On February 6, 2026, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), together with the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation, presented the ninth annual Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design to Catherine “Cathy” Aulick, a graduate of GIA Carlsbad.
The award was presented during the annual GIA Alumni Collective “Night at the Museum” event, held at the Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum at the University of Arizona, on the closing day of the American Gem Trade Association 2026 GemFair in Tucson.
The Winning Design
Aulick’s award-winning piece — rendered in gold and featuring Ethiopian opal and peridot — was selected from 12 finalists representing GIA schools in Carlsbad, London, Mumbai, New York, and Taiwan.
“I want to thank the Buccellati Foundation and GIA for the honor of this award. Hand rendering has given me a new and beautiful language for communicating my designs,” said Aulick.
As part of the award, Aulick will travel to Italy to meet with a representative of the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation.
Final Year for the Award
This marks the final year of the Gianmaria Buccellati Award for Excellence in Design. Established in 2018, the award was created to recognize exceptional jewelry design talent among GIA students worldwide.
“It’s been a pleasure collaborating with the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation and presenting this award each year – recognizing all the wonderful talent in design among GIA students globally,” said GIA Chief Learning Officer Cathryn Ramirez. “GIA is currently planning its new design competition and details will be shared in the near future.”
2026 Panel of Judges
This year’s distinguished panel included:
- Alishan Halebian — award-winning designer and owner of Alishan Jewelry Studio
- Andrew Connors — Director, Albuquerque Museum
- Charles Lewton-Brain — master goldsmith, educator and author
- Nanz Aalund — award-winning designer, educator and author
- Remy Rotenier — internationally recognized jewelry artist and designer
GIA Jewelry Design Education
GIA’s Jewelry Design course emphasizes:
- Drafting and shading
- Design theory and illustration
- Multiple rendering mediums
- Portfolio development (hand-rendered and digital)
