Jewelry designer Dennis deJonghe of deJonghe Original Jewelry located in Saratoga Springs won two prestigious awards at the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) Spectrum Awards. The Spectrum Awards is "considered the most respected and prestigious creative award for the design industry" and recognizes artists who creatively incorporate colored gemstones and pearls in their fine jewelry. Winners are decided among hundreds of international submissions by a panel of judges, which changes every year. The judges, experts in different disciplines across the jewelry industry, look for craftsmanship, use of color, wearability, innovativeness, and overall appeal of the pieces.
A local native, deJonghe is the son of Charles and Virginia deJonghe, who still reside in Van Buren Bay.
The 28th annual AGTA Spectrum Awards awarded deJonghe with the Best use of Palladium and Color and Classical Palladium Prestige Award recognizing his impressive Aquamarine Pendant and Palladium Pearl Ring, respectively. The Palladium pendant, featuring a 16.39ct Aquamarine accented with a 2.09ct Moonstone, Diamonds, and Pearls, shows deJonghe's ability to incorporate together metal, different shapes, and color into one beautiful design.
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Dennis deJonghe’s award-winning Aquamarine Pendant.
"My initial inspiration was the main gem a fine quality Aquamarine by lapidary artist Michael Dyber," deJonghe said in describing his creation. "The aqua is a unique free-form shape that is polished with concave circles from the reverse. I created an angular design in the pendant to counterbalance the soft elements."
The Pearl Ring is equally extraordinary, featuring a 16.5mm white South Sea Pearl accented with 0.71ctw of round diamonds. The ring is a perfect example of deJonghe's talent in handcarving a classical design while incorporating the finest materials. Although the vision of the ring was strong, deJonghe admits that the completion of the piece was difficult.
"Using a large 16.5mm round south sea pearl in a ring was a challenge. I carved the diamond settings to encircle the pearl and form the movement of my design. The concave arc along the sides creates a soft and functional ring."
The two pieces will be presented among the other winners during the 2012 GemFair in Tucson, Ariz., at the end of January. They can also be viewed in the gallery at deJonghe Original Jewelry or on their website: www.djoriginals.com.
deJonghe was also invited to showcase his jewelry in the Hollywood Lifestyle Awards, held in Los Angeles in November. His designs were modeled by the nominees and presenters on the red carpet.
