2026 Couture Design Awards spotlight high jewelry craftsmanship in Las Vegas

The smartest luxury gifts in Las Vegas this year were the pieces that made a strong first impression and still felt wearable. At the 2026 COUTURE Design Awards, held Saturday night at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas during the May 27-31 COUTURE show, judges split the spotlight across 12 categories, plus Editors’ Choice and People’s Choice, and the winners mapped the exact kind of high-jewelry momentum buyers keep chasing: sharp design, recognizable craftsmanship and enough visual drama to justify the price.

That matters because the competition is tightly controlled. Only participating COUTURE designers and brands can enter, and each may submit just one piece, which makes every win feel earned rather than inflated. The judging panel, made up of two retailers, two editors and one fellow designer, scored the entries on design, craftsmanship and salability. This year’s judges were Carla Carter of G. Marie Luxuries, Corina Madilian of Single Stone, Jon Kaiser of Bloomingdale’s, Miguel Alberto Enamorado of Harper’s Bazaar and writer Smitha Sadanandan. Attending media voted for Editors’ Choice, while the retailer community selected the People’s Choice finalists, with the winner chosen by text during the event.

The clearest gift signals came from the category winners themselves. Pen Mané won Best in Innovative and Editors’ Choice, the kind of recognition that tells collectors to watch the brand for the statement piece that starts conversations. Uniform Object took Best in Bridal, which puts it squarely in the lane for clients who want a wedding look with a modern edge rather than a safe classic. Itä won Best in Below $10,000 Retail with its Yarí İznik Whirl ring, a useful benchmark for shoppers who want artistry without crossing into five figures. Jorge Adeler, through Adeler Jewelers, won Best Colored Gemstones Design under $40,000 retail, the sort of prize that gives serious gemstone buyers a reason to spend more when color and proportion are doing the work.

The evening also showed how much prestige now comes from continuity. Hiba Husayni of Zahn-Z won a Couture Design Award for the second year in a row, proof that the show is becoming a repeat proving ground for designers who can hold attention more than once. The program also added the first Jan Mohr Award for Excellence, given to Mildred Marcano, director of sales and marketing at Reinhold Jewelers in San Juan, Puerto Rico, while Elizabeth “Beth Anne” Bonanno of The Gems Project received the Cindy Edelstein Award at the close of the night. With tributes to Jan Mohr and Cindy Edelstein folded into the ceremony, the awards read less like a trophy lap than a statement about who is shaping the next chapter of high jewelry, and whose names are becoming the ones luxury clients remember.