Cornelis Hollander’s debut was sensational. In 1982 the largest jewelry design contest in the country was the “Gold 82” competition. Cornelis was working for a local jeweler in Phoenix who told him to design a piece for the contest. With only three days until the deadline Cornelis quickly made a ring for his work, and later that evening in his garage he fashioned a second ring to enter under his own name. The ring he made for his work won first place and the entry made for his own company – Cornelis Hollander – won the grand prize. The next day the jewelry buyers from Saks Fifth Avenue called and requested for Cornelis to come to New York with his collection. The legacy started there.

2005 Winner in AGTA’s Spectrum Awards Gemstone Jewelry Design Competition
2002 Winner in AGTA’s Spectrum Awards Gemstone Jewelry Design Competition, Maintaining Most Awarded Designer designation
1999 Winner in AGTA’s Spectrum Awards Gemstone Jewelry Design Competition
1996 Winner in AGTA’s Spectrum Awards, Second Place, maintaining Most Awarded Designer designation
1996 Winner in the 1996 Platinum Design of the Year Contest, Japan
1996 Winner in AGTA’s Spectrum Awards, Honorable Mention
1995 Winner in the 1995 Platinum Design of the Year Contest, Japan
1994 Winner in AGTA’s Spectrum Awards first designer to win 5 Spectrum Awards
1994 Winner in the 22nd Annual International Pearl Design Contest, Japan
1994 Winner in the 1994 Platinum Design of the Year Contest, Japan
1993 Winner in the 21st Annual International Pearl Design Contest, Japan
1993 Winner in Modern Jeweler’s Buyer’s Choice Award Design contest
1991 Winner in the 19th Annual International Pearl Design Contest, Japan
1991 Winner in DeBeers Diamond of Distinction promotion
1991 Winner in AGTA’s Spectrum Gemstone Jewelry Design Competition
1990 Winner in DeBeers Diamond of Distinction promotion
1989 Winner in DeBeers Diamond of Distinction promotion
1988 Winner in the 16th Annual International Pearl Design Contest, Japan
1987 Winner in the 15th Annual International Pearl Design Contest, Japan
1986 Two-time winner in the 14th Annual International Pearl Design Contest, Japan
1985 Winner in the Executive Jeweler’s Design Competition Award
1985 Winner in the 13th Annual International Pearl Design Contest, Japan
1985 Winner in AGTA’s Spectrum Gemstone Jewelry Design Competition
1984 Two-time winner in AGTA’s SpectrumGemstone Jewelry Design Competition
1984 Winner in the 12th Annual International Pearl Design Contest, Japan
1982 Grand Prize and Award of Merit winner in “Gold 82” sponsored by Intergold, New York

AGTA is an association of United States and Canadian natural colored gemstone and Cultured Pearl industry professionals dedicated to promoting the natural colored gemstone trade. The association pursues its aims through the combined use of educational programs, industry events, industry relations and publicity to the trade and consumer; while maintaining the highest ethical standards among its members and within the industry.

A member of AGTA abides by AGTA’s Code of Ethics that is of a higher standard than required by the Federal Trade Commission’s Guides for the Jewelry Industry on disclosing colored gemstone enhancements. Working with an AGTA Member is like having a gemstone consultant at your fingertips.

The AGTA Gemological Testing Center (AGTA GTC) is the natural colored gemstone industry’s premier independent laboratory. The AGTA GTC serves the industry and the public with a complete range of services, including gemstone identification, origin determination, and pearl identification. The laboratory is equipped with the latest, technologically advanced, investigative equipment.

The AGTA sponsors some of the most important annual events in the gem and jewelry industry:

The annual AGTA GemFair in Tucson, Arizona is arguably the most important gemstone tradeshow in the world. Fostering the promotion and sale of natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls, AGTA GemFair features an unrivaled array of gem materials as well as an extensive lineup of educational seminars and events. AGTA GemFair attracts gemstone buyers from all corners of the world.

The AGTA Spectrum Awards competition is an annual natural colored gemstone jewelry design competition recognizing the creative use of natural colored gemstones in jewelry designs done by North American and international designers. The Cutting Edge Awards is a competition that both acknowledges and celebrates lapidary artistry. Annually, the competition does a great deal to promote the beauty and diversity of natural colored gemstones and to honor the skill of the lapidary artist. Entries in the AGTA Spectrum Awards will be evaluated by a panel of distinguished industry judges on the basis of overall beauty and wearability, innovative design, effective use of materials, quality of gemstones, quality of workmanship, broad-based consumer appeal and potential to generate positive publicity for natural colored gemstones. Spectrum Award categories include Classical, Bridal, Day, Men and Evening Wear.

There are also two special divisions within the AGTA Spectrum Awards competition.

Fashion Forward Honors

Fashion Forward Honors recognizes the outstanding use of colored gemstone and/or cultured pearl beads in artful, trend-setting jewelry. All necklaces, earrings, bracelets or other jewelry that qualifies for judging in the AGTA Spectrum Awards competition will automatically be qualified for Fashion Forward Honors judging.

Manufacturing Honors

Manufacturing Honors recognizes the outstanding use of colored gemstones and cultured pearls in jewelry appropriate to be manufactured in production quantities. All designs that qualify for judging in the AGTA Spectrum Awards competition will also automatically be qualified for Manufacturing Honors judging.

The AGTA Cutting Edge Awards honor excellence and creativity in the lapidary arts, including natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls, carvings, other gem materials and objects of art in North America. A panel of judges will evaluate entries in the Cutting Edge Awards.

Visit: www.agta.org

For more information sales@cornelishollander.com or 800-677-6821.

“Essential to every culture, art is the vehicle for expressing emotions and ideas in a personal and creative manner. The American Jewelry Design Council is a non-profit educational corporation, which recognizes and promotes the appreciation of original jewelry design as art.

To that end the AJDC is committed to raising the awareness of the jewelry industry, the art community, the media and the consumer about the aesthetic value of artistic fine jewelry. Members of the American Jewelry Design Council are dedicated to elevating the caliber of jewelry design through educational activities and to challenging professional jewelry designers worldwide to actualize their creative potential.”

AJDC Mission Statement

About AJDC

The American Jewelry Design Council is a non-profit educational corporation that recognizes and promotes the understanding of original jewelry designs as art. Eight prominent American jewelry designers, including Henry Dunay, Jose Hess, and Cornelis Hollander founded the Council in 1988, establishing these objectives:

To raise the awareness of original jewelry as art
To educate and share information on the appreciation of fine original jewelry
To exchange knowledge and ideas
To establish standards of excellence
To promote a strong artistic identity to the public perception of jewelry

To realize the above goals, each year AJDC conducts educational activities, including exhibitions, lectures, professional panel discussions, publications, studio visits, and more.

Collectively, the members of AJDC have spent nearly a millennium working in jewelry. The group is very influential and members continue to exhibit and win industry awards. Designers and manufacturers in the jewelry industry closely follow the work of AJDC members, who often pioneer trends and styles in jewelry.

Design Project

Each year the group chooses a design theme for which members create one-of-a-kind pieces. The projects are for exhibition only and will not be sold. The projects are meant to stimulate both the artist and the viewer to think beyond common limits and elevate jewelry expression to the realm of fine art. The results are spectacular, with members employing the finest craftsmanship in precious and non-precious materials, as a painter would work from his palette of pigments. No other association of designers comes together and invests so much for an annual challenge like AJDC’s annual design project. These pieces are created solely artistic expression, without commercial intent. The collection debuts at the major jewelry trade shows, Las Vegas or New York, and then travels to museums and galleries across the country including the American Craft Museum, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and Christie’s New York.While diamonds, gold, and platinum are frequently used in these pieces, members do not limit themselves to traditional jewelry materials, wood, glass, photographs, Plexiglas, ball bearings, springs, mirrors, nuts and bolts, and even water and a live goldfish have found their way into AJDC projects. While the members’ polished metals and lustrous gems sparkle in their annual design projects, it is the range and expression of human creativity that shines most in this collection.Project themes include Cube, Wheel, Key, Puzzle, Water, Flight, Peek-a-boo, Fold, Sphere, and Pyramid.

Visit: www.ajdc.org

For more information sales@cornelishollander.com or 800-677-6821.

The Arizona Jewelers Association (AJA) is an affiliate of Jewelers of America (JA), the largest retail trade organization for jewelers in the United States. Jewelers of America is both a center of knowledge for the jeweler and the leading advocate for high social, ethical, and environmental standards in the jewelry trade. The AJA’s mission is thus to promote the ethics of the JA throughout the state of Arizona, as well as to provide education to the jewelry consumer and the trade professional. The AJA, on a statewide level, provides access to meaningful educational programs and services, leadership in public and industry affairs, and encourage members to act in their and the industry’s best interests.

For more information sales@cornelishollander.com or 800-677-6821.

The Contemporary Design Group is a national organization dedicated to the promotion of creative jewelry design and committed to the highest standards of integrity and ethics in business and in design.

For more information sales@cornelishollander.com or 800-677-6821.

Advancing the Industry

At the heart of MJSA’s mission is a simple belief: that unity brings strength, and strength brings influence.

A national association with international influence, MJSA represents the interests of those who are connected in any way to the manufacture or sale of jewelry.

MJSA Mission Statement

“The mission of MJSA is to foster the long-term stability and prosperity of manufacturers and suppliers within the jewelry and silverware industries, regardless of company size, industry segment, or geographical location, by providing leadership in public and industry affairs, access to meaningful events and services, and by enabling members with common interests to act in their and the industry’s collective best interest. The association shall endeavor to carry out its responsibilities to its members and to the industry in a manner consistent with the highest ethical standards.”

Visit: www.mjsainc.comFor more information sales@cornelishollander.com or 800-677-6821.