World’s “Most Revered” Jewelers Compete at New Grand Prix Event

By Karen Dybis | October 29, 2025

The jewelry industry’s “most revered names in the world” came together for an evening of heritage, innovation, and competition at the first-ever Grand Prix de la Haute Joaillerie (GPHJ) this week in Monaco, its organizers said in a statement.

The dinner and awards ceremony on Oct. 25 at Monte Carlo’s Salle des Étoiles featured jewelry luminaries Anna Hu, Boucheron, Bulgari, Chanel, Chopard, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Martin Katz, Messika, and Tiffany & Co.

“The invitation from the Grand Prix de la Haute Joaillerie to present my work alongside some of the most storied maisons in the world was an honor I could not forgo,” Katz, the only independent American designer nominated at the event, tells JCK in an email interview.

“Having long served collectors in Monaco, Europe, and the Middle East, I felt it was both significant and rewarding to share my work on an international stage that celebrates jewelry artistry and heritage at the highest level.

Martin Katz pinwheel earrings — *Martin Katz emerald pinwheel earrings*

“It affirmed for my collectors that my creations hold a place among the world’s most distinguished and influential names in high jewelry,” he adds.

Known for his high jewelry and celebrity clients, Katz presented three one-of-a-kind jewels and a heritage piece at GPHJ that he says showcase the hallmarks of his design philosophy: architectural precision, distinctive artistry, and the celebration of extraordinary stones.

He entered his diamond bow pins in the heritage category. Katz’s other GPHJ entries were a bluish pink sapphire Trellis ring, emerald pinwheel earrings, and a blue topaz ring. Each piece is handcrafted, signed, and numbered, reflecting Katz’s commitment to rarity and refinement, he says.

Le Grand Prix de la Haute Joaillerie was cofounded by the state-owned company Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, led by chairman Stéphane Valeri, and Jean-Philippe Braud, president of public relations agency Profirst France, who serves as director of GPHJ.

They said in a statement that GPHJ is intended as a unifying celebration for the industry now and into the future, and they wish to establish it as a must-attend event on the international luxury calendar.

At the inaugural GPHJ, Chanel was awarded the grand prize for its Sweater necklace, from the 2024 Haute Joaillerie Sport collection. Caroline Scheufele, copresident and artistic director of Chopard, was named Visionary of the Year.

Tiffany & Co. won in the heritage category, for the Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany butterflies choker from 1956. Tiffany also received a special jury prize, for the “sophistication and creativity” of its latest high jewelry collections.

The public prize, decided through online voting by consumers, went to Dolce & Gabbana for an emerald, diamond, and rhodolite garnet necklace from the Sardegna collection with two detachable gem-set pendants.

Sahag Arslanian won the New Talent Prize for his Lunar Eclipse necklace. Other 2025 GPHJ winners were: for design, Messika for its Zebra Luhlaza necklace; in the savoir-faire category, Dior for the Diorexquis Forêt Nacrée necklace; and the gemstone prize, Louis Vuitton for its Apogée necklace.

Top: Martin Katz ring with a one-of-a-kind 33 ct. bluish pink oval sapphire accented with two half-moon diamonds and 319 micro-set gemstones, presented by the Beverly Hills–based jeweler at Le Grand Prix de la Haute Joaillerie (photos courtesy of Martin Katz)