Newport Beach mother–daughter jewelry house earns three honors for Valaree Wahler’s extraordinary golden South Sea pearl ring, Rose Aurea, and Elizabeth Wahler’s innovative convertible feather creation, Pluma Noire. The wins bring Elyzian’s AGTA award count to four in three years.
Press Release:
October 26, 2026
Newport Beach, Calif. Elyzian Fine Jewelry has received three honors at the 2026 American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) Spectrum Awards, recognizing two exceptional creations by mother–daughter founders Valaree and Elizabeth Wahler. The awards mark another milestone for the independent Newport Beach jewelry house, which has now earned four AGTA honors in just three years.
Valaree Wahler received Second Place in Bridal Wear and the Alfie Norville Women in Excellence Award for Bridal Wear for Rose Aurea, an intricate golden South Sea pearl ring. Elizabeth Wahler received an Honorable Mention in Innovative Design for Pluma Noire, a transformable high jewelry creation that converts from sculptural feather earrings into an articulated bracelet.
The three honors come during a particularly competitive year for the AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards. According to AGTA, entries increased 21% over the previous year, with approximately 400 submissions representing exceptional examples of gemstone artistry, design and craftsmanship.
The recognition follows Valaree Wahler’s 2025 AGTA Spectrum Award for Parure d’Aurore, subsequently renamed Chroma Forme, extending the house’s record of recognition across consecutive competitions.
Rose Aurea: A Sixteen-Year Journey from Gemstone to Heirloom
For Valaree Wahler, the story of Rose Aurea began in Shanghai in 2010, when she acquired an extraordinary 16 mm golden South Sea pearl.
For years, the pearl remained in her collection, awaiting a design that could fully express its character. Its eventual transformation into Rose Aurea required ten months of development and four design iterations.
The finished ring is an elaborate study in color, light and sculptural form. Crafted in 18k yellow gold, it features 1,511 yellow and orange sapphires arranged in six carefully selected shades, complemented by 434 F-color diamonds. The composition evokes the layered petals of a rose, its warm gradations of color surrounding the luminous golden pearl.
The ring’s precise gemstone arrangement creates extraordinary visual depth, drawing the eye inward toward the pearl while allowing the surrounding sapphires and diamonds to radiate outward.
The result is a highly personal expression of Valaree’s lifelong fascination with gemstones and the creative possibilities they hold.
“Some gemstones stay with you because you know they deserve something extraordinary. I acquired this pearl in Shanghai sixteen years ago, and I never wanted to rush what it would become. Rose Aurea is the piece I ultimately imagined for it. Receiving two AGTA honors for this design makes the journey especially meaningful.”
Valaree Wahler, co-founder and designer of Elyzian Fine Jewelry
The double recognition also marks Valaree’s second consecutive year receiving an Alfie Norville Women in Excellence Award, a distinction celebrating the contributions of female designers to the gemstone and jewelry industry.
Pluma Noire: Fine Jewelry Engineered to Transform
Where Valaree’s creation celebrates the enduring beauty of a singular gemstone, Elizabeth Wahler’s award-winning Pluma Noire explores an entirely different question: What if exceptional jewelry could become something else?
Recognized with an Honorable Mention in Innovative Design, Pluma Noire is a striking example of transformable fine jewelry.
Created in 14k yellow gold, the design incorporates 38.28 carats of black onyx, 2.91 carats of emeralds and 2.45 carats of diamonds.
The feather-inspired earrings are designed to reconfigure into an articulated bracelet, transforming not only how the piece is worn, but its entire function and relationship to the body.
The engineering was integral to the design. Each configuration needed to feel complete and intentional, with movement, balance and proportion considered throughout the development process.
Deep black onyx provides a bold architectural foundation, while vivid emeralds introduce concentrated bursts of saturated green. Diamonds punctuate the composition with light, emphasizing its contours and intricate construction.
“I’ve always been fascinated by jewelry that moves, surprises you, and challenges expectations. With Pluma Noire, I wanted to create something dramatic and beautiful that could transform into an entirely different piece without compromising either design. I love the contrast of black onyx and emeralds, but I was equally interested in the engineering: how the feathers would articulate, connect and move. That’s where the real challenge, and the fun, began.”
Elizabeth Wahler, co-founder and designer of Elyzian Fine Jewelry
The award recognizes Elizabeth’s distinctive design philosophy, one that approaches fine jewelry through the intersection of architecture, structure, movement and creative problem-solving.
Two Generations. Two Distinct Visions. One Jewelry House.
For Elyzian, the significance of the 2026 awards extends beyond the individual pieces.
Founded by mother and daughter Valaree and Elizabeth Wahler, the Newport Beach jewelry house brings together two distinct creative perspectives united by a shared appreciation for exceptional materials, meticulous craftsmanship and expressive design.
Valaree’s decades of gemstone sourcing, collecting and design inform her intuitive approach to color and the individuality of each stone.
Elizabeth’s perspective draws on her background in technology, visual design and entrepreneurship, with a particular interest in architectural composition, transformative functionality and unexpected gemstone combinations.
Their creations are not intended to look alike. Instead, their individual design approaches give Elyzian an unusually broad creative vocabulary.
“My mother introduced me to the world of gemstones when I was a little girl. She taught me to appreciate color, rarity and the extraordinary things nature creates. But we approach design very differently, and that’s part of what makes building Elyzian together so interesting. She often begins with an exceptional gemstone. I’m just as likely to begin with an idea about movement, structure or how a piece might transform.”
“To have both of our designs recognized by AGTA in the same year, and to receive three awards between us, is incredibly special. These pieces are very different, but they’re both unmistakably Elyzian.”
Elizabeth Wahler
With four AGTA honors in three years, Elyzian is building a distinctive presence within the American fine jewelry landscape, combining gemstone expertise, imaginative craftsmanship and a contemporary approach to creating jewelry intended to be worn, treasured and passed between generations.
2026 AGTA SPECTRUM AWARDS
- Second Place, Bridal Wear: Valaree Wahler, Rose Aurea
- Alfie Norville Women in Excellence, Bridal Wear: Valaree Wahler, Rose Aurea
- Honorable Mention, Innovative Design: Elizabeth Wahler, Pluma Noire
Official announcement: AGTA Announces the 2026 AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Award Winners
ABOUT ELYZIAN FINE JEWELRY
Elyzian Fine Jewelry is an independent, mother–daughter-founded jewelry house headquartered in Newport Beach, California. Founded in 2023 by Valaree and Elizabeth Wahler, Elyzian specializes in exceptional colored gemstones, natural diamonds, bespoke commissions and imaginative fine jewelry.
The house’s design philosophy celebrates saturated color, architectural form, thoughtful engineering and the inherent individuality of exceptional gemstones.
Beyond its collections, Elyzian is committed to philanthropy and community engagement, supporting charitable organizations through jewelry collaborations, events and giving initiatives.
Elyzian has received four AGTA Spectrum Awards in three years, including three honors in the 2026 competition.
Website: elyzian.com
Instagram: @elyzian
Media Inquiries: hello@elyzian.com
Media Assets Available Upon Request: High-resolution photographs of Rose Aurea and Pluma Noire, video of Pluma Noire transforming from earrings to bracelet, portraits of Valaree and Elizabeth Wahler, and additional design details.