More colored gems from AGTA’s 2022 Spectrum Awards.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This beauty was one of the day’s winners: it took first place in the Business/Day Wear category.

Made by Zoltan David, this “Into the Mystic” cuff bracelet by is made from colorful steel, platinum, and gold and features Tsavorite garnets, blue sapphires, and diamonds.

We absolutely must discuss this ring, which made AGTA history by winning first place in the 2022 Spectrum Awards Evening Wear category…as a diamond.

I didn’t even realize that diamonds were eligible to win Spectrum Awards, but I spoke to this year’s judges and they all agreed that this piece were so remarkable that it just had to get the top spot.

This showstopper of a ring features a 4.03 ct. natural fancy deep yellow diamond in 18K yellow gold and black ceramic with tsavorite Garnets. It’s by Jeffrey Bilgore and I think it’s spectacular.

Named the “Shrine” ring, this 18K white & yellow gold ring by Raja Mehta of AG Gems centers a 5.13 ct blue sapphire and is accented with blue sapphires and diamonds set around the face but also all along the setting and shank, with swirls of engraving.

The center sapphire is beautiful, but it’s the engraving and the side stones that slay me.

This otherworldly vessel took first place in the objects d’art category of the 2022 Spectrum Awards.

This extraordinary essence bottle was made by Dalan Gargrave of GemStarz Jewelry and features a jaw-dropping a 900 ct ametrine accented with citrine and chrome diopside. I was afraid to lift this one up to photograph it, so here it is sitting safely on a table.

This is Brenda Smith Jewelry’s Whimsy necklace. Isn’t it clever? It features a purple Laguna agate with pearls, tourmaline, and diamonds.

I know I’ve said this several times already, but: here is another one of my favorite 2022 AGTA Spectrum spinels. This one might actually be my very favorite? Don’t tell the others.

This is the “Elysian Red,” an 11.34 ct cushion-cut red Spinel ring in platinum with spinel and diamond accent stones. It’s by Chalmer’s Jewelers and I love it passionately.

Just look at it. LOOK AT IT. It’s a captured sunset. It’s a ever-burning ember. It glows like nobody’s business. I can’t get enough.

How about this glamorous, modern tourmaline necklace? I love its sleek geometry and the center stone’s captivating gradient of color.

This white gold pendant with a 27.15 ct tricolor tourmaline and baguette diamonds (2.43 ctw) is by Malissa Kuznicki of A Cutting Edge Gallery.

Did you recognize the center stone of this ring? That’s right: it’s meteorite. Yes, like from space.

This platinum ring is by Sheridan Conrad of A Jewelers’ Art and it features a 4.20 ct hexagonal-cut Meteorite in gold, accented by white and colored diamonds. I love its solidity, its geometry, and its subtle color contrast.

I mentioned in Part One that there were two pairs of Pamela Froman earrings I loved in the 2022 Spectrum Awards! Here’s number two.

These swirling beauties are 18K yellow gold earrings with boulder opal, tanzanite, and diamonds; by Pamela Froman Fine Jewelry.

It isn’t the AGTA Spectrum Awards without some stunning Paraiba tourmaline! Here are two very different Paraiba rings I met and loved at the 2022 Spectrum Awards.

On the right, we have a beautiful behemoth by Beatrix Laura Jessner of B & W Jewels. It features a 4.25 ct. Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline accented with 279 Brazilian Paraiba tourmalines. On the left is Dallas Price Designs’ 18K white gold engagement ring with a 6.28 ct. Paraiba tourmaline accented with round and pear-shape diamonds.

And one more tourmaline ring for good measure! This one isn’t Paraiba, but it’s a similar lovely blue green color. This14K rose gold and Tourmaline ring featuring blue and green Tourmalines (.89 ctw.), millgrain and engraving. By Cecile Raley Designs.

Another piece I truly loved, featuring one of my favorite stones: demantoid garnet. Isn’t its vibrant green beautiful in that swirling yellow gold design?

This is the “Sacred Mandala” necklace by Nolan Sponsler. It’s a platinum and 18K yellow gold pendant with demantoid garnets, blue sapphire, and diamonds, on a satisfyingly thick gold rolo chain. It was entered in the menswear category, but I think a jewelry lover of any gender could rock this.

This lily pendant/brooch has a quiet beauty that feels almost poetic. I love the texture of the gold and the translucence of the flowers.

It’s a by Sheridan Conrad of A Jewelers Art and features a 22K and 18K gold and platinum lily with carved quartz flowers and an opal butterfly.

I hope you’re not tired of tourmaline yet, because I’ve got a few more great ones to show you.

This beauty is an 18K gold and platinum ring with a 21.70 ct bi-color Tourmaline, diamonds, turquoise, sapphires, and lavender jade. It’s by Michael Tope of Raintree. I love that touch of purple jade on the side. So thoughtful and unexpected.

This pendant features one of the most unusually cut stones in saw in any finished piece of jewelry at the 2022 Spectrum Awards. It’s Uneek Jewelry’s “Serene Fauna” necklace, which features a rectangular concave tartan carved blue-green tourmaline and diamonds.

These cocktail rings are both by the lovely Dallas Prince Jewelry, and both demonstrate the designer’s ability to create jewelry that is as glamorous as it is elegant.

On the left, is the Dallas Prince 18K yellow gold “Inferno’ ring featuring a 6.35 ct oval Mandarin spessartite garnet accented with round diamonds (2.03 ctw.). On the right is a Dallas Prince 14K white gold Glacier aquamarine ring with a 22.27 ct. octagon-shape aquamarine and with diamonds (.65 ctw.).

And now for something complete different…how about these cufflinks? They’re by Brenda Smith Jewelry and alongside the faces, they feature green tourmaline (3.30 ctw), spessartite garnet (2.00 ctw) and pearls in 18k yellow gold.

This is the “Tree of Life” ring by Ellie Lee Fine Jewelry. Its unusual platinum setting has strategic openwork behind the gem to create a partly-hidden tree silhouette that’s visible through the center stone. This ring also features a 1.98 ct sapphire with green-blue sapphire and diamond accents.

I’ll leave you with one last image of The Arkenstone’s treasures. Such a cool place!

Thank you so much for joining me for this recap of the treasures I saw at the AGTA’s 2022 Spectrum Awards!! If you’d like to go back and see Part One of this recap, please click here.

If you like what you see here, you should check out my AGTA Archive to see treasures from other AGTA events I’ve attended.

AGTA generously took care of my travel expenses for this trip, but my opinions remain my own.

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