Couture Design Awards spotlight jewelry pieces winning retail attention

Romance in fine jewelry is getting more selective, and the pieces getting the loudest retail attention are the ones that can do more than sparkle. They need a point of view, a strong stone, and a setting that feels considered enough to survive beyond the holiday rush. That is exactly what stood out in Las Vegas, where the Couture Design Awards turned fine jewelry into a live test of what buyers, editors and retailers think will actually move.

The 2026 ceremony unfolded Saturday evening at Encore Theater during COUTURE’s May 27 to 31 trade-show run at Wynn Las Vegas, with every entered piece shown in a museum-quality installation. The judging formula was unusually commercial for a jewelry prize: two retailers, two editors and one fellow designer scored each entry on design, craftsmanship and salability, while attending media voted on Editor’s Choice and the retailer community weighed in on People’s Choice finalists and winner. In other words, this was not just a beauty contest. It was a preview of what Valentine’s shoppers are likely to see when fine jewelry gets filtered through the real world of display cases and budgets.

One of the clearest signals came from Hiba Husayni of Zahn-Z, who won Best in Diamonds Below $40,000 Retail for the second year in a row with the Big Zaha Art Deco ring. That price band matters. Under $40,000 is still luxury, but it is also where a piece has to justify itself with more than size alone. The Art Deco cue points to the kind of geometry and graphic structure that feels especially giftable now: a ring that reads as romantic, but also as designed. It is the sort of statement that feels more personal than a generic solitaire and more distinctive than a safe default.

Gemstone-led thinking was another recurring theme. Jorge Adeler said the gemstone is always the starting point for his designs, which is exactly the mindset behind the most compelling Valentine’s pieces this year. The best gifts are moving toward stones that signal color, origin or symbolism first, then settings that frame them with restraint. That is why the most interesting couture-level ideas are the ones most likely to trickle down: a stronger central stone, a cleaner architectural line, and enough craftsmanship to make the piece feel singular without turning it into a museum object.

The evening also carried emotional weight, with tributes to Cindy Edelstein and Jan Mohr, and the inaugural Jan Mohr Award for Excellence going to Mildred Marcano of Reinhold Jewelers. Gannon Brousseau called the night a celebration of the best in design and the community’s creativity, which felt apt in a room filled with Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Borsheims, Reinhold Jewelers and TWIST buyers looking for the next retail winner. That is the real Valentine’s takeaway: the most persuasive jewelry now looks personal first, precious second, and fully intentional all the way down to the stone.