It's Spectrum Season…So, Before You Talk Yourself Out of It

The entries are officially open for the 2026 AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards.

And every year, we find ourselves saying the same thing:

Enter…..Seriously.

We spend most of the year talking about sourcing, layouts, color combinations, matched pairs, and design possibilities so that we’re able to source the right stones year-round. Then Spectrum season arrives, and we finally get to see what everyone actually made with their requests.

The pieces that stop us are rarely just beautiful. They're thoughtful. They're creative. They solve design problems in interesting ways. Sometimes they're built around a single incredible stone and other times they're built around a concept: like a color story nobody else saw coming. This is how the Rainbow sapphire trend started btw.

Many of the designers, retailers, and manufacturers we work with throughout the year are already creating Spectrum-worthy pieces. The hardest part is usually convincing them to submit.

If you're on the fence, consider this your sign.

The jewelry industry needs people willing to put their work out there. It also needs people willing to experiment.

One of the reasons Spectrum continues to matter after more than four decades is that it gives the industry a place to celebrate new ideas and the minds behind them. Winning is wonderful, and many times it creates inspiration for the next designer.

This is the time of year when we start seeing the journey come full circle. A gemstone that started as a sourcing conversation becomes a sketch. The sketch becomes a piece. The piece becomes an entry. And sometimes it becomes an award winner. It's very simple and very attainable. All you have to do is enter! You never know who your work will inspire. 

 If you do enter…. (or don’t), send it our way as well! We would be honoured to feature your work or profile in The Stone Room with our growing community of designers and jewelers. 

Whether your design features a stone from Prima or not, we'll be cheering for the people creating, designing, experimenting, and pushing colored gemstones forward.

We know firsthand what a Spectrum Award can mean for a piece. In 2022, one of our suites became an AGTA Spectrum Award-winning design. Seeing that journey from sourcing to finished jewelry to industry recognition something we never get tired of and wish for all the designers and jewelers we work with. 

Thinking About Entering?

Entries for the 2026 AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards are now open, and we'd love to see the work you've been creating.

Enter here: > AGTA Spectrum Entry Link <