The judges cast their preliminary votes independently, and on Saturday morning, they gather together to give a thorough review to the top contenders in each category. Often times, the judges call in additional pieces that didn’t initially make it to the room so they can make an appeal on behalf of a particular piece, sometimes swaying the group to concede to their point-of-view. The discussion is animated and passionate, and always well mannered and civil.

Best in Diamonds Below $40,000 Retail:

The booklets the judges use as a reference point is laid out in the same order as the display cases in the Design Awards Hallway, so that was the order the judges followed for their discussion. This year the panel began by reviewing Best in Diamonds below $40,000 retail. While they were enamored with the heft and substantiveness of newcomer AMPM’s cuff bracelet, and they loved the versatility of the multi-tiered bracelet of another debuting brand, Recarlo, as soon as one of the judges put on Bibi van der Velden’s singular diamond earring, they knew they had their winner.

The judges remarked on the movement of the piece, and the gracefulness of its lines, which is exactly what the designer had intended, “The Queen B Diamond Alligator has a special place in my heart, not only because she’s bold and full of character but because she marks a new chapter for me,” Bibi told us. “This is the first time I’ve created a diamond-focused collection, and it began, as always, with a sketch – fluid and instinctive. From that first line came a piece sculpted with intention, articulated for movement, and set to catch the light. Every detail carries symbolism and strength. To see her recognized at COUTURE is both an honor and a deeply meaningful milestone in my journey as a designer.”

Colored Gemstones Above $40,000 Retail:

Colored Gemstones Above $40,000 Retail was particularly competitive this year, and one in which all of the submissions eventually made it into the room for consideration. The judges loved the streamlined glamour of Sophia D’s geometrically patterned ruby and diamond earrings, and they were smitten by the quality of the emerald in Gyan Jaipur’s kite earrings, but the exquisite hand-crafted quality of Vanessa Fernandez’ chrysoberyl and sapphire necklace won the group over, with Selim in particular extolling its many technical virtues.

“This piece was completely hand crafted and it’s a total one of a kind,” Vanessa enthused. “It is comprised of over 32 carats of custom cut pear shape Chrysoberyls, sourced and cut by Dave Bindra of B&B Fine Gems; I couldn’t be happier with the consistent intensity and polish of the stones.”

She went on to explain the nuances that captivated Selim, a jeweler and designer with over 30 years of experience. “25 individual settings in two styles all interlock in a cold connection, which literally means that the links are joined and functioning without the use of heat to attach. Each link is accented by a row of handset, pave, G-H, VVS1 round diamonds and each link has three prongs per pear shape. The hook and eye clasp is accented with diamonds and mimics the design seen throughout the piece. Observing the piece on its backside, you can also admire the way each line has a start and finish, lines don’t melt into one another, you can see how every coil and wrap begins and ends in one continuous unbroken line.”

Her first neckpiece, the winning design took over 120 hours to complete, it was crafted using Vanessa’s custom, 18k gold alloy, weighs over 150 grams, and has already been sold to a discerning collector.