New York, NY – Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry marketplace, and the GEM Awards Committee have announced that jewelry designer and past GEM Award winner Stephen Webster will return as the host for the 16^th annual GEM Awards on Friday, January 19, 2018, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.  The GEM Awards gala honors the outstanding achievements of individuals or companies whose work raises the visibility and status of fine jewelry and watches.

Stephen Webster hosted the 15th annual GEM Awards to an enthusiastic response. “The requests for Stephen to return as host for the 16^th annual GEM Awards began flooding in even before last year’s GEM Awards were over. Stephen is witty, irreverent, charismatic and the perfect person to host GEM Awards,” says Norman Miller, GEM Awards Chair.

Stephen Webster is widely considered one of the international jewelry industry’s most accomplished designers. Combining a love of fine craftsmanship with a passion for music, fashion and art, Webster’s keen eye for detail, flair and wild imagination have assured him unique status in the contemporary jewelry world.  Throughout a four decade-spanning career, Webster has been an advocate of ethically sourced materials, travelling to mines in Tanzania and Peru to meet the mining communities and trace the origins of the precious materials he uses in his work. In recent years, his company has expanded globally with close to 200 points of sale worldwide including the United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Dubai, Japan and Hong Kong.

The 2018 GEM Awards will also honor Sally Morrison with the prestigious GEM Award for Lifetime Achievement, and actress Debra Messing with the GEM Award for Jewelry Style. GEM Awards will also be presented in a live-reveal format in the categories of Jewelry Design, Media Excellence and Retail Innovation.

For details on GEM Awards or to purchase tickets and sponsorships, visit www.jewelers.org/gemawards.

 
About Jewelers of America and GEM Awards: 
Jewelers of America (JA) is the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry marketplace, with the primary purpose of improving consumer confidence in the jewelry industry. Visit www.jewelers.org for more information.

GEM Awards is the fine jewelry industry’s premier accolade gala, which recognizes the achievements of individuals and companies whose work raises the visibility and status of fine jewelry & watches. Throughout its esteemed 16-year history, the GEM Awards ceremony has honored excellence in jewelry design, watch design, journalism, marketing, communications and style. Visit www.jewelers.org/gemawards.