The American Gem Trade Association has issued a call for entries for the 2004 Spectrum Awards competition, which honors excellence in jewelry design and lapidary arts.

The competition includes the Cutting Edge Awards, Manufacturing Honors, and Platinum Honors.

Spectrum Awards honor the creative use of natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls in original jewelry designs. Cutting Edge Awards recognize excellence and creativity in the production of loose, natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls, carvings, other gem materials, and objets d’art. Manufacturing Honors recognize outstanding use of colored gemstones and cultured pearls in jewelry appropriate to be manufactured in production quantities.

PGI Platinum Honors recognize innovative jewelry designs incorporating a minimum of 75% of the design metal(s) in either 90% or 95% platinum.

Entries must be received by Sept. 22, 2003. The Spectrum Awards competition is open to all individuals living in North America. Any piece produced after October 2002 and not previously entered into an AGTA competition is eligible for entry. Entries must be finished pieces.

This year’s Spectrum Awards will be presented during the 2004 AGTA GemFair Tucson, slated for Feb. 4-9, 2004, at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona. Winning entries will be displayed during the show.

For instructions and entry information, visit www.agta.org. Entry forms also are available by calling AGTA at (800) 972-1162.