This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.The 2026 T&C Jewelry Awards

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The 2026 T&C Jewelry AwardsScott Semler

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The Legend

She tamed the big cats. Now all the world is wild for one.

Cartier Panthère de Cartier High Jewelry necklace and Panthère de Cartier brooch ($206,000)Scott Semler

When an icon is present, myths follow. Did Jeanne Toussaint, famed director of Cartier jewelry, actually spot a panther while on safari with Louis Cartier and yell, “Emerald, onyx, diamonds, a brooch!”? Did she visit the zoo at Vincennes constantly for inspiration? However it happened, Toussaint, who was supposedly called “the panther” for the long, catlike coat she wore, as well as for her ferocious intelligence and opinions, set her sights on bringing this wild kingdom to life.

Jeanne Toussaint.Archives Cartier Paris/© Cartier

What might she have thought of the installation devoted to it at Art Basel Miami last year? Or the constant evolution of the species via stones and craftsmanship and imagination? Could she have foreseen that almost a century after the first three-dimensional panther was made for the Duchess of Windsor it would remain one of jewelry’s most sought-after styles? “Emerald, onyx, diamonds, a brooch!”

The Maisons

Where would the great houses be without the creative minds dreaming up things like these?

DIOR Victoire de Castellane designs with a couturier’s exacting eye. Monsieur Dior would be proud. Dior High Jewelry Belle Dior necklace, 800-929-Dior

Louis Vuitton High Jewelry Whisper bracelet from the Mythica collectionLouis Vuitton

LOUIS VUITTON They’re the Indiana Joneses of the jewelry world thanks to their ability to track down the rarest of stones. Louis Vuitton High Jewelry Whisper bracelet from the Mythica collection

TIFFANY & CO. Nathalie Verdeille toes a fine line between paying homage to legendary predecessors (namely Schlumberger) and making her own mark. The results speak for themselves. Tiffany & Co. Jasmine kunzite earrings and ring from the 2026 Blue Book collection, 800-843-3269

Van Cleef & Arpels

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS The maison was founded on a love story, which explains the warmth and romance of its designs. Van Cleef & Arpels Medina bracelet

Chopard

CHOPARD The real stars of Cannes are the surrealist jewels that could only come from the imagination of Caroline Scheufele. Chopard Haute Joaillerie collection earrings

BULGARI Lucia Silvestri is a master of texture, molding gemstones into serpent scales and making gold mimic wicker. Bulgari High Jewelry Vimini necklace

Chanel

CHANEL Comets were central to Coco’s first high jewelry collection. The sky remains the limit. Chanel High Jewelry Blazing Star earrings, 800-550-0005

Scott Semler/Styled by Miako Katoh

HARRY WINSTON He owned the Hope Diamond and started the red carpet jewelry phenomenon, but Winston was a stones-first man. That remains the house code. Harry Winston 718 marble marquetry sapphire necklace and ring

BOUCHERON Frédéric Boucheron was the first jeweler to open a shop on Place Vendôme. To celebrate, he made an octagonal emerald-cut diamond (in homage to the 8-sided square). Now the equally bold Claire Choisne uses Vantablack and 3D printing in her practice. Boucheron The Address necklace from the 2026 Histoire de Style high jewelry collection

Scott Semler/Styled by Miako Katoh

MIKIMOTO The Japanese powerhouse’s innovations extend far beyond the cultured pearl (a process Mikimoto invented in 1893). For high jewelry collections they use conch, create mother-of-pearl flowers, and track down major stones. Mikimoto Les Petales brooch

The Artists

They turned trees into torques and strung rare stones on wire. Why stop there?

ANA KHOURI Nature is a perennial muse (and source of material) for Khouri—remember her rosewood collection? She also harnesses her background in sculpture to elevate jewelry to a high art form. No one does curves better than this designer, who was the only American to show her work at TEFAF New York. Ana Khouri necklace

Scott Semler/Styled by Miako Katoh

TAFFIN He’s known in some circles as the James Bond of jewelry. Or he used to be, anyway: James de Givenchy’s profile is no longer so stealth after Rose Byrne surprised us all in a Taffin choker at the Oscars and ended up on every best-dressed list. Taffin by James de Givenchy ear clips, 212-421-6222

JAR More elusive than Banksy and more bankable (google the auction results), anything by JAR is the ne plus ultra of jewelry holy grails. Anne Bass had a great collection (as did Lily Safra, Liz Taylor, the al Thanis—you get the idea). Last year one of Bass’s emerald necklaces sold at Sotheby’s for $1.2M. But again, this happens on the regular with JAR. JAR brooch, C. 1994 (sold for $1,016,000), sothebys.com

The Legacies

How to evolve an icon, in three chapters.

Scott Semler/Styled by Miako Katoh

DAVID WEBB When David Webb died in 1975, he left behind an archive of 40,000 designs. The brand has new ownership, but fret not: That workshop above its Madison Avenue store is still turning out the Totem pendants and Zebra bangles you love. David Webb Totem pendant and Harlequin chain

VERDURA Yes, Ward Landrigan was a consummate jewelry man who revived two OGs (Verdura and Belperron), but he was also a family man, presiding over that beautiful showroom at 745 Fifth Avenue with his son Nico—who now carries on the legacy. Verdura cuffs (from $24,500)

A. CODOGNATO x A$AP ROCKY What do an American rapper and a 160-year-old Venetian jeweler have in common? A taste for the macabre. A. Codognato, known for turning Día de los Muertos icons and baroque Dutch Vanitas paintings into gem-studded memento mori, refashioned the form for a collaboration with A$AP Rocky and his new jewelry line, Pavé Niteó. The first skull rings, inspired by Tim Burton (who collaborated with Rocky on art for his latest album), debuted on the rapper’s knuckles at the Chanel couture show in January. A. Codognato necklace

Above: A$AP Rocky in his Pavé Niteó skulls.

The Gemologists

They thrive on the thrill of the chase. It’s not hard to see why.

LORRAINE SCHWARTZ Margot Robbie and her stylist, Andrew Mukamal, made jewelry a centerpiece in her Wuthering Heights press tour. And they knew that when you want 100 carats hanging from a red velvet choker, there is one woman you call: Lorraine Schwartz.

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Above: Margot Robbie at the Paris premiere of Wuthering Heights.

Scott Semler/Styled by Miako Katoh

LE VIAN Generations of experience in stone sourcing (going back to the 15th century) has inspired a tradition of introducing a daring palette of jewels, with an eye for both new species and such underappreciated treasures as alexandrite, opal, and Montana sapphire. Le Vian morganite earrings ($26,198)

Scott Semler/Styled by Miako Katoh

MARGOT MCKINNEY Just how big can a kunzite get? Just how luscious can a baroque pearl be? There are no limits for Margot McKinney, whose voluptuous creations will be on view in a New York flagship set to open this season. Margot McKinney Aurora collier

The Stylesetters

The best heritage brands are the ones that still surprise you.

John Hardy Artisan Series Naga ringsScott Semler/Styled by Miako Katoh

How do you introduce people to a brand they think they already know? It requires a certain amount of daring and an even larger dose of strategy and instinct. Reed Krakoff, creative chairman of John Hardy since 2023, brings all in excelsis.

Hardy, to most people, meant Bali and bamboo; for its longtime clients it was defined by craftsmanship and sustainability. The goal, from the first collections under Krakoff, was to stay true to that vocabulary while broadening its scope. The pieces became more design-focused, with a new lightness to them and an expanded palette that included yellow gold and colored stones. Last year a collaboration with ­Athena Calderone yielded a lariat necklace that became a cult piece for a certain kind of low-key—but highly demanding—­collector.

John Hardy

Krakoff has translated luxury codes before. In past lives he was CEO of Tiffany & Co. and executive creative director at Coach. At Hardy he has kept the brand’s core “laid-back coolness” intact. There is still that signature Naga bracelet made famous by its founder—but it’s been streamlined. The Love Knot is still there, and it remains handcrafted—but it’s now much easier to wear. Collections like Surf and Spear keep the Balinese mood in the air but look perfectly at home on the streets of Manhattan. This year Krakoff collaborated with Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas on a collection and also introduced the Artisan series—pieces that take that Hardy ease and elevate it. It still has that relaxed Hardy vibe but with mint-green tourmaline, lemon quartz, yellow sapphire, and aquamarine on your finger. Stellene Volandes

The Craftsmen

As the saying goes, if you build it, they—mega–pop stars included—will come.

KINDRED LUBECK She is, of course, the woman behind the most famous engagement ring in the world. And she pretty much singlehandedly brought old mine-cut diamonds back into fashion. So where does one go from here? Look at the pieces above—there’s your answer. Kindred Lubeck rings (from $9,300) and Door Knocker earrings ($16,300)

MARCO BICEGO Don’t be fooled by the elegant simplicity of his pieces. Those delicate spiral strands of 18K gold for which he is known take hours of shaping and twisting by expert Italian artisans. Marco Bicego Marrakech bracelet ($38,800)

Above: Marco Bicego at his workshop in Vicenza.

David Yurman

DAVID YURMAN David and Sybil’s past lives as artists are often credited for their intensely creative spirit and infinite curiosity. Those traits have trickled down to son Evan, who, among other things, leveled up the high jewelry for men. See: Michael B. Jordan at the Oscars. David Yurman Floating Diamonds enhancer pendant ($140,000)

Evan, David, and Sybil Yurman.Tiago MolinosThe Shopkeepers

When you’re here, you’re family. By Stellene Volandes

London Jewelers

To understand the secret of London Jewelers’ success—100 years and counting—try sitting down for lunch with Mark and Candy Udell at Cipollini in the Americana Manhasset complex. Their daughter Randi, part of the fourth generation of this family business, is there too. Son Scott and nephew Zachary will probably drop in as well. Before they even get to the table, people stop them: Someone’s daughter is getting engaged and needs the right ring, someone else wants the exact stack Randi posted on Instagram this morning, another asks Mark if that dream Rolex has come in. Are there any limited edition Van Cleef Alhambras left? Candy, when is this year’s Rescue Paw Foundation benefit? It doesn’t stop when you sit down to eat: Calls from clients are punctuated with texts and messages from grandkids and cousins, nieces and nephews. Read the full story here

Marissa Collections, Palm Beach The Naples shop is the OG, but a prime PB perch means grandes dames don’t have to go far for their David Webbs. Dezso by Sara Beltran Scallop Pendant ($10,000), marissacollections.com

Fred Leighton, New York Much has been made of archival jewelry’s recent red carpet renaissance. That’s old news to anyone who knew Fred (né Murray)—or has had an appointment with Rebecca.

Symbolic & Chase, London An eclectic array, from 19th-century intaglios to Boivin brooches, is laid out in a jewel box private salon on Old Bond Street.

Twist, Portland Owners Paul Schneider and Lauren Eulau are beloved for their exquisite taste—and for championing creative talent. Cathy Waterman mermaid charm pendants (from $13,350 each), twistonline.com

The Next Gen

Take notes. They’re about to be everywhere.

JADE RUZZO The New York designer’s musical inspirations—percussion, ’90s boy bands, Tennessee—may be unexpected, but her technique is pitch perfect. Jade Ruzzo Gloria collar, trovestudio.com

Don't Let Disco

DON’T LET DISCO Ashley Moubayed collects vintage beads from all over the world for her one-of-a-kind designs—which, yes, are great to wear dancing. Don’t Let Disco earrings

Cece Jewellery

CECE JEWELLERY Cece Fein-Hughes’s exquisite miniature works of enameled art earned her a Gem Award nomination this year. Cece Jewellery Method to the Madness and Fit for a King signet rings ($40,000 each)

DYNE Sarah Ysabel Narici has mastered a futuristic je ne sais quoi with her sinuous creations—and her brilliant use of unexpected materials like jadeite, titanium, and moonstone. Dyne Tempus Fugit earrings

Scott Semler/Styled by Miako Katoh

UNIFORM OBJECT David Farrugia is known for his radical ideas, like cutting desert diamonds into unconventional shapes and pairing them with gold and Italian rubber. The downtown demimonde can’t get enough.Uniform Object Carbon bracelets (from $25,000)

BERNARD JAMES The human element drives the work of the Brooklyn-based designer. Hence his new collection of intentionally bent chains. Bernard James Crushed Macro bracelet ($17,500)

Creative Direction by Will Kahn. Prop Styling by Miako Katoh.

This story appears in the May 2026 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW

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