Here are the Winners of the 2017 Gem Awards
Stephen Webster acted as this year’s emcee, and the gregarious designer proved himself a natural as presenters were called up on stage throughout the night to give out awards in four categories.
W Magazine’s Grace Fuller won the award for Media Excellence, Kay Jewelers took home the award for Marketing & Communications while Bulgari’s Lucia Silvestri won in the Jewelry Design category.
The Gem Award for Watch Excellence, meanwhile, went to Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe.
Zach Hilty/BFA.com
Rosenheim spoke of his trouble crafting his acceptance speech, joking that Meryl Streep had just plagiarized it at the Golden Globe Awards.
On a more serious note, the longtime jeweler thanked his late parents, who opened Tiny Jewel Box during the Great Depression, for always setting the business apart from competitors.
Rosenheim recounted a conversation he had in his youth with his father: “I asked him, ‘Why didn’t you do what everybody else did?’ He said to me, ‘I want people to come to me not because I’m convenient but because I’m special.’ That’s what’s driven me throughout my career.”
He went on to thank his many colleagues and his family but also let the audience know that this Lifetime Achievement award did not signal the end of an era.
“I want to assure you that this is not intended to be the final chapter of my career in the jewelry industry,” Rosenheim said. “I intend to be around a long time to keep my eye on you guys.”