Jewelers of America names 2026 CASE Award winners, Kennedy's Jewelers takes Best in Show

A 14-karat yellow-gold necklace set with 201.64 carats of pink, green and bi-color cabochon tourmalines took retail Best in Show, while a $68,000 double bullet diamond ring claimed the supplier title. Those two pieces sat at the top of more than 120 entries across eight categories in Jewelers of America’s 2026 CASE Awards, a custom-design competition that has been running since 1990 and remains open only to employees of JA member companies.

Kennedy’s Jewelers in Blue Springs, Missouri, won the retail honor with a necklace designed by Trisha Kennedy-Thompson, whose work paired sculptural gold with dense, saturated color instead of chasing minimalism. The piece also used 6.63 carats of accent diamonds, but the tourmalines carried the visual weight, turning the necklace into a single dramatic field of pink and green. At $56,150, it sits squarely in the realm of serious custom high jewelry, where buyers are paying for stone selection, hand setting and design judgment as much as carat weight.

On the supplier side, Renisis in New York won Best in Show for a double bullet diamond ring designed by Sardwell. The contrast between the two winners is telling: one leans into lush color and cabochon softness, the other into sharp geometry and the clean, almost architectural edge of a bullet cut. Together they point to what may show up more often in the custom case, bolder stones with a clear motif and settings that make the design read instantly from across the room.

The judging panel included Amanda Gizzi, Brecken Branstrator, Tanya Dukes, Deirdre Featherstone, Natalie Francisco, Adrianne Sanogo and Amina Sorel. The judges looked at overall design, marketability, originality and quality of manufacturing, and the 10 first-place category winners were chosen for showing the strongest mix of creativity, artistry, style and excellence.

Amanda Gizzi said the CASE Awards continue to showcase the talent and creativity within the JA community, and that the members demonstrate a balance of craftsmanship, innovation and artistry that reflects both enduring traditions and the evolving direction of the jewelry industry. Trisha Kennedy-Thompson’s credentials help explain why Kennedy’s could compete at this level: the store says she is a GIA-certified Graduate Gemologist, an AGS Certified Gemologist and one of only eight accredited appraisers in Missouri. Kennedy’s Custom Jewelers also says it has 13 custom design awards and two state championships.

Winners receive a customized CASE Award trophy, national and local media coverage, and additional promotional support. For shoppers, the retail signal is clear: custom jewelry is leaning harder into distinctive stones, visible craftsmanship and pieces with a point of view, not just polish.