HERE WE ARE Award Winners

NYC Jewelry Week is delighted to announce the 2026 recipients of the HERE WE ARE (HWA) Awards, honoring innovative and impactful talent within the jewelry industry. This year, NYC Jewelry Week proudly presents the Exhibition Award, sponsored by Marla Aaron, the Emerging Entrepreneur Awards, sponsored by Halstead, and the High School Award, supported by Rio Grande.

Exhibition Award Winner

The 2026 HWA Exhibition Award, sponsored by Marla Aaron, celebrates Brooklyn-based jeweler Lauren Newton, founder of her eponymous line, Lauren Newton.

Lauren’s exhibition, Jewelry, Nature, & the Art of Collecting, invites visitors to explore fine jewelry alongside natural history specimens, sketches, prototypes, archival materials, and personal collections. Thematically arranged displays reveal how Lauren’s zoology background, fascination with collecting, and interests in science, memory, and nostalgia become wearable art.

Lauren’s journey from zoology to fine jewelry has given her a unique perspective on art and craftsmanship. With 14 years in the industry, her work balances sophistication with playful expression. Drawing inspiration from antique and Victorian designs, as well as the nostalgic allure of kitsch, she creates jewelry that is both luxurious and full of personality. Her pieces are known for their chunky, bold aesthetic, making a statement without losing the elegance that fine jewelry demands.

Lauren Newton

Emerging Entrepreneur Award Winners

The 2026 HWA Emerging Entrepreneur Awards, sponsored by Halstead, recognize two inspiring jewelry entrepreneurs:

  • Ghislaine Sabiti (New York): Ghislaine Sabiti is a French-American, Congolese-born artist, educator, and jewelry designer based in New York. Combining fashion design with flameworking, she creates sculptural, wearable jewelry integrating glass, metal, and textile. Her work explores cultural heritage, identity, and community through bold color, tactile contrasts, and experimentation. Raised near Paris, Sabiti studied fine art at L’Académie de la Grande Chaumière and graduated with honors in fashion design from Atelier Chardon Savard before pursuing glass at UrbanGlass. She directs UrbanGlass’s Bead Project and serves as a NYFA Immigrant Career Advisor. Her work has been exhibited internationally, and she has received numerous residencies, fellowships, and awards.

  • Ali Romero of yard sale jewelry (Illinois): “yard sale jewelry” is the world of Ali Romero, a metals artist connected to organic forms, driven by a passion for transformation and natural elements. “yard sale” comes from weekends she would spend sifting through gems and lost treasures at yard sales in Florida, where she grew up. Her work began with repurposing forgotten elements found in vintage pieces and the world around her. Today, she uses metals to embody organized chaos—a delightful blend of randomness and intentionality with hand-fabricated pieces. Her newfound love for enamel has brought  elements of color, experimentation, and trust to her practice. Now based in Chicago, Illinois, she aims to emphasize the transformative power of exploration and the interconnectedness of all things. Each piece reflects reinvention and the endless possibilities that emerge when we embrace curiosity and playfulness.

High School Award

We are proud to introduce the 2026 HWA High School Award, celebrating a high school student who demonstrates creativity, curiosity, and promise in jewelry design and metalsmithing. Sponsored by Rio Grande, this award supports the next generation of jewelry artists with a cash prize and a personalized starter jewelry tool kit, thoughtfully assembled to help the recipient keep exploring, develop their skills, and bring their ideas to life. By investing in young makers, this award encourages artistic growth and opens the door to new possibilities in the world of jewelry making.

About HERE WE ARE

HERE WE ARE is a strategic initiative designed to address widespread inequity and a lack of representation in the jewelry industry through action and impact. Launched in 2019, the HERE WE ARE program highlights creators and builds industry awareness around issues of diversity, inclusion, equity, representation, and allyship. Introduced in 2020, the HERE WE ARE Funding Awards spotlight exceptional talent. Every year, one individual receives a financial grant to execute an exhibition at NYC Jewelry Week. Once restricted to members of the HERE WE ARE cohort and alumni, applications are now open to the wider community.

NYC Jewelry Week congratulates the 2026 HWA Award winners and is honored to showcase these trailblazing voices at this year’s NYCJW26. Join us in celebrating their creativity, resilience, and dedication to diversity in the jewelry world!