The voting for Colored Stone's Favorite Designer contest has concluded. Click here to see the winner!

Below are the 20 finalists.

Michael Alexander
"Art was not intended to be manufactured in an assembly plant, rather it was meant to be a symbol of its owner." Michael Alexander jewelry is entirely custom made and designed for the people that want to stand out and be themselves. Michael Alexander strives to stand out and be original.

"I am a self-taught jewelry artist in New York City," says Alexander. "My work is sold at fine juried art and craft shows. We offer fine, handcrafted original designs in 18K gold and/or platinum. My specialty is finding and using fine and unusual gemstones as well as fine
diamonds. My art has been described as having clean lines and an elegant look. Very
dramatic!"

Michael Alexander's work can be found on his Web site at www.michaelalexander.com.

Ann Au
Ann Au is a jewelry designer and metalsmith and president of 2AU Limited, a jewelry design studio and art gallery. "I produce one-of-a-kind gold and silver jewelry for show and sale in the gallery," says Ann. "In addition to these pieces, I design and produce custom jewelry for clients. 2AU Limited also shows and sells the work of over 50 national and international artists in varied media."

Ann earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in craft design from Iowa State University. Her work has been part of numerous art and metal exhibitions since 1987 and has appeared in several industry publications. Ann Au's gallery 2AU Limited is located at 200 Fifth St., West Des Moines, Iowa. She can be reached at (515) 255-7651.

Charles P. Bahringer
Charles P. Bahringer has owned and operated Out of Solitude Custom Jewelry for the past 11 years. Out of Solitude specializes in custom wedding rings designed and produced by Bahringer. He works in gold and platinum utilizing precious stones such as emeralds and colored sapphires as well as diamonds. Bahringer's pieces can be seen adorned by the likes of Cher, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and Oprah Winfrey. For more information on Charles Bahringer, visit his Web site www.outofsolitude.com or call (414) 223-3101.

Michael Boyd
"My technique is just basic lapidary and metal fabrication," says Michael Boyd. "The stone is as important as the metal. I am looking for an integration of the media, a manipulation and blending of the two: Using stone as a medium, not as an accessory."

"Though I made my first jewelry in high school, my primary focus in the arts was painting. . . . One of the galleries I had shown at was the Sheila Nussbaum Gallery in New Jersey, which also had a focus on contemporary jewelry by some of the leading jewelry artists in the country. My interest in metal again took hold."

"I returned to Colorado," adds Boyd, "began playing with metal and within a couple of years it took over as my focus in the arts. In 1990, I quit painting and began making jewelry full time and never looked back."

Michael's work can be seen at several galleries, including Mobilia, cultureclash, Obsidian, and Patina, as well as many craft shows across the country. Michael Boyd can be found online at www.michaelboyd.com.

Cathy Carmendy
In the past decade, Cathy Carmendy has gone from a rising star of the fine jewelry industry to one of the most sought after jewelry designers by leading fashion and bridal magazines, fashion designers, and Hollywood celebrities. Carmendy's exquisite designs are antique inspired and feature delicate engravings, filigree patterns, rose-cut and briolette-cut diamonds, South Sea and seed pearls, as well as vivid gems such as fancy-colored sapphires, tanzanites, and spinels — all set in 20K gold or platinum.

"I am currently focusing on larger, bolder, more colorful jewelry, which has given the line a new vibrancy," says Carmendy. A myriad of Hollywood celebrities can be seen wearing her designs, including Halle Berry, Helen Hunt, Janet Jackson, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Cathy Carmendy can be reached through her Web site at www.cathycarmendy.com.

Noel Cheney
Noel Cheney's fascination with the jewelry industry began early on, collecting stones as a child, and deepened after spending several summers in her early 20s apprenticing at a jeweler and lapidary cutter in Idar-Oberstein, Germany. In 1994 Noel moved to the United States to pursue her studies at the Gemological Institute of America where she graduated and joined the staff. She continued her career in the jewelry industry, working in a retail store, for Jewelers of America, and later, becoming the executive director of the California Jewelers Association. She finally branched out on her own in 2003 and launched NOEL Fine Jewelry.

Noel's life is her inspiration: the love and passion she has for her husband, her family and friends, the nature that surrounds her in her home by the San Francisco Bay, and the way in which she is able to artfully and gracefully combine past experiences with a wonderful present and a very exciting future. For more information on Noel Cheney, visit her Web site at www.noelfinejewelry.com.

Andy Cooperman
Andy Cooperman is a metalsmith, writer, and teacher who lives in Seattle, Washington. His work is featured in galleries nationwide, including Mobilia, Patina, and deNovo. In addition to one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, Andy also works with clients as a custom jeweler and commission metalsmith.

"I remember as a boy opening an Edmund Scientific catalogue to the page featuring paramecium cultures," says Cooperman. "The text described an entire world — invisible to the unaided eye . . . The notion that a complex and dense universe . . . could exist, unseen and literally at my fingertips, galvanized my curiosity. What else had I misunderstood, overlooked, or dismissed as simple? My view of the world shifted. And it's through this lens of curiosity that I most enjoy peering."

"It is my aim, through my work, to offer a good reason for others to enter into the investigative process. The scale of jewelry is particularly well suited to this pursuit, allowing me to build dense and portable microcosms that draw one near, engendering intimate interactions." Andy Cooperman can be reached at (206) 781-0648 or coming soon online at www.coopermanjewelry.com.

Rick Currie
Rick Currie is a fourth-generation, GIA-certified, award-winning designer who has been handcrafting beautiful and exquisite custom jewelry pieces for over 30 years. His custom pieces are one of a kind and are never duplicated. He has hand made jewelry internationally and across the United States and Canada. He prides himself with his designs and perceives jewelry as art to be owned and cherished for a lifetime. Rick Currie's company, The Goldsmith Gallery, can be contacted at (810) 982-5120 or by visiting www.goldsmithgallery.net.

Alan Goldin
"The shape is everything," says Alan Goldin. "If I had to, in one sentence, sum up my approach to jewelry design, that would be it." The Shape of Things is Goldin's line of one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted jewelry in silver and gold with semiprecious stones. "Why one-of-a-kind?" he asks. "Because I have a thousand different designs in my head and I want to produce as many of them as I can in my lifetime; plus, I want to appeal to the consumer who seeks out and appreciates uniqueness."

"People who own my jewelry think of it as more than decoration. . . . Like clouds, everyone sees something different in the shapes and as a result, they become good-luck charms, fertility symbols, amulets, talismans." Alan Goldin's jewelry can be found online at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/agoldin/Jewelry.html.

Lynn Harrisberger
"After spending 23 years as creative director and graphic artist, I felt a need to create art that would be long lasting, memorable, and enjoyable on a personal level," says Lynn Harrisberger. "My interests and hobbies have always been on the artistic side, and I have journeyed through various other creative paths through my life, such as fashion merchandising, fashion design, sewing, stained glass, enameled jewelry, paper jewelry, fused glass jewelry, Indian beadwork, wearing unusual jewelry, picking up any kind of interesting rock, shell or 'found object' I see, and it seems appropriate that I now design and hand fabricate jewelry as my second career."

"The earth has provided us with many beautiful minerals, gemstones and precious metals," adds Harrisberger. "Each stone has it's own unique quality and personality which inspires the design. Then the stones are complimented by hand-fabricated precious metals. As a lapidary artist, I also cut and polish many of the stones I use in my work. . . . I work with sterling silver, karat golds, unique minerals, fossils, shell, and gemstones to create fine jewelry as 'Art On You.' Each piece of "Art " is created with love, pride, and superb craftsmanship. The piece selected becomes an expression of each individual's unique personality and style." Lynn Harrisberger can be reached through her Web site at www.lynnharrisberger.com.

Marianne Hunter
There is nothing impersonal about my art work; not the way I learned it, not the way I practice it, not the way I feel about what it encompasses," says enamel artist Marianne Hunter. "It is driven by passionate yearning."

"I came to this work as a painter and crafts explorer in 1967 when I was given the equipment (but not the information) for enamel work. I have never looked back. I see the enamels, metals, and stones (or other materials) as separate instruments working in concert. . . . The finished work is orchestrated so that the melody is compelling and complete and the complex supporting variations (details) are unifying."

"I use stones either to enhance a concept I already have in mind or, if the stone itself has an overwhelming suggestion within it, I let that become the inspiration," adds Hunter. Marianne Hunter can be contacted by calling (310) 377-1871 or visit her Web site at www.silverhawk.com/ex98/huntm.

T. Lee
"My passion is weaving in 24K gold and pure platinum," says T. Lee. "Translating ancient textile techniques to metal bridges one craft to another, blurring the boundaries of what metalsmithing is. The Woven Collection's visually rich surfaces of repeated patterns create a textural harmony that mimics textiles. Like evoking relics of past cultures, the detailed craftsmanship layers precise techniques from antiquity with state of the art product knowledge."

T. Lee has been creating jewelry since high school and crafting custom designed work since 1982. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a focus in jewelry design and advanced studies in art history, then went on for technical training at the Gemological Institute of America and an apprenticeship with a local jeweler. She spent three years as a diamond consultant, buyer, and custom designer for a fine jewelry store. Lee has 17 seasons of successful craft fair experience, and she currently runs a studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which can be found on the Web at www.tleegold.com.

Eddie Le Vian
When Eddie was five years old, so the family story goes, his father showed him his grandmother's ruby ring. "Look at the color of the ruby," the father marveled to the son. "You don't see them like that any more." Then, turning the ring on its side, he added, "Look at the workmanship. There are only a few countries left in the world where craftsmen still can do that handwork. It's a dying art." For Eddie, it was love at first sight, the beginning of a life-long passion for gemstones of superb color and craftsmanship as expressed through the designs — more than 100,000 of them — from the world-acclaimed fine jewelry house of Le Vian.

Eddie was born in New York, graduated from Arizona State University, and received his certification from the Gemological Institute of America. He is now chairman and chief designer of the company and has built it into a multi-million dollar firm that builds and markets his collection of signed and numbered one-of-a-kind and limited edition designs to more than 1,100 fine department stores across the country.

Although Eddie's goal is to acquaint average people with the wonders of jewelry, his designs range from $100 to $3 million and his customers include billionaires, celebrities, and royalty. It's revealing of the measure of the man that even among his competitors he is known as the 'Gentleman of Jewelers." Le Vian can be found online at www.levian.com.

Gregoré Morin
Gregoré Morin was born in Vancouver, Canada. At age 15 he began a 4-year apprenticeship at the Vancouver Vocational Institute. In 1993 he attended the Emile Carr School of Art and Design for Product Rendering. His jewelry has won four American Gem Trade Association Spectrum Awards — including two Best of Shows — and a runner-up in the World Gold Council Design Awards.

"I strive to keep my work whimsical, fun to look at and own," says Morin, "while surrendering to nature’s forms and lines, allowing them to express themselves through me and my work; I am drawn to lines that start and stop but continue in another areas."

"And just when I think I have a clever idea, I try to remind myself that nature created it all before, and I am just rediscovering."

Gregoré Morin can be reached at (805) 453-6073 or coming soon online at www.gregorejoailliers.com.

Tiffany Peay
Tiffany Peay expertly selects candy-colored gemstones for her work noting their subtle hues and inner radiance. Tiffany hand makes jewelry for women who love both bold color and subtle innovation with a sophisticated eye for detail. Her stunningly simple pieces may be worn singly or in layers for a more dramatic effect creating rich and lively depths of kinetic color. She most often uses 14K green gold or rose gold complemented by unusual varieties of gemstones. Her work embodies a light spirit and playful vitality that always allows the wearer to make an elegant and unique statement.

A Virginia native, Tiffany is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University. After moving to New York City in 1994, she successfully launched her first collection in 1997 at Barney's NY. Tiffany and her painter husband, Jeff Carpenter, have recently moved to Fall River, MA. Tiffany Peay Jewelry can be found online at www.tiffanypeay.com or by calling (888) 808-0201.

Corrine Perez-Garcia
Corrine is an award-winning jewelry designer and goldsmith. Her work has been exhibited in several galleries, local and national craft shows, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Five years ago, Corrine began to teach jewelry design, manufacturing, enameling, and wax carving. "Teaching has been an extremely rewarding aspect of my career."

Corrine's work continues to evolve. The scenic natural beauty of San Diego County influences her. Her elegant designs are composed of graceful lines and bold forms inspired by the cliffs and reefs along the ocean. Corrine strives to engineer product lines, which combine stimulating visual elements and sensible technology. "I love colored gemstones, they are the focus of my work. I integrate the mechanical elements so the beauty of the gemstone is harmonious with the 18K gold."

Corrine's reputation for quality is well established. She has been satisfying customers for nearly two decades with her flawlessly-executed craftsmanship and award-winning designs. For more information, visit Corrine's Web site at www.corrinejewelrydesign.com.

Todd Reed
"For the last 12 years I have studied and practiced goldsmithing, both the obvious technical facets as well as the more mysterious business side," says Todd Reed. "I have found such a passion for the art of making things through the process of hand forging and fabricating. I am easily inspired by most everything that I see or read, and most everyone I spend time with. My jewelry is somewhere in the middle of everything that I have learned. Not quite fine jewelry, although the materials are fine gold and diamonds, and not quite art jewelry as the materials are fine gold and diamonds," he says.

"My most recent work has focused on the use of raw and uncut diamonds. The pieces are hand forged and fabricated using primarily geometric forms," adds Reed. As well as receiving many of the industries top awards, Reed's work has been featured in more than a dozen magazines, books, and collections around the world. For more information on Todd Reed, visit his Web site at www.toddreed.com.

Mark Schneider
Mark Schneider specializes in contemporary designs and his jewelry creations are known for their simplicity and clean, fluid lines. “I look at jewelry design as a form of wearable art," says Schneider. "I design my jewelry not only to look beautiful on the hand, neck, or ears, but as stand alone art. I strive to design jewelry that is pleasing to the eye and have a logical relation to form and fashion.”

Mark has a wide range of jewelry designs from classical diamonds rings to bold vibrant color pieces. A third-generation jeweler, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University at Long Beach where he studied art and jewelry design. He continues to create fashion-forward, award-winning designs in an effort to push himself and his product to the next level. Throughout the design process, Mark is intimately involved with every process from the designs' conception to the final touches that make his pieces unique and distinguishable. To constantly test himself and his designs, he enters numerous jewelry design competitions where he has won 27 industry design awards and honors. For more information, contact Mark Schneider Design at (800) 452-5804 or visit www.markschneiderdesign.com.

Jill Sharp
Jill Sharp has loved jewelry her whole life. One of her favorite things to do as a child was to reorganize her mother's jewelry box. "I would offer this 'service' to my mom just so I could touch and try on her jewelry," she laughs.

She spent several years working in the retail industry and indulged her love of jewelry every day at work. But in the early 1990's, she was unable to find anything that truly appealed to her unique taste. Then she happened upon a local bead store, realized that she could make her own jewelry, and never looked back.

Jill's jewelry is made with precious metals, and she uses colored gemstones almost exclusively in her work. "I've always been a bit of a 'green girl' and love anything that has to do with nature, so I'm really drawn to gemstones for their variety and energy," she says. She seeks out unusual cuts and colors of stones, and her passion is sitting at her work table and developing new creations. Jill Sharp's jewelry can be found on the Web at www.bpjewelry.com.

Greg Stopka
"My jewelry background started when I was eight years old," says Greg Stopka. "My father was in jewelry and I was always working with him. After graduating from college in sports management I spent some time at managing sports clubs. After a few years trying my hand at managing, I was brought back into the jewelry field because of my father’s untimely death. I ran my father’s business along with my brother for many years and then ventured out into creating jewelry service and design centers. The repair and service work was always the same operation; however, the design side captured my interest. I have been designing for over 25 years and never get tried of creating."

"A lot of my designing work is done with computers," adds Stopka. "This is my pencil and canvas. I work out a design in my head, taking shapes from anything that catches my interest. When I look at something, I try to imagine how it can be incorporated into a jewelry piece. My mind constantly builds visual inventory so that I can one day bring it out. I love to 'see' how other artists combine design elements into beautiful creative works of art. My passion is to create stunning pieces of wearable art. I try not to be traditional in any of my designs, I love to bring ideas and elements together and make them work. 'Out of the box' thinking brings out the best in me." For more on Greg Stopka, visit his Web site at www.jewelsmiths.com.