Winners have been named in the AGTA Spectrum and Cutting Edge Awards competition hosted by the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA). The awards ceremony, which takes place as part of the 2003 AGTA Dinner Dance and Awards Gala, will be held the evening of February 8, 2003 at the Marriott University Park in Tucson, Ariz.

The competition was held October 25, 26 and 27, 2002 in Dallas. This special event involved a panel of distinguished judges including Glen Engelbrecht, G.J. Designs, Sarasota, Fla.; William Holman, Holman Designs, Dallas; Alfredo Molina, Molina Fine Jewelers, Mesa, Ariz.; Tania Riddell, Modern Bride, New York; and Thomas Trozzo, Trozzo, Culpepper, Va. The following is the list of winners:

SPECTRUM AWARDS

Alan Friedman from Alan Friedman Co. in Beverly Hills, Calif., took the grand prize as “Best of Show” with a Moonstone and Diamond necklace and earring suite set in 18K white gold.

Jeffrey Krasner from Ballerina Gem Co., Inc., New York, took “Best Use Of Color” with a fancy colored Sapphire ring set in platinum.

Bridal Wear
First Place – Bridal Division; Alan Friedman, Alan Friedman Co., Beverly Hills, Calif.
Second Place – Bridal Division; Ziad H. Noshie, Almaza Jewelers, Houston.
Third Place – Bridal Division; Jeffrey Krasner, Ballerina Gem Co., Inc., New York.
Honorable Mention – Bridal Division; Burdett A. Milkins, BAM Designs by Burdett in Monroe, Mich.

Business Wear
First Place – Business/Day Wear Division; Robert Ackermann, Robert Ackermann Inc., Westmount, Quebec, Canada.
Second Place – Business/Day Wear Division; Cathleen Bunt, Cathleen Bunt Fine Art Jewelry, Kihei, Hawaii.
Third Place – Business/Day Wear Division; Rita Hyams from Designs by Rita Hyams, San Anselmo, Calif.
Honorable Mention – Business/Day Wear Division; Beth Neufeld-Shutt, Neufelds Glendora Promenade, Glendora, Calif.

Casual Wear
First Place – Casual Division; Mark Schneider from Schneider Design Studio, Long Beach, Calif.
Second Place – Casual Division; Garo Demirjian, Demirjian Jewelry Design, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Third Place – Casual Division; Claudia Endler, Claudia Endler Designs, Los Angeles.

Evening Wear
First Place – Evening Division; Wilfried Kowollick, Silverhorn, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Second Place – Evening Division; Mark Schneider from Schneider Design Studio, Long Beach, Calif.
Third Place – Evening Division; Holly Croft, For Lily, Beverly Hills, Calif.
“Honorable Mention – Evening Division” Ernesto Moreira from Ernesto Moreira Inc., Houston.

Men’s Wear
First Place – Men’s Division; Ray Zajicek, Equatorian Imports, Inc., Dallas.
Second Place – Men’s Division; Khai Le, Charles Koll Jewellers, San Diego,
Third Place – Men’s Division; Christo Kiffer, Christo Kiffer Designs, Parker, Colo.
Honorable Mention – Men’s Division; Mark Schneider, Schneider Design Studio, Long Beach, Calif.

MANUFACTURING HONORS

Manufacturing Honors – Bridal Division; Paul Derrickson, Jewelers Touch, Placentia, Calif.
Manufacturing Honors – Business/Day Wear Division Aaron H. Furlong, Aaron Henry Designs, Los Angeles.
Manufacturing Honors – Casual Division; Melanie Williamson, Gemesis Jewelers, Las Vegas.
Manufacturing Honors – Evening Division; Jack Demerjian, J. Demere Designs Livonia, Mich.
Manufacturing Honors – Men’s Division; Khai Le, Charles Koll Jewellers, San Diego.

CUTTING EDGE AWARDS

Classic Gemstone Division
First Place – Classic Gemstone Division; Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman & Co., Boulder, Colo.
Second Place – Classic Gemstone Division; Ray Zajicek, Equatorian Imports, Inc. Dallas.
Third Place – Classic Gemstone Division; Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman & Co. in Boulder, Colo.

Faceting Division
First Place – Faceting Division; John D. Dyer from Precious Gemstones Co., Zumbrota, Minn.
Second Place – Faceting; David Clay Zava from David Clay Co., Fallbrook, Calif.
Third Place – Faceting; John D. Dyer from Precious Gemstones Co. in Zumbrota, Minn.

Carving Division
First Place – Carving Division; Glenn Lehrer, Glenn Lehrer Designs, Larkspur, Calif.
Second Place – Carving Division; Krista L. McMillan from Dust Devil Mining in Cloverdale, Ore.
Third Place – Carving Division; Krista L. McMillan from Dust Devil Mining in Cloverdale, Ore.

Combination Division
First Place – Combination Division; Michael Dyber, Ledge Art Studio, Rumney, N.H.
Second Place – Combination Division; Michael Dyber, Ledge Art Studio, Rumney, N.H.
Third Place – Combination Division; Christopher Wolfsberg, Colored Creations, Manchester, Tenn.
Honorable Mention – Combination Division; Mark Gronlund, Mark Gronlund, Umatilla, Fla.

Pairs and Suites Division
First Place – Pairs and Suites Division; Stephen M. Avery, Stephen M. Avery, Lakewood, Colo.
Second Place – Pairs and Suites Division; David Clay Zava, David Clay Co., Fallbrook, Calif.

PGI PLATINUM HONORS

Bridal Wear
Platinum Honors – Bridal Division; Lee Charles Buckingham, Neiman Marcus, Dallas
“Platinum Honors – Bridal Division; Alan Friedman, Alan Friedman Co., Beverly Hills, Calif.
Platinum Honors – Bridal Division; Mark Schneider, Schneider Design Studio, Long Beach, Calif.

Business/Day Wear
Platinum Honors – Business/Day Wear Division; Joseph C. DeBella, DeBella Fine Gems & Jewelry Arts, Santa Fe, N.M.
Platinum Honors – Business/Day Wear Division; Jack Demerjian, J. Demere Designs, Livonia, Mich.
Platinum Honors – Business/Day Wear Division; Kenneth A. Gehrkens, Gehrkens Fine Jewelry & Design, Los Gatos, Calif.

Casual Wear
Platinum Honors – Casual Division; Gary Dulac, Gary Dulac Goldsmith, Vero Beach, Fla.
Platinum Honors – Casual Division; Mark Schneider, Schneider Design Studio, Long Beach, Calif.
Platinum Honors – Casual Division; Apichart Warrachart, isra in Catskill, N.Y.

Evening Wear
Platinum Honors – Evening Division; Holy Croft, For Lily in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Platinum Honors – Evening Division; Tracy Rose, Gallery Flux, San Francisco.
Platinum Honors – Evening Division; Mark Schneider, Schneider Design Studio, Long Beach, Calif.

Men’s Wear
Platinum Honors – Men’s Division; Khai Le, Charles Koll Jewellers, San Diego, Calif.
Platinum Honors – Men’s Division, Mark Schneider, Schneider Design Studio, Long Beach, Calif.

Entries in the Spectrum Awards were judged on the basis of overall beauty and wearability, innovative design, effective use of materials, quality of gemstones, quality of workmanship, broad-base consumer appeal and potential to generate positive publicity for natural colored gemstones. Spectrum Award categories included Evening, Business/Day, Casual, Bridal and Men’s wear.

All designs that qualified for the Spectrum Awards competition were considered for Manufacturing Honors. This award celebrates outstanding use of colored gemstones and cultured pearls in jewelry appropriate to be manufactured in production quantities.

PGI Platinum Honors were awarded for innovative jewelry designs incorporating a minimum of 75% of the designs metal(s) in either 90% or 95% platinum. The design could also incorporate gold accents. Entries meeting these requirements were automatically for “Platinum Honors” judging by the Platinum Guild International USA.

Cutting Edge Awards honor excellence and creativity of the lapidary arts, including natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls, carvings, other gem materials and objects of art in North America. Categories included: Classic Gemstone, Faceting, Carving, Combination, Pairs & Suites and Objects of Art.

For further information on the 2003 AGTA GemFair Tucson or tickets to the AGTA Dinner Dance and Awards Gala, please call (800) 972-1162 or visit the AGTA website at www.agta.org.

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