AGTA Honors Excellence in Lapidary Arts

The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) recently awarded the 2020 AGTA Cutting Edge Awards™, a special division of the AGTA Spectrum Awards™, which honor excellence and creativity in the lapidary arts, including natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls, carvings and other gem materials.

This year, there was a new category in the competion, the North American Mined Gemstones. This category highlighted gemstones from the United States and Canada and was the largest category in the Cutting Edge Awards this year. 

There was also a new award this year in the Best Of category entitled Best of Single Entry for all entrants who only submitted one piece to the competition.

The panel of expert judges this year included: Chris Pampillonia, Pampillonia Designs; Clare Adams Kittle, Clare Adams Kittle Company; Michael Johnson, Eiseman Jewels; Monica Kitt, Arkenstone, Ltd.; and Ray Zajicek, Equatorian Imports.

The 2020 AGTA Cutting Edge Awards winners are as follows:

BEST OF WINNERS

Best of Show

Pair of spessartite garnets totaling 90.48 carats by David Nassi, 100% Natural Ltd.

Best of Single Entries

A 7.04-carat oval-shaped ruby by Afshin and David Hackman, Intercolor USA. 

CLASSIC GEMSTONE

Classic Gemstone – 1st Place

12.99-carat untreated vibrant pink Ceylon sapphire by David Nassi, 100% Natural, Ltd.

Classic Gemstone – 2nd Place

20.54-carat cushion-cut blue sapphire from Sri Lanka by Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman & Co.

Classic Gemstone – 3rd Place

6.47-carat emerald-cut Colombian emerald by Oren Nhaissi, EMCO Gem, Inc.

NORTH AMERICAN MINED GEMSTONES

North American Mined Gemstones – 1st Place (TIE)

0.80-carat shield-shaped untreated red beryl from Utah by David Nassi, 100% Natural, Ltd.

North American Mined Gemstones – 1st Place (TIE)

35.43-carat oval-shaped faceted spessartite garnet from Virginia by Edward Wilsek, Wilsek & Co.

North American Mined Gemstones – 3rd Place

 

North American Mined Gemstones – Honorable Mention

137.20-carat specialty-cut fluorite from New Hampshire by Brett Kosnar, Kosnar Gem Co.

ALL OTHER CUT GEMSTONES

All Other Cut Gemstones – 1st Place

21.81-carat pear-shaped brilliant-cut Paraíba tourmaline by Joseph Ambalu, Amba Gem Corp.

All Other Cut Gemstones – 2nd Place

10.59-carat heart-shaped pinkish-red Mahenge spinel by Erica Courtney, The Courtney Collection.

All Other Cut Gemstones – 3rd Place

 

All Other Cut Gemstones – Honorable Mention

21.58-carat untreated pink spinel from Sri Lanka by Edward Boehm, RareSource.

PHENOMENAL

Phenomenal – 1st Place

16.06-carat untreated star ruby cabochon from Vietnam by David Nassi, 100% Natural, Ltd.

Phenomenal – 2nd Place

69.90-carat freeform harlequin black opal by David Nassi, 100% Natural, Ltd.

Phenomenal – 3rd Place

45.59-carat rose-cut faceted crystal opal by Gary Braun, Finewater Gems.

PAIRS & SUITES

Pairs & Suites – 1st Place

Pair of pear-shaped spessartite garnets totaling 90.48 carats by David Nassi, 100% Natural, Ltd.

Pairs & Suites – 2nd Place

Suite of step-cut emeralds totaling 8.64 carats by Mikola Kukharuk, Nomad’s.

Pairs & Suites – 3rd Place

Pair of pear-shaped morganites totaling 20.47 carats by David Nassi, 100% Natural, Ltd.

Pairs & Suites – Honorable Mention

Suite of 23 oval kyanites totaling 155.01 carats by Boyd Fox, Fox Hop Jewelry.

INNOVATIVE FACETING

Innovative Faceting – 1st Place

70-carat freeform faceted and carved ametrine by Thomas Trozzo, Trozzo.

Innovative Faceting – 2nd Place

123.0-carat specialty-cut golden beryl, titled “Seaweed & Bubbles,” by Darryl Alexander, Alexander’s Jewelers.

Innovative Faceting – 3rd Place

55.75-carat concave curved mixed-cut citrine, titled “Sun Burst,” by Lee Haynes, LWH Gems.

CARVING

Carving – 1st Place

Carving – 2nd Place

458.50-carat carved moonstone, titled “African Violets.”  Sits on a base of black and green jade with yellow sapphires by Dalan Hargrave, GeoGem-USA.

Carving – 3rd Place

32.11-carat indicolite tourmaline carving, titled “Mood Indigo,” by Meg Berry, Mega Gem.

OBJECTS OF ART

Objects of Art – 1st Place

“Garden of Delight Mystery Box” by Paula Crevoshay, Mellika Company, Inc./ Crevoshay, made of lapis lazuli, malachite, opal, sugilite, turquoise and more. The hummingbirds, branch, and columbine feature amethysts, diamonds, multicolored sapphires, opals, spinels and tsavorite garnets.

Objects of Art – 2nd Place

Table ornament, titled “Shimmering Seas,” Ziad H. Noshie, Almaza Jewelers, featuring multicolored sapphires totaling 44.78 carats and diamonds totaling 0.17 carat. The harlequin fish is on a base of mushroom coral and sterling silver.

Objects of Art – 3rd Place

Honey citrine pyramid totaling 1,050 carats on a black and green jade base with a black walnut drawer, titled “Pyramid,” by Dalan Hargrave, GemStarz Jewelry.

The American Gem Trade Association, headquartered in Dallas, is a non-profit organization serving as “The Authority in Color” for the natural colored gemstone and cultured pearl industry since 1981.