First Prize

July 2, 2019
Carol Besler

The Couture Design Awards remain a big draw at the Couture Show, with a full-capacity audience filling the Encore Ballroom at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. If the diverse winning designs had anything in common this year, it was the presence of color. There were emeralds, green garnets, rainbow enamel, pink conch pearls, pink feathers, and sapphires in every shade. Also this year, competition organizers introduced an additional cash prize and a new category.

The Best in Debuting prize is open to designers exhibiting at Couture for the first time. At the 2019 ceremony, the winner received an inaugural $10,000 grant toward his or her Couture expenses next year. Brazilian-Armenian jeweler Ara Vartanian took home that award for his emerald earrings with smoky-grey and white diamonds in 18-karat white gold. Remy Sasha — daughter of editor and author Cindy Edelstein, a longtime champion of jewelry designers, who died in 2016 — presented the prize. “I think this is an incredible way for Couture to showcase their support for artists, and continue to carry on my mom’s legacy,” she said.

Then there was the new “WTF?!” award, a lighthearted look at some of the self-admitted gaffes made by designers — all of whom entered their own works. The winner was Stephen Webster for what he described as a “design disaster.” Each year, the name of the WTF?! winner will be engraved on a medallion and passed down to the following year’s recipient.

Michelle Orman, meanwhile, received the Cindy Edelstein Award for her hard work and commitment to the industry at large, and specifically to the Couture community.

Here’s a look at the winning Couture designs for 2019.

Best in Pearls: Karen Suen

Fringe-style earrings with over 100 carats of natural conch pearls, and diamonds weighing a total of 32.36 carats.

Best in Silver: SYNA

Black coral reef earrings with a sprinkle of brilliant champagne diamonds, created in oxidized silver with 18-karat yellow gold accents.

Best in Platinum: JÖrg Heinz

Kind of Magic transformable ring in platinum with white diamonds. The center cultured pearl reverses to become a diamond solitaire, transforming it into a different style.

The People’s choice: Gismondi 1754

Essenza necklace in white gold, F-color diamonds, and Colombian emeralds. Detaching pendant becomes a long mono-earring.

Best in Innovative: Silvia Furmanovich

Clutch in wood marquetry, vintage obi Japanese fabric, 18-karat gold and tourmalines.

Best in Debuting: Ara Vartanian

Earrings with emeralds and smoky-grey and white diamonds in 18-karat white and yellow gold.

Best in Bridal: Jade Trau

A new ring in the signature Selma Solitaire style, in 18-karat yellow gold and platinum with a pear-shaped brilliant diamond in the center and approximately 2 carats of diamonds in total.

Best in Men’s: Jan Leslie

Hand-painted enamel rainbow gummy bear cufflinks set on 925 sterling silver.

Best in Colored Gemstones Below $20,000:
Noor Fares

Linked to the crown chakra through its lotus shape and related gemstones, this 18-karat grey-gold Sahasrara bespoke pendant has a carved hexagonal amethyst, colored sapphires, tourmaline, and hand-painted rainbow enamel.

Best in Haute Couture: Mike Joseph

Feather necklace in 18-karat white gold with white diamonds and grey pearls.

Best in Diamonds Above $20,000: Kataoka

A ring mimicking the shape of a lover’s lips features a center marquise diamond flanked by a flurry of hand-set smaller diamonds along a band of custom-blended metal.

Best in Gold: Nikos Koulis

Earrings from the new Feelings collection in 18-karat yellow and white gold with white diamonds. The chain forms an intricate knot pattern, a reinterpretation of sailors’ knots.

Best in Colored Gemstones Above $20,000:
Adam Foster

Earrings in 18-karat yellow gold from the Constellation collection, featuring cushion-shaped, mint-green garnet center stones surrounded by delicate grey sapphire and white diamond accents, with omega back closures.

The editor’s choice: Vendorafa

Anaconda Mosaic cuff in yellow gold with black enamel and black diamonds. It evokes reptile-like surfaces, worked in both hammered gold and black enamel detailing.

Best in Diamonds Below $20,000: Baenteli

Cascade earrings in 18-karat white gold with 19 carats of marquise-cut white diamonds. Inspired by a waterfall, they flow and sparkle in the natural light.

Image: Shutterstock