Jewelers of America names standout engagement ring winners in CASE Awards

The ring that stopped the room was not a classic solitaire. Renisis’ Double Bullet Diamond Ring, designed by Sardwell, won supplier Best in Show at Jewelers of America’s 36th annual CASE Awards, a piece built in 18K yellow gold with two rose-cut bullet diamonds totaling 4.09 carats, pavé diamonds and navy blue vitreous enamel. At $68,000, it read less like a conventional engagement-ring proposal and more like a blueprint for where bridal design is headed next: sharper geometry, richer surface contrast and a willingness to treat the setting as part of the story.

That matters because CASE, which stands for Creativity, Artistry, Style and Excellence, is not a popularity contest. More than 120 entries competed across eight categories, split between retail and supplier membership and four price tiers ranging from jewelry up to $5,000 to $20,001-$75,000. A panel of design specialists judged the pieces on overall design, marketability, originality and quality of manufacture, which means the winning rings and jewels were chosen for ideas that can move beyond the showcase and into real customers’ hands.

The Double Bullet Diamond Ring felt fresh because it rejected the smooth symmetry that has long defined engagement-ring orthodoxy. The rose-cut bullet diamonds give the piece a tapered, almost architectural profile, while the enamel introduces a dark, inky field that makes the diamonds look even more electric. That mix of polished gold, pointed silhouettes and unexpected color is exactly the kind of vocabulary that can migrate into bridal jewelry: slimmer profiles with attitude, bezel-like containment without heaviness, and decorative metalwork that behaves almost like a frame.

Retail Best in Show pointed in a different direction but with the same appetite for scale and individuality. Kennedy’s Jewelers of Blue Springs, Missouri, won for a $56,150 custom necklace in 14K yellow gold set with 201.64 carats of cabochon tourmalines in pink, green and bi-color stones, plus 6.63 carats of accent diamonds. Together, the two Best in Show winners suggest that clients are responding to jewelry that looks authored rather than assembled, whether the centerpiece is a ring for the hand or a necklace at the collarbone.

Amanda Gizzi, Jewelers of America’s senior vice president of corporate affairs, said the competition showcases the community’s “craftsmanship, innovation, and artistry” and helps shape the future of fine jewelry. The judges included Brecken Branstrator, Tanya Dukes, Deirdre Featherstone, Gizzi, Natalie Francisco, Adrianne Sanogo and Amina Sorel, and the competition was sponsored by Synchrony. Sardwell’s repeat appearance at CASE is telling too: the designer previously won in 2023 for Renisis’ Guardian Gold Temple necklace, proof that this is a house with a clear point of view, and that point of view is getting bolder.