MJSA Vision Awards 2018
During their 2018 MJSA Vision Awards jewelry competition, the Manufacturers and Jewelry Suppliers of America (MJSA) recognized Adam Neeley with the honor of First Place Winner – Professional Design Excellence for his pendant entitled “Ombre”.
This extraordinary pendant showcases a 25.39 ct bi-color tourmaline which fades from emerald green to blue, accented with canary diamonds transitioning into white diamonds. When award-winning lapidary Stephen Avery presented Adam with this dramatic tourmaline, inspiration struck. “It’s completely eye clean,” Adam describes, “and the color makes a vivid transition from blue to green. Stephen did an amazing job on the cut, which has long facets that run through it vertically and don’t take away from the transition.”
The concept behind his design was using a sleek, modern form to put gradient colors on display, both in stone and in precious metal. This gem’s vivid colors and impeccable cut proved the perfect complement to SpectraGold™, Adam’s signature color gradient material. “This was the most minimal of the designs. I wanted to get the eye to focus in on the subtle color gradients,” Though simple enough to say, the fabrication of this pendant, which maintains perfect ombré effect without evidence of a seam required the delicate and labor-intensive creation of SpectraGold™, followed by flawless technical execution.
We’re honored by the recognition from MJSA during this year’s Vision Awards, especially because of the illustrious panel of judges which selected the winners. These judges included:
Alan Revere, founder and director of the Academy of Jewelry Arts;
Klaus Kutter, jewelry designer and founder of A Jour Jewelry;
Michelle Graff, editor-in-chief of National Jeweler magazine;
Jim Grahl, owner of J. Grahl Design; and
Michael Coan, chair emeritus of the jewelry-design department at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).
