INSTORE awards spotlight versatile rings with rare gemstones

The most intriguing rings in INSTORE’s awards were not the biggest statements of size, but the smartest in construction. Robin Callahan Designs LLC took first place with Aria, an interchangeable ring in 14K white gold set with 5.6 carats of G-H-color, VS-clarity diamonds, a 5.75-carat green oval chrysoprase and a 5.20-carat blue oval chalcedony, priced at $46,000. Judges called it unique, creative, impressive in craftsmanship and versatile, the kind of design that stays visually arresting no matter how it is worn.

That same appetite for engineering showed up in second place. Exuma, also from Robin Callahan Designs LLC, was built in 18K white gold around a 25.85-carat blue-green, color-change, cushion-cut Cuprian Nasliba tourmaline from Mozambique. The ring was accented with 1.38 carats of round diamonds and 1.65 carats of blue-green sapphires, with a listed price of $140,000. If Aria points to flexibility, Exuma argues for drama: one large center stone with a chromatic shift, then a halo of cooler-toned accents that sharpen the whole composition.

The 2026 INSTORE Design Awards, the contest’s 11th edition, drew 229 entries, matching the prior year. Organizers said colored gemstones were hotter than ever and added a new Small Batch Colored Gemstone category for makers with five or fewer employees. Six retailers and three media personalities judged the pieces through blind voting, while hundreds of other retailers nationwide selected a Retailer’s Choice winner in each category. The structure matters because it shows where the market’s attention is moving: not just toward size, but toward originality, color and technical complexity.

Callahan’s own background explains why these rings feel so resolved. She describes herself as a custom jewelry designer, metalsmith and lapidary artist, and says she often sources gem rough directly from mines and specialty dealers before custom-cutting the stones herself. That hands-on pipeline, from rough to finished jewel, helps explain why her rings read less like preset formulas and more like miniature exercises in problem-solving. The same Exuma language also appeared in AGTA’s 2025 Spectrum and Cutting Edge Awards, underscoring that this is a continuing body of work, not a one-off. AGTA added an Engagement Ring category in 2024, when it drew 21 entries, a clear sign that color stones and unusual settings are moving deeper into the engagement-ring conversation, even if the most elaborate versions are still likely to remain showpieces.