In an emotional night of in-person reunions and grateful speeches, the 2022 Gem Awards gave out its highest honors on behalf of the Jewelers of America, bringing together more than 500 industry leaders and guests in New York.
Friday’s awards ceremony at Cipriani 42nd Street included Stephen Lussier of De Beers, who received the Gem Award for Lifetime Achievement; Lorraine Schwartz (pictured at top), who received the Gem Award for Jewelry Style; Lauren Harwell Godfrey, who won the Gem Award for Jewelry Design; Melanie Grant received the Gem Award for Media Excellence; and Marissa Collections received the Gem Award for Retail Excellence.
The gala’s mood was joyous not only because it was the first in-person awards show for the Gem Awards since January 2020, but also because the industry and Jewelers of America were able to enjoy the success of the past two years in keeping the jewelry industry moving forward and to honor the work of the individuals and companies within the fine jewelry and watch space.
Lussier, whose award highlights his standard of excellence within the diamond industry, spoke of both what he did right during his career and what he was wise enough to maintain and honor. In January, Lussier announced that he is retiring from De Beers.
“I started at N.W. Ayer, an ad agency here in New York. On my first day, there was a man named Stu Minton, and his job was to tell me what to do. There were two of us starting that day. And I got diamonds and the other guy got Kraft macaroni and cheese. And that turned out to be the luckiest day of my life,” Lussier said. “Without that fluke of randomness, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to stand here with you all today.”
He also spoke of the iconic “A Diamond Is Forever” line and its 75th anniversary.
“I didn’t write it, but I also wasn’t silly enough to change it,” Lussier said. “I had the extraordinary opportunity to meet the woman who wrote it, [Mary] Frances Gerety. It was a little intimidating. But I did say to her, what inspired you when you wrote this line? She said, ‘First of all, I had to think about the diamond, its physicality. I thought three things: First, I’m holding the beginning of time, the beginning of forever.’ Because some diamonds are three and a half billion years old—there wasn’t even life then. And this connection to the beginning of time was important to her. And then she said, ‘This is the strongest substance known to man, and that means it’s unbreakable, enduring.’ And lastly, she said, ‘I just looked into it and when I looked into it, I thought I could see eternity’—what fundamentally became forever.”
He continued: “Her brief was for an engagement ring. And she’s thinking about something that’s going to endure, it has a value and preciousness, and she turned all of that into this idea of a diamond is forever. Enduring in its value, enduring in its beauty, something that would be with you through your whole life,” Lussier said. “All I had to do was take that dream on board and instill it to consumers around the world.”
Jewelry Style award winner Schwartz spoke of her life in the jewelry industry and of how she wanted to follow in her family’s footsteps as well as blaze a path of her own.
“I’m really proud and I’m really humbled to be standing here today. It’s a really big deal,” Schwartz said. “I appreciate it, and I don’t take it for granted.… I love what I do. I’m so lucky that the harder it gets, the more chaos there is, the more I thrive.”
Schwartz described herself as “a third-generation diamond dealer” and spoke of the pride she feels about being a part of her family, whether it is her “chic mother” but also her grandfather, who is her “mentor and idol.”
“I wanted to be a woman in this man’s world. I wanted to show I could do it too. I am, so, thank you, grandfather, I know you’re leaning over on me from heaven,” Schwartz said.
Media Excellence winner Grant spoke of how her award shows the welcoming nature of the jewelry industry.
“This is the best day of my life,” Grant said. “I never thought I’d be in this world. I didn’t think it would be open to me. I didn’t think it would be welcoming.… It’s beyond my wildest dreams. And I’m very privileged to be able to take other people with me who didn’t feel maybe at some point this was for them.… Jewelry saved me and inspired me and gave me hope that we can do wonderful things and bring beauty and poetry to people’s lives.”
Annabel Davidson and Daisy Shaw-Ellis were the other talented Media Excellence nominees.
The other nominees in the Jewelry Design category were Beth Bugdaycay of Foundrae and Brent Neale Winston of Brent Neale. The award was presented by 2015’s Jewelry Design winner Stephen Webster. The other nominees for Retail Excellence were Muse and Saks Fifth Avenue. The retail award was presented by 2020’s Retail Excellence winner Paul Schneider of Twist.
Jewelers of America’s Amanda Gizzi served as the host for the evening, with Gem Awards chair Randi Udell-Alper of London Jewelers providing a welcome video. Sponsors of the 2022 Gem Awards include Cornerstone Sponsors Chanel, De Beers Group, and Synchrony; Premier Sponsor Natural Diamond Council; Patron Sponsor David Yurman; Benefactor Sponsors Couture, GIA, Movado Group, and Reed Jewelry Group; Partner Sponsors Heather B. Moore, Jewelers Mutual Group, Marco Bicego, National Jeweler, and Sarine.
Top: Lorraine Schwartz received the 2022 Gem Award for Jewelry Style and thanked her family and friends for their support throughout her jewelry journey (all photos courtesy of Gem Awards and BFA.com/Madison McGaw).
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