CLARTÉ’s Gemini bangle wins top honors for malachite and diamonds

CLARTÉ’s Gemini bangle won over judges with a case for ornament as substance, taking First Place and Retailer’s Choice in INSTORE’s Gold Over 5K category. The 14K yellow gold cuff, designed by Manvi Golcha and priced at a suggested retail of $10,099, combined engraving, malachite totaling 8.48 carats and diamonds totaling 0.75 carats into a piece that reads less like a simple bracelet and more like a compact object of design.

The judges responded to the workmanship as much as the materials. Viviana Langhoff said, “I love the craftsmanship on this piece,” while Ellie Thompson praised “a new twist on a modern classic” through the use of malachite. Smitha Sadanandan pointed to the balance of surfaces and color, noting that “intricate engraving, sparkling diamonds and pops of green malachite lend texture and depth to this bangle.” That mix of carving, sheen and stone weight is what earns a gold piece its five-figure price: not just ounces of metal, but the way the metal is made to look intentional.

The Retailer’s Choice win is telling. In a year when INSTORE said colored gemstones were especially strong, the Gemini bangle met the market with something buyers increasingly want from statement cuffs: a piece that signals taste without feeling overworked. Malachite brings an unmistakable banded green, the diamonds add flash rather than dominance, and the engraving keeps the form from reading flat. The result is modern-classic jewelry with enough visual architecture to hold its own as a day-to-evening signature.

The broader competition reflected that appetite. INSTORE said the 2026 Design Awards drew 229 entries, matching the previous year, which suggests the category remains crowded even as aesthetics shift toward richer color and more tactile surfaces. CLARTÉ’s own positioning reinforces that pitch. The brand says it uses 100% recycled gold sourced in the United States and conflict-free diamonds verified through the Kimberly Process, a sourcing story that adds another layer to the bangle’s appeal. In a market where gold alone is no longer enough to justify a top-tier price, Gemini earns its place by turning materials, craftsmanship and symbolism into a single, polished argument.