More colored gems from AGTA’s 2022 Spectrum Awards.

December 6, 2022

I promised you a Part 2 with more colored gems from AGTA’s 2022 Spectrum Awards Editor’s Day and I am here to deliver!

Meeting a T. Rex skull at the Arkenstone Gallery of Fine Minerals.

Introducing my gold T.Rex dinosaur pendant to a real T.Rex skull at the Arkenstone Fine Mineral Gallery.

More colored gems from AGTA’s 2022 Spectrum Awards.

As a refresher, the American Gemstone Trade Association (AGTA) Spectrum Awards are a yearly competition that gather jewelry and gemstone submissions from some of the finest jewelers and lapidary artists in the country. Before they sent this year’s contest entries back, AGTA flew me to Texas to (very carefully and respectfully) play with them all.

The event was held at the glorious Arkenstone Gallery of Fine Minerals, which I strongly recommend visiting if you enjoy this sort of thing. What you see above is me and Mr. DitL geeking out over Arkenstone’s T. Rex skull – and of course introducing my T.Rex skeleton necklace to its ancient cousin.

To revisit Part 1 of my 2022 Spectrum Awards recap, please click here.

Spinel engagement ring by Omi Prive. With 3.11 ct cushion-cut cobalt blue Spinel, accented with Hauyne, Paraiba Tourmaline, and diamonds. Seen at AGTA's 2022 Spectrum Awards.

I told you in my first recap post that spinel was one of the standout stones of the 2022 Spectrum Awards, but I didn’t have a chance to show you all of the spinels I fell for.

This engagement ring was one of my favorite spinel pieces. It’s by Omi Prive, who is rightfully famous for their extraordinary gems. Look at it glow! It features a 3.11 ct cushion-cut cobalt blue Spinel, accented with hauyne, Paraiba tourmaline, and diamonds. Rare and extraordinary.

14K SpectraGold Atlantis men's ring featuring a 13.50 ct Indicolite Tourmaline accented with Diamonds. By Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry.

14K SpectraGold Atlantis ring featuring a 13.50 ct Indicolite Tourmaline accented with Diamonds. By Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry.

Many of the most exciting design moments in the 2022 Spectrum Awards came from the men’s category, like this sleek tourmaline ring. Look at its angles, its details!

This is the SpectraGold Atlantis ring by Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry, featuring a 13.50 ct Indicolite tourmaline accented with diamonds in 14K yellow gold. The tourmaline is great, but it’s the thoughtful placement of those side diamonds that really slays me.

18K rose gold Hummingbird necklace with blue Sapphires, green Garnets, pink Sapphires, and Diamonds. By LeVian. Seen at AGTA's 2022 Spectrum Awards.

This one is just so pretty, isn’t it?

It’s an 18K rose gold Hummingbird necklace with blue sapphires, green garnets, pink sapphires, and diamonds, by LeVian. I especially love the color contrast between the hummingbird’s pink sapphire throat and emerald eyes.

Campbellian Collection Moonstone ring with a 11.03 ct moonstone, 24 blue sapphires, and diamonds.

Campbellian Collection Moonstone earrings with 11.45 carats of moonstone, accented with sapphires (4.36 TCW) and diamonds.

Campbellian Collection Moonstone ring and earrings at the 2022 AGTA Spectrum Awards.

It just isn’t an AGTA event until I’ve found a new Campbellian Collection piece to fall in love with. Aren’t these dreamy? I love the moonstones themselves, but the frilled settings and pale blue sapphires are the perfect accents to the remarkable center stones.

This Campbellian Collection moonstone ring features a 11.03 ct moonstone, 24 blue sapphires, and diamonds; while the earrings feature 11.45 carats of moonstone, along with 4.36 cts of blue sapphires and diamonds.

Platinum and 18K gold Je T'Aime ring with a hidden message! Featuring 2.55 cts of blue-green Sapphire and a cabochon Ruby. By Remy Rotenier. Seen at AGTA's 2022 Spectrum Awards.

At first glance, this ring appears to be a thick men’s band covered in blue-green sapphires. But if you look more closely, you’ll discover there’s a secret door that opens to reveal a gold-lined compartment with a ruby heart and the sweet message, “je t’aime.”

This platinum and 18K gold ring is by Remy Rotenier and features 2.55 cts of blue-green sapphire and a cabochon ruby. One of the coolest design moments in the 2022 Spectrum Awards.

Colored gemstone heaven: AGTA GemFair 2019.

March 5, 2019

I have returned from the desert where I wandered for only four days but had my mind utterly blown by the glorious colored gemstone bonanza that is the AGTA GemFair™.

AGTA stands for American Gemstone Trade Association. Widely acknowledged as the world’s authority in color, AGTA and its members lead the industry in educational resources, ethical practices, and the finest colored gemstones and cultured pearls.

AGTA’s trade shows – especially the legendary annual Tucson GemFair™ – brings together the most spectacular colored gemstone and pearl dealers, while maintaining ethical standards that mean every business there is one you can feel good about supporting.

This was the third year I had the honor of serving as one of AGTA’s designated GemFair™ Gembassadors, charged with the sacred duty of sharing all the colored gemstone magic with those of you who couldn’t be there in person.

AGTA GemFair™ is a closed event, only open to the jewelry industry…but its treasures are Not To Be Missed. And that’s exactly why I made sure to take SO MANY pictures.

Colored gemstone heaven: AGTA GemFair 2019.

Brooch by Paula Crevoshay, with birds in colored gemstones, diamonds, and pearls.

It’s beyond inspiring to walk around AGTA GemFair™ Tucson and see the difference between finished designer jewelry and the abstract beauty loose colored gemstones and pearls. I will never be able to adequately express how impressive I think it is that jewelry designers can take a pile of rocks and turn them into an exquisite piece of wearable art.

Speaking of exquisite wearable art, the brooch above is a masterpiece by the one and only Paula Crevoshay, a designer who is quite rightfully famous for her colored gemstone designs.

No heat sapphires from Kimberly Collins Colored Gems.

There’s something mesmerizing about a well-organized colored gemstone display. This rainbow-themed box of luscious sapphires at Kimberly Collins Colored Gems stopped me in my tracks. I don’t even want to turn them into jewelry when I see them like this, I just want to own them so that I can have a little box of happiness to look at when I’m sad.

Also: how cool are sapphires that they come in all of these colors?!?

Belle Brooke Designs necklace with recycled gold and a pink tourmaline.

This year, for the first time, AGTA gathered the designers showing finished colored gemstone jewelry and put them together in the bright, airy Grand Ballroom upstairs at the Tucson Convention Center. I loved this, because it made it super easy for me to wander around and see all of the designers – which allowed me to discover and love new-to-me brands like Belle Brooke Designs!

Belle Brooke’s style aesthetic is very fresh and appealing. This kind of delicate, circle-ish detailing is her signature, and I loved seeing it in this necklace with the mixed metal and powerful pop of color from the tourmaline.

A beautiful tourmaline, sapphire, and diamond ring by Campbellian Collection. Spotted at AGTA GemFair 2019.

A tourmaline, sapphire, and diamond ring by Campbellian Collection.

This ring by Campbellian Collection is a perfect visual representation of everything I love about colored gemstone jewelry.

Just look how utterly spectacular those colors are together – the green tourmaline, bright diamonds, and purpley pink sapphires positively sing in combination with each other. They glow, they come alive! I feel joy when I look at this ring.

The spectacular treasures of the AGTA GemFair.

February 13, 2017

This year was my very first time visiting the famous Tucson gem shows and I went straight to the top: to the crème de la crème of the colored gemstone and cultured pearl market at the legendary AGTA GemFair. I came into it expecting to have my mind blown, and even my high expectations were blown out of the water.

The AGTA GemFair is a closed show, open only to gem dealers, store owners, designers and others in the jewelry industry, so the beauties that you’re about to see are from a show that the general public usually doesn’t get to experience at all – at least until the jewels displayed there turn up on celebrities or socialites or go back to the museums they came from.

Enough chit chat. The reason I did my pre-AGTA GemFair post was so that I could dive right into the pretties in my recap without needing to take time for background. Let’s get to it!

The majority of photos I took at the AGTA GemFair were of finished colored gemstone jewelry, but I couldn’t do the GemFair justice if I didn’t play with some loose stones as well.

This particular stone looks to me like some kind of ethereal fairy dewdrop, rather than a rock from the ground – but it’s completely natural. This is a rare Mexican play of color fire opal, displaying an unusual effect called “rain” (video here).

Even better: this miracle comes from Columbia Gem House, a mine-to-market company who is leading the industry in responsible gemstone sourcing and fair trade practices. If you care about ethical sourcing, Columbia Gem House is a brand you should know.

Here’s something wonderfully unusual: The Queen of Tiye fire opal bracelet from Paula Crevoshay.

This masterpiece features five truly spectacular Mexican fire opals set among blue zicons and tsavorite garnets. The vibrancy of the stones, color contrast of the juxtaposition, and organic feel of the entire piece creates a dreamlike mix of organic lines and pure luxury that is emblematic of the famed Crevoshay’s unforgettable designs. This particular piece is named after the Queen of Tiye, the Queen of Sheba’s sister.

Look, I’m wearing a tiara!! I love when I get to wear a tiara.

This particular tiara – as well as the earrings and the necklace – are by Dallas Prince designs. I’d seen a Dallas Prince piece or two in past AGTA Spectrum Awards press previews, but I had no idea how utterly fantastic Dallas herself is until we spent at least an hour playing with her designs at the AGTA GemFair. We’re lucky I remembered to take pictures at all, I was having so much fun. (Also a sincere thank you to Mr. Dallas Prince, for assisting us so cheerfully).

These gorgeous things are by Dallas Prince as well!

The best news is that while many of Dallas’ designs feature fine gemstones, she has an affordable line too. This cuff in particular is from her chrome marcasite collection; which offers pieces that have a million dollar look at a price point with waaay fewer digits.

More colored gems from AGTA’s 2022 Spectrum Awards.

Colored gemstone heaven: AGTA GemFair 2019.

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