Jewelers of America will present Larry Pelzel with the GEM Award for Lifetime Achievement on Jan. 9 in New York.

Pelzel is the vice president and divisional merchandise manager for precious jewels at Neiman Marcus. He started with the company in 1980 as a sales associate for precious jewels and in his current position oversees all aspects of the precious jewels department, including buying, promotions, advertising, and the in-house design studio. 

“Larry has an eye for beautiful jewelry, a talent for discovering jewelry designers, and an unwavering passion for the jewelry industry,” said Norman Miller, GEM Awards chair. “His career is a shining example of everything the GEM Award for Lifetime Achievement stands for. We are honored to celebrate his contributions to the jewelry industry with this prestigious award.” 

GEM Award nominees in the categories of design, marketing and communications, and media excellence were previously announced.

JCK