Jewelers of America Announces the 2027 GEM Awards Nominees

PRESS RELEASE New York, NY - Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association supporting every facet of the jewelry industry, and the GEM Awards Committee announce the 2027 GEM Awards Nominees in the categories of Jewelry Design, Media Excellence and Retail Innovation. The winners in these three categories will be announced live during GEM Awards on Friday, March 12, 2027, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. 

GEM Awards honors individuals and brands whose work raises the visibility and status of fine jewelry and watches. Each nominee has achieved excellence in their respective field. The GEM Award nominees are:

GEM Award for Jewelry Design

Hiba Husayni, ZAHN-Z

Hiba Husayni is the founder and designer behind ZAHN-Z®, a fine jewelry brand bridging architecture, craftsmanship, culture, and emotion. An architect-turned-jewelry designer, Hiba brings a distinctive perspective to fine jewelry, where technical precision meets artistic expression. In 2011, amidst the ongoing conflict in Syria, Hiba graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Architecture. During those challenging years, her jewelry sketchbook became a refuge for creativity and imagination. Determined to pursue her passion, she left Syria in 2012 to dedicate herself fully to jewelry design. In 2026, Hiba was selected as David Yurman GEM Awards Grant Finalist and won the Couture Award for Best in Diamonds Below $40K. 

Vram Minassian, VRAM

Vram Minassian is the founder and designer behind the independent jewelry brand VRAM. With each piece handcrafted by a small team of artisans in his Los Angeles studio, Vram's work translates conceptual ideas into sculptural, layered and wearable forms. Vram's ongoing Continuum is a meditation on time, space, and existence, unfolding across ten overarching installments known as 'Moments.' Designed alongside his high jewelry, Continuum combines unexpected forms, seamless pavé settings, sweeping surfaces and kinetic elements to evoke a universe in constant flux. 

Francesca Villa, Francesca Villa

Francesca Villa has spent her career immersed in the world of fine jewelry, designing for some of the most prestigious international houses. Before founding her eponymous brand in 2007, she was Creative Director of a renowned atelier, where she developed an exceptional understanding of design and craftsmanship. With her own line Francesca set out to create jewelry that celebrates individuality, storytelling and the emotional connections we form with treasured objects. Combining exceptional Italian craftsmanship with vintage discoveries and unexpected materials, her creations are infused with imagination, humor and nostalgia. Today, her distinctive designs are collected internationally and sold through leading boutiques and department stores worldwide.

Media Excellence

Miguel Enamorado

Miguel Enamorado is Accessories Director of Harper's Bazaar, where he oversees the magazine's jewelry and accessories coverage. Enamorado has spent his career shaping the way people discover, understand, and covet jewelry and accessories. A collector himself, Enamorado brings a distinctive dual perspective to his work: an editor's eye for what makes a piece resonate culturally and a wearer's understanding of how great jewelry lives on the body. He is drawn to jewelry that transcends occasion and becomes a part of an individual's everyday signature and visual language. He has championed the work of both storied houses and the emerging designers redefining the field today. At Bazaar, he has helped establish a fresh, modern vision of jewelry as an essential expression of personal style making him one of the most influential voices in the field today.

Caroline Grosso 

Caroline Grosso is a New York City-based editor and creative leader with nearly two decades in fashion media. Since 2022, she has served as Editor-in-Chief of L'OFFICIEL USA and L'OFFICIEL Hommes, overseeing content strategy across all platforms. Under her leadership, the title has introduced new franchises, deepened relationships with leading luxury brands, and expanded its national newsstand presence. Her résumé is a tour of American fashion publishing: Vanity Fair, a formative freelance chapter with stylists at Harper's Bazaar and W, Elle, and five years as fashion editor and digital fashion director at W. That background shaped her eye for image-making and her commitment to craftsmanship and emerging talent, evident in the roster of leading photographers and writers behind L'OFFICIEL's celebrity covers and fashion and still-life editorials.

Sonia Esther Soltani 

Sonia Esther Soltani is a jewelry writer and former editor-in-chief of Rapaport, where she led an award-winning editorial team, edited the monthly magazine, hosted the Jewelry Connoisseur podcast and launched its jewelry-focused Instagram platform. Her work appears in the Financial Times, Forbes, GemGuide, VO+, GEM-T and Retail Jeweller. Her reporting spans market analysis, emerging trends, craftsmanship, and jewelry history, as well as stories of established maisons and rising design talent. She co-authored Jewelry Creators: Dynamic Duos and Generational Gems (2026) and founded The Portrait Cut on Substack. Her fascination with extraordinary jewels matches her curiosity about the people behind them.

Retail Innovation

Muse @ Nordstrom

MUSE @ Nordstrom represents a modern take on fine jewelry retail. Stemming from the success of MUSE's West Village store, the partnership with Nordstrom is more than a retail space; it's a world within a world, curated with intention, styled with sophistication, and executed with an expertise born from living every side of the jewelry business. MUSE brings a gallery-style approach to the Nordstrom audience, introducing independent fine jewelry to the general public in a way that feels elevated and accessible - supporting Nordstrom's mission to bring continued newness while inspiring a sense of discovery for the customer. MUSE @ Nordstrom is not only about selling jewelry, but about creating a space that feels editorial, modern, and MUSE. It's a destination built not on trends, but on taste.

Starboard

Starboard is reimagining vacation retail through experiential selling, destination-inspired storytelling and the power of personalization. Across 87 ships and 14 cruise lines, Starboard connects hundreds of leading luxury, jewelry and watch brands with more than 14 million guests annually. From exclusive Swiss timepieces and certified preowned watches to fine jewelry and one-of-a-kind creations, Starboard transforms shopping into an integral part of the vacation experience, tapping into travelers' desire to commemorate special vacation moments with meaningful purchases. Consistently recognized for quality and innovation over its more than 65 years in business, Miami-based Starboard serves as a vital bridge between the cruise line and jewelry and watch industries, introducing brands to new customers while deepening loyalty among existing clients

The 1916 Company

The 1916 Company is the world's leading destination for collectible watches, fine jewelry, and pre-owned handbags, bridging new and pre-owned markets through trusted expertise, deep market knowledge, and an unmatched selection for the most discerning collectors. With 110 years of heritage, The 1916 Company operates more than 20 boutiques and Collector's Lounges across the United States, Switzerland, and Asia, bringing together the legacies of Govberg, WatchBox, Radcliffe, and Hyde Park Jewelers. Dedicated client advisors, in-house watchmakers, and an editorial team support every stage of discovery and collecting. As majority investor in independent manufacture De Bethune, The 1916 Company holds a singular position at the intersection of retail, editorial, and community.

GEM Awards is the industry's most prestigious gala event, honoring individuals and companies whose work elevates the visibility and artistry of fine jewelry and timepieces. For more information, purchase an ad to support the Nominees or secure a ticket, visit https://gemawards.jewelers.org/.

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ABOUT JEWELERS OF AMERICA

Jewelers of America is the most trusted and influential voice of the jewelry industry. With a mission to empower and unite its members, Jewelers of America provides expert guidance, education and advocacy to promote excellence, integrity, and success in an evolving marketplace. Since 1906, Jewelers of America has been advancing the fine jewelry industry, setting high ethical standards and fostering professional growth for their members. Jewelers of America represents a large, diverse membership of retailers and suppliers in the United States, who commit annually to the organization's Code of Professional Practices.

ABOUT GEM AWARDS

GEM Awards, hosted by Jewelers of America, is the fine jewelry and watch industry's premier accolade gala that recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals and companies whose work raises the visibility and status of fine jewelry and watches. Established in 2002, GEM Awards are presented in several categories, including the prestigious GEM Award for Lifetime Achievement. GEM Award nominees in additional categories are voted on by a voting body whose votes are sent live to an independent firm to determine the winners. The winners are announced live during the GEM Awards ceremony. Proceeds from GEM Awards help Jewelers of America continue to provide valuable programs, benefits, education and advocacy for their members.