OK, let's face it, no two people will agree on what the gems are. Consider the following as lists of nominees. Feel free to add to them. If the lists grow too large we'll find a way to cut them back to a reasonable length.
Classic Stories - Section by section, and a best overall category.
Classic Diaries Classic Comments Classic Polls Classic Discussions - outstanding comment threads
Classic Trolls Classic Flamewars Best Textads Best Sigs - insightful/creative/interesting signature lines, the kind that make you smile…
Best One-liners Flawed Gems - Articles that had cool concepts or discussions but aren't really Classic Stories
Most Commented Stories Most Voted In Polls