b'A MESSAGE FROMTHE GEM AWARDS CHAIRWelcome to the GEM Awards presented by Jewelers of America. Over 24 years ago, a group of industry leaders got together and established the GEM Awards as a platform to shine a light on talent in a few areas of fine jewelry. As always, it is a joy to carry on this tradition and add to it with tonights honorees and nominees as well as the recipient of the David Yurman GEM Awards Grant.Two retail legends, Mark and Candy Udell of London Jewelers, are being presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Since taking the reins of the 100-year-old firm in 1990, this dynamic duo has expanded the business across New York and New Jersey, working with marquee and independent brands while maintaining the warmth of a family-run business.The High Jewelry honoree, Ana Khouri, is a phenomenon. She launched her groundbreaking jewelry collection in New York in 2013 and reached for the stars, elevating the label into a High Jewelry brand for the 21st century. Anas passion for exquisite materials and training as a sculptor are integral parts of her artistic process.The nominees for the Media Excellence AwardNicole Martine Chapoteau of Vanity Fair, Emili Vesilind of Gem + Jewel and Thomas Waller of WWDeach bring style, wit and special insights to their incredible stories.The Jewelry Design nominees, Silvia Furmanovich, Catherine Sarr of ALMASIKA and Cece Fein-Hughes of Cece Jewellery, all express themselves using combinations of techniques, materials and motifs, some of which are historic and others that are cutting edge. Their distinctive work is instantly recognizable.The Retail Innovation nominees, Days Jewelers, Emily Chelsea Jewelry and Jessica McCormack, each engage with clients in special ways in their stores which serve local communities from New England to Philadelphia, London and New York City.Tonight, we are building on the legacy of the GEM Awards by presenting the inaugural David Yurman GEM Awards Grant. After announcing the initiative on this stage last year, we received nearly 100 submissions. David and Sybil Yurman, along with a GEM Awards subcommittee, selected the five finalistsJules Kim of Bijules, Dorian Webb, Johnny Nelson, Lorraine West and Hiba Husayni of Zahn-Zwho are all with us tonight. During the presentations, each of them blew us away, proving that the future of jewelry is very bright. They also made it almost impossible to choose one winner.All of us on the GEM Awards Committee are thrilled you are here tonight to celebrate these nominees, honorees and our flourishing jewelry world. Marion Fasel Chair | GEM Awards 22 24TH ANNUAL GEM AWARDS'