Editor’s Note
This article previews the 2025 Couture Design Awards, highlighting its role as the premier event of The Couture Show jewelry trade fair and its significance as a global celebration of design excellence.
The 2025 Couture Design Awards was held Saturday at the Wynn Las Vegas, once again serving as the premiere event of The Couture Show, a jewelry and watch trade fair that features jewelry designers, brands and artists that was held June 4 – 8.
This awards program is the one-time jewelry designers from around the world along with their teams and their families get together to celebrate the best in design and artistry. Win or lose the atmosphere in the Wynn Las Vegas Encore theater is celebratory and supportive. The awards also carry a certain level of prestige as it is the most important jewelry design awards program in North America and one of the most important in the world.
Designers, artists and brands selected to the invitation-only jewelry and watch trade fair can enter the competition.
The finalists and winners in 12 categories are selected by a panel of judges representing the breadth of professionals in the jewelry and watch industry. In addition, there’s a “Best in Editors’ Choice” decided by attending media, and a “Best in People’s Choice” selected by Couture’s retail partners (retailers also attend by invitation).
Jeff Feero, managing partner of the Alex Sepkus jewelry manufacturing company, was presented with the Cindy Edelstein Award, for his ability to discover and nurture talent.
Jan Mohr, Couture’s longtime retailer liaison, who is retiring after this year’s event, was surprised with a new award, Hidden Gem, “intended to honor an individual in the retail space who consistently showcases kindness, respect and dignity to everyone around them, and has a sense of style, grace and aplomb, even under pressure,” Couture organizers said in a statement.
The complete list of winners and finalists of the 2025 Couture Design Awards is as follows:
Best in Below 10k
Winner: Three Stories
First: Three Stories
Second: By Pariah
Third: White Space
Best in Bridal
Winner: Mason and Books
First: Mason and Books
Second: Sevan Bicakci
Third: Rosario Navia
Best in Colored Gemstones Below $40K
Winner: Harwell Godfrey
First: Harwell Godfrey
Second: Lisa Nik
Third: Fullord
Best in Colored Gemstones Above 40K
Winner: Vanessa Fernandez
First: Vanessa Fernandez
Second: Gyan Jaipur
Third: SOPHIA D
Best in Pearls
Winner: Francesca Villa
First: Francesca Villa
Second: Mattia Cielo
Third: SHIHARA
Editor’s Choice
Winner: Robinson Pelham
First: Robinson Pelham
Second: r kheni
Third: Carolina Neves
Best in Diamonds Below 40K
Winner: Bibi van der Velden
First: Bibi van der Velden
Second: AMPM
Third: Recarlo
Best in Diamonds Above 40K
Winner: Busatti 1947
First: Busatti 1947
Second: Walters Faith
Third: Mariani
Best in Gold
Winner: Lunar Rain
First: Lunar Rain
Second: Alice Herald
Third: Castro Smith
Best in Innovative
Winner: Yutai
First: Yutai
Second: House of Glik by Moritz Glik
Third: Bijules
Best in Haute Couture
Winner: Chantecler Capri
First: Chantecler Capri
Second: Kavant & Sharart
Third: MOKSH
Best in Platinum
Winner: r kheni
First: r kheni
Second: PlatAfrica
Third: Roberto Demeglio
Best in Debuting
Winner: Zahn-Z
First: Zahn-Z
Second: Circa 1700
Third: By Pariah
People’s Choice
Winner: Sevan Bicakci
First: Sevan Bicakci
Second: PlatAfrica
Third: Shinola
This year’s panel of judges for The Couture Design Awards were Kat Stokes of Korman Jewelers, designer Selim Mouzannar, Liza Urla from Gemologue, Jennifer Farrington of Mitchell Stores and Rachael Burrow Rummel of Veranda magazine.