only surviving sculpture that he carved in wood. The carving was acquired by a new client, described as an important European private collector, and was priced at about €1.5million ($1.62 million). 

* Antiques dealer Les Enluminures sold the 1,000-year-old Gospel Book of Liesborn Abbey in Westphalia to the German government for more than $3 million. 

* Ben Janssens Oriental Art Ltd said he sold more than 70 items by the mid-point of the fair, including a set of four iron paintings, Tiehua, China, Qing dynasty, 18th Century, which had an asking price of €50,000 ($54,000). 

Rossi & Rossi sold a colorful Tibetan cloth painting, “Sabzang Pakpa Zhonnu Lodro” (1358-1412/24) for approximately $400,000. 

The artwork at the entrance of TEFAF Maastricht

* Emanuel von Baeyer sold 12 works to private collectors with further works on reserve with museums. A key work that sold was The Signboard of the Gersaint Gallery, 1732, the very rare engraving after Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721). 

* James Butterwick sold more than €180,000 worth of works, including Still Life with Carafe and Glass on a Mirror, 1915 by Alexander Bogomazov (1880-1930) to a private Swiss collector.

* Landau Fine Art, Inc. had one of the biggest sales of the Fair, selling the monumental work “Henri Michaux acteur Japonais,” 1946 by Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985), which had an asking price of $6.5 million, to a private collector. 

* Bernard de Grunne sold 11 Sepik works from Papua New Guinea to one private collector. The pieces ranged from €80,000 to €250,000 ($86,500 to $270,000). 

* Classical antiquities sold at Charles Ede included a statuette of the “Apis bull, Late Dynastic Period,” 26th Dynasty, circa 664-525 BC, which had an asking price of £65,000 ($81,100), as well as a Graeco-Roman large footed basin, circa 2nd-century BC, with an asking price of £160,000 ($199,650).  

The talk prior to the fair was that art and jewelry sales are down. This is either an exception or the beginning of a new dawn for both the art and jewelry markets. 

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet, the Forbes website and on Instagram @JewelryNewsNetwork