Crane necklace wins top honors in INSTORE Design Awards 2026

A crane in 18K white gold, traced in 893 white diamonds and 381 black ones, flew to the top of INSTORE’s Necklace Over 5K category, taking both First Place and Retailer’s Choice for Ethetics Art Limited’s Convertible Dancing In The Clouds. At $750,000, the piece did not rely on size alone. Its value came from sculpture, rare materials and engineering that let one necklace become several jewels.

The design is built around a bird in motion, a motif that gives the piece more narrative force than a standard high-jewelry collar. The crane’s slender neck is outlined with 10.274 carats of white diamonds, while 5.605 carats of black diamonds sharpen the form and add contrast. Twelve crystals of ice jadeite, totaling 3.655 carats, bring a cool, almost atmospheric green-white cast to the composition, and a 1.38-carat ruby acts as a concentrated point of color. The effect is not decorative clutter but controlled drama, the kind of detailing that reads clearly even in a category crowded with large statement necklaces.

What makes the jewel especially compelling is its convertible construction. Hidden buckles and components allow the necklace to separate into multiple wearable pieces, including a brooch and a pendant. That flexibility matters at this price level. A piece above $5,000 has to justify itself through more than visual impact, and this one does so by offering different ways to wear and inherit it. It behaves less like a single accessory and more like a miniature high-jewelry wardrobe.

The win came in a strong field. INSTORE said the 2026 Design Awards marked the 11th annual edition, drew 229 entries, and covered 31 categories. Six retailers and three media personalities judged the competition through blind voting, while hundreds of retailers nationwide voted online to select Retailer’s Choice winners. INSTORE also said colored gemstones were especially hot this year, which helps explain why a piece anchored by ice jadeite and ruby stood out so decisively.

Nature motifs clearly held their own in the Necklace Over 5K category, where the crane joined other animal-inspired designs, including a flamingo pendant. But Ethetics Art Limited’s necklace had something that felt rarer than novelty: a clear story, disciplined execution and the kind of transformable construction that gives high jewelry both presence and purpose.