AGTA Enhances Spectrum Awards with New Categories for Accessible Design and Signature Red

Expanding Horizons for Colored Gemstone Excellence

The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) is set to invigorate its esteemed Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards for 2026 with the introduction of two significant new categories. These additions aim to broaden the competition’s appeal, encourage a wider range of participation, and celebrate diverse aspects of colored gemstone artistry.

Innovative Design Award: Accessibility Meets Artistry

The first new award, the Innovative Design Award, is designed to recognize exceptional creativity, originality, and craftsmanship in jewelry that also possesses commercial viability. This category specifically targets pieces with a wholesale cost under $10,000. AGTA’s objective is to honor innovative designs that are both artistically significant and commercially attainable, thereby inviting a broader spectrum of designers to participate.

Bruce Bridges, AGTA Board President, emphasized the award’s significance: “The Innovative Design Award reflects our commitment to celebrating forward-thinking artistry that’s not only beautiful and masterfully crafted, but also attainable for a broader segment of the market. By recognizing exceptional pieces with a wholesale value under $10,000, we’re opening the door for more designers to showcase bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and commercial viability — without sacrificing the excellence the Spectrum Awards are known for.”

Stuller Color of the Year Award: A Celebration of Signature Red

In a new collaboration with Stuller, Inc., a prominent jewelry manufacturer and supplier, AGTA introduces the Stuller Color of the Year Award. This sponsored award will honor outstanding interpretations of Stuller’s chosen color for the year, with 2026 spotlighting ‘Signature Red’.

Stuller describes Signature Red as a color that is “daring yet classic,” embodying passion, elegance, and strength. The palette includes a variety of red gemstones such as rubies, garnets, and tourmalines. This category will uniquely feature two winners: one selected by a Stuller judge from the Spectrum jewelry entries, and another from the Cutting Edge loose stone entries. This dual recognition highlights both finished jewelry artistry and the inherent beauty of individual gemstones.

Jon Gad, Chair of the AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards Competition, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are delighted to partner with Stuller in presenting the ‘Color of the Year’ Award and to celebrate Signature Red as the color for 2026. Few colors capture emotion and attention quite like red—it speaks to passion, strength, and timeless beauty. This award offers a fresh and inspiring lens for designers to explore the power of color, and I look forward to seeing the extraordinary creativity and remarkable gemstones it will bring to the AGTA Spectrum Awards.”

Designer Robin Callahan shared her positive reaction: “Red is the color of origin—blood, fire, creation itself. It holds power not because it demands it, but because it can’t be ignored. I love the red category for its power and romance and look forward to plotting my entry for it!”

About the AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards

The AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards are widely regarded as one of the premier competitions in the colored gemstone industry. They celebrate excellence in several key areas, including:

• Colored gemstone jewelry design
• Pearl jewelry
• Innovative lapidary artistry
• Creative gemstone usage
• Craftsmanship and market appeal

With the addition of the Innovative Design Award and the Stuller Color of the Year category for 2026, AGTA aims to infuse fresh momentum into the program, promoting both innovation and accessibility within the colored gemstone community. Entries for the 2026 AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards are expected to open at the end of June 2026.