14-Karat Yellow-Gold Tourmaline Necklace Wins Best in Show at CASE Awards
A 14-karat yellow-gold necklace set with 201.64 carats of cabochon tourmalines took Best in Show, signaling a strong appetite for bold, color-rich statement jewels.
A 14-karat yellow-gold necklace packed with 201.64 carats of cabochon tourmalines took Best in Show in Jewelers of America’s 2026 CASE Awards, a win that says as much about the market as it does about the piece itself. Designed by Trisha Kennedy-Thompson for Kennedy’s Jewelers in Blue Springs, Missouri, the custom necklace also carried 6.63 carats of accent diamonds and a $56,150 price tag, placing it squarely in the realm of serious statement jewelry rather than decorative filler.
The piece matters because it reflects a clear shift toward gold that does more than frame stones. Here, yellow gold does the heavy lifting, giving the necklace warmth, structure and a rich backdrop for tourmaline’s saturated palette of pink, green and bi-color cabochons. The use of cabochon cuts softens the color transitions and gives the necklace a sculptural, almost textile-like surface, while the diamonds add just enough brightness to sharpen the design without competing with the stones. It is a jeweler’s answer to maximalism: high carat weight, strong color and a silhouette built to be seen.
The win came in the 36th annual CASE Awards, whose name stands for Creativity, Artistry, Style and Excellence. More than 120 entries were submitted across eight categories for retailer and supplier members, with judging conducted in two stages, beginning with virtual pre-judging and ending with physical evaluation of the finished pieces. Judges scored entries on overall design, marketability, wearability, originality and quality of manufacture, a combination that helps explain why this necklace stood out. It is dramatic, but not decorative for drama’s sake. Its scale is anchored in craftsmanship.
Jewelers of America, which has run the competition since 1990, said the awards recognize design excellence within its membership, and opening the contest to MJSA members broadened the field. Winners receive a customized trophy along with trade and consumer media exposure and social and digital promotion. The presence of yellow-gold and gold-plated designs among the winners suggests that gold remains the industry’s most persuasive canvas, whether in high-carat custom work or more accessible finishes. And with a tourmaline design also taking Best in Show in 2024, the stone continues to prove its power as a modern collector’s gem, especially when set in gold with conviction.
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