The Australian Pearl Jewellery Design Competition
Below you will find all the entries to this, the inaugural, 2016 competition.
An inspired and beautiful collection of wearable pearl jewellery pieces from jewellers across Australia awaits below.
We hope you enjoy viewing them as much as we have.
This will be an annual competition and we invite all jewellers to register their interest via email in next years competition and invite the public to stay in touch to see what beautiful and creative pieces jewellers from across Australia create in 2017.
We are look at creating a few different categories for next year and also opening up the competition to overseas jewellers.
21031984
South Sea Dreaming
The curves on the ring represent ocean waves, the antiqued silver dots represent grains of sand and I call the band “Spun Bamboo”.
18ct Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearl
Renee Blackwell
Renee Blackwell Design
$3800
Overall First Place Winner
.
21031625
The Pearl Fishers
A captured pearl in its purest form, inspired by fish and aquatic life.
14ct Yellow Gold, Diamonds (0.43 TW) Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl.
Alister Yiap
Alister Yiap
$3985
Overall Second Place Winner
People’s Choice Third Place Winner
21032042
Saturn Rising
The galaxies and universe – is expansive and still unleashing it’s mystery and potential to those of us who look to admire and explore its beauty further. Jewellery should be the same.
18ct White Gold, 18ct Yellow Gold, Diamonds Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Benjamin Hart
Benjamin Hart Jewellers
$16850
Overall Third Place Winner
.
21031762
Fitzgerald
Named after the famous Flapper dancer Zelda Fitzgerald from the 1920s. She portrayed strength and femininity.
18ct White Gold, Champagne Diamonds (0.25ct TW), White Diamonds (F/G/VS, 0.60ct TW), tapered Baguettes (0.40ct TW) Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl.
Adina Jozsef
Adina Jozsef
$8900
People’s Choice First Place Winner
.
21032097
Pearl Poseidon
God of the sea, earth shaker, waves undercurrents and the surge of crashing waves, the pearl is set in away that allows movement
Platinum, White Diamonds Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearl
Angela Hampton
Hampton Fine Jewellery & Design
People’s Choice Award Second Place Winner
.
21031922
Sea Chimes
Hot summer nights, sea breezes and tranquil waters.
925 Sterling Silver Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearls
Yuki Mathwin
Minzemay
$2200
Apprentice Award First Place Winner
21031731
Outback Moon
Merging both Australian sapphires with a big bold pearl
9ct Yellow Gold, Stirling Silver, Queensland Sapphires Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl.
Rachel Reilley
My Jewellers
$1500
Apprentice Award Second Place Winner
21031595
Nature’s Gift
Inspired by a love of nature’s beauty and abundance. The pearl epitomises this sentiment with its awe and wonder.
18ct Yellow Gold, 18ct White Gold, Diamonds featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Paul Haddy
Tidal Elegance
$10,890
21031601
Inception
The pearl is the seed or source of inspiration, an idea, an inception.
18ct Yellow Gold, Titanium, Diamonds (27 x 0.85ct TW,G/H/SI) Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Amanda Newton
MBM Jewellery Design
$7515
21031793
Pearl of Light
Pearl Story.
Sterling Silver with Yellow Gold plating Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl.Stirling
Laurie Macey
$2150
21031786
Riches of the Bay
The pendant is inspired by an opening oyster reveling the pearl, its golden edges glistening with eleven fancy yellow diamonds, as it is gently raised to the Bay.
18ct Yellow Gold, Fancy Yellow Diamonds (11x 0.23ct TW) Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl.Stirling
Linsey Houston & Neil Pola
Girlee Woo Jewellery
$3995
.
21031724
Conch
The ocean and its many life forms have always inspired me. Corals, shells and pearls especially. This design evolved as I put pencil to paper, the South Sea Pearl being my centrepiece. Blue and colourless diamonds evoke images of sparkling waters, endless days and mermaid legend.
9ct White Gold, 12 x treated blue Diamonds (0.015ct), colourless Diamonds (2 x 0.08ct, 1 x 0.06ct, 1 x 0.04ct, 2 x 0.02ct, G/SI) Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl.
Meg Hepburn
Dean Walker Designs
$3465
21031700
Drift
My first visit to the Kimberley coast. Boabs, red earth, the vastness of the landscape. Elemental forces and the cycles forming people and place.
Patinated Iron, 18ct Yellow Gold, 18ct White Gold, Diamonds, Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Gerard Wollaston
Gerard Wollaston
$12,000
.
21031748
Freedom
Inspired by the shape of the pearl, with the look of balance and buoyancy leading the jeweler to the idea of a raft bouncing on the sea. The base shaped to match the waves surrounding the raft, strength in the high polished pole leading to shaped textured sail, billowing from the wind driving the raft forward to freedom.
18ct Yellow Gold Featuring a Cygnet Bay Circle Pearl
Stephen Miles
Creative Jewellers
$3295
.
21031694
Grace
She moved through the water with effortless grace.
18ct Rose Gold, 18ct White Gold, Diamonds (26 x 0.29ct, 3 x 0.017ct), Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Jacqui McMaster
Jacqui’s Studio
$4940
.
21031717
Ocean to Outback
The magnificent sweeping landscapes, vistas and colouring of West Australia’s North, are captured in this luxurious piece of jewellery. The yellow and rose gold ring perfectly showcases a wonderful Cygnet Bay Keshi Pearl, enhanced with natural green and yellow diamonds. Ocean, beaches, flora, sweeping landscapes and the outback, forever beautiful, eternally encapsulated.
9ct Yellow Gold, 9ct Rose Gold, 7 x green RBC Diamonds, 10 x yellow RBC Diamonds, (total approx. 0.39ct) Featuring a Cygnet Bay Keshi Pearl
Dean Walker
Dean Walker Designs
$4250
.
21031670
Echo of the Tide
Inspired by the cone shell found in the Kimberley waters, often found in the skeleton form washed up on the Kimberley shores.
18ct White Gold, Diamonds Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Barrie Lander
Fusion Jewellers
$3800
.
21031687
Where Land Meets Sea
I wanted to give the keshi a new life in a replicated landscape of the beautiful red cliffed coastline of Broome, the gold and diamonds representing the land and the keshi representing the sea.
9ct Rose Gold, Argyle Cognac Diamonds, Featuring a Cygnet Bay Keshi Pearl
Sonya Kelly
Artistic Alloys
$6500
.
21031755
Life
Inspired by the life of coral and its battle with man and the elements of the sea. Life for the coral is fragile with its mixture of soft and rough textures. Using Sterling Silver and a sand blasting finish to give texture to the softness of the saw pierced shape. Attached to the hand made chain including clasp inspired by the rolling of the waves and water is the anchor holding the coral steady in its challenging environment.
Sterling Silver (rolled down, saw pierced, domed, draw down wire, sand blasting finish, 20.453g TW), Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl.
Rhianon Barrett-Brook
Creative Jewellers
$1599
.
21031779
Water Baby
The micro world of a rockpool.
Platinum, 18ct Yellow Gold, 18ct Rose Gold Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Lucas Blacker
$4900
.
21031588
Kissing Keshi
A tribute to the beautiful Australian organic form.
18ct Yellow Gold, Australian Champagne and Cognac Diamonds Featuring a Cygnet Bay Keshi Pearl
Venetia Major
Venetia Major- Bespoke Jewellery
$11690
.
21032035
Eastern Calytrix
The Calytrix, or more commonly Starflower, immediately jumped out to me. Not just for its’ shape but what was most apparent were the fibres that run from the centre of the flower and vein along the piece. I found this to be a wonderful detail which would lend your eye to be drawn to the heart of the piece, in this case my Cygnet Bay Pearl.
Platinum, 18ct Rose Gold, Diamond (3.31ct, F/VS), 2 x Pink Argyle Diamonds, Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Jonathon Calleija
Mancuso Diamonds
$31,800
.
21031960
Adella
Waves of the Ocean
Sterling Silver, 9ct Rose Gold Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearl
Erin Jackson
Pearl Perfection
.
21032004
Untitled
Cygnet Bay Pearls
18ct Yellow Gold, Yellow Sapphires, Diamonds, Handpainted Mineral Glass, Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearl
Gary Coffey
Giulians
$12900
.
21032066
Lotus Pendant
Pearls, Sapphires and a Lotus Flower
18ct White Gold, three Ceylon Sapphires, Diamonds Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearls
Danielle Klar
Plumery Pty Ltd
$5800
.
21032059
Horizon with Pearl
Continuing my preoccupation with that mesmerising point where the sky meets the sea, my design aims to highlight the unique beauty of this strangely shaped pearl in both an unpredictable and unconventional way, where the pearl is literally captured and partially obscured by the two halves of the blushing horizon.
14ct White Gold, 9ct Rose Gold Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Cinnamon Lee
$4500
.
21032028
Pearl and Sapphire Necklace
The colour palette of Australia’s diverse natural environments – Rust-coloured inland, lush green national parks, white pearly sands surrounded by sapphire blue seas.
18ct Yellow Gold, Australian Sapphires Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Marina Antoniou
Marina Antoniou
$1700
.
21032011
Umi- Japanese for Ocean
Inspired by the ocean, the hand engraved background serves as the water upon which the pearl floats above
Platinum and 18ct Yellow Gold, Hand-engraved Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearl
Matthew Townsley
Mirai Jewellery
.
21031991
Nautilus
A shell which is still beautiful as it is gradually worn by sand and lapping waves. Perfectly imperfect
Sterling Silver Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Jo Lillicot
Sparkle Station
$850
.
21031977
Chrysalis
A butterfly emerging from its golden chrysalis, the delicate transition to natural beauty from within the safety of a protective shell. Much like a pearl forms within an oyster, true beauty comes from within.
18ct White Gold, 18ct Green Gold, Diamonds (20 x RBC 0.10ct, F/G, VSI), pear shaped Green Sapphire (0.57ct), Featuring a Cygnet Bay Keshi Pearl
Kimberley Horn
Underwood Fine Jewellers
$4950
.
21031953
Untitled
A totally handmade ring.
Cognac Diamond, 18ct Rose and White Gold Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearls
Garry Kreutzmann
$8800
21031915
Nesting
The beauty and fragility that occurs in nature.
Sterling Silver, 9ct Yellow Gold, sublimated Aluminium Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Erin Venville
Erin K Jewellery
$1350
.
21031939
The Forgotten Pearl
The inspiration for my piece was to showcase a pearl with attitude. The rose gold pendant, set with diamonds, brings to life the dusty pink zircon whilst enhancing the lustre of the Cygnet Bay South Sea Pearl. I wanted to showcase the pearl and its natural flaws. My pearl is individual. We are always searching for perfect in this world and we sometimes miss the natural beauty that is so readily at our reach.
9ct Rose Gold, Diamonds (7 x RBC 1.5pt), Kite Pink Zircon, Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Jessica Bott
Dean Walker Designs
$1750
.
21031946
Untitled
The flower variance of the metals and the blue of the ceylon sapphires represent the uncertaintity and colour of the ocean. Totally handmade earpiece earrings.
18ct Yellow, White & Rose Gold, two Ceylon Sapphires Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearls.
Robert Oliver
$13,700
21031908
Earring 1
Cygnet Bay Pearls
9ct Rose Gold Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearls.
Gillian Hillman
Gillian Hillman Designs
$2290
21031892
Pendentif 2
Cygnet Bay Pearls
Forged Silver, 9ct Rose Gold, Black Diamond (0.19ct), Onyx Beads Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Gillian Hillman
Gillian Hillman Designs
$1380
.
21031885
Pendentif 1
Cygnet Bay Pearls
9ct Rose Gold, Black Diamonds (0.48ct), Onyx, Spinel, Silk, Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Gillian Hillman
Gillian Hillman Designs
$2640
.
21031854
Broche 1
Cygnet Bay Pearls
9ct Rose Gold, Black Diamonds (0.44ct), Surgical Steel, Featuring 15mm Cygnet Bay Pearl
Gillian Hillman
Gillian Hillman Designs
$2680
.
21031847
Pearls of Wisdom: Put your play shoes on
A pearl of wisdom for Barb, using some of her metal and an expression she is well know for.
Gold, customers stones featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Ali Alexander
Ali Alexander
.
21031830
Bonny
The infamous, Sassy Pirate Anne Bonny
Oxidised Silver Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Judy Pinnegar
$150
.
21031823
We all have another face
Picasso’s Painting, the Stranger by Billy Joel
Opal, Sapphire, Diamonds, Sterling Silver, Fine Silver Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearls
Nao Hirata
.
21031816
Ocean Bride
A journey, embracing the abilities of boundless self. To transform personal creative vision into physical forms of structure and elegance.
Sterling Silver Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Sayeh Alizade Ahrabi
Sayeh Hand Made Jewellery
$680
.
21031809
Untitled
I’ve been forging a lot of steel lately – I really love the contrast between the hard black steel and the soft yellow pearl + gold.
Sterling Silver, 18ct Yellow Gold, recycled Steel and Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Zoe Richards
Zoe Ace Metal
$1197
.
21031663
Fishtrap Pendant
Aboriginal fish traps
18ct Yellow Gold, 25 Diamonds E/F Colour and VS Clarity, Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl.
Sam Farmer
$5050
21031656
Bubbles Ascending
I’m in the seemingly infinite moment on a clear, dry season day in the crystal water of a neap tide. The moment when an exhaling diver looks toward the surface from the ocean floor to see shimmering light streaming through a chandelier of ascending bubbles. As a lover of diving and a jeweller, it is this moment I have tried to emulate.
18ct white gold, Diamonds Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearls.
Jesse Metcalfe
Metcalfe Jewellery
$4490
21031632
Swings Pillars
Childhood nostalgia and home comforts.
18ct White Gold, Diamonds (10 x FIY 1mm, 22 x LFY 1.1mm RBC, 22 x FY 1.3mm RBC, 52 x SI 1.3mm RBC, 58 x FGSI 1.15-1.8mm RBC) Featuring Cygnet Bay Pearls
Tammy Vu & Yves Delbeke
Atelier Diamant
$11827
.
21031618
Dancing Ribbons
Flowing, swirling, liquid movements… Reminding me of the way ribbons of rhythmic gymnasts seem to ‘dance’. They are so mesmerising.
18ct Yellow Gold, 3mm Round Pink Tourmaline, Diamonds (23.5pts TW, G/H/SI), Featuring a Drop Cygnet Bay Pearl
Anita Jamieson
Anita’s Jewellery
$4788
.
21031649
Pearls and Swirls
Broomes massive swirling tides.
18ct Yellow Gold, Diamonds, Featuring a Cygnet Bay Keshi Pearl
Fidge Button
Fidge’s Fine Jewellery
$7850
.
21032103
Neck Chandelier
Colours inspired by Cygnet Bay pearl farm mangroves at high tide
18ct Yellow, White Gold, Spinel, Pink Sapphire, Diamond and Emerald Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Kate Harrington
John Adam Jewellery
.
21032073
XO Earrings
The kisses (X) & hugs (O) symbol sent to someone you love
18ct White Gold, Diamonds Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl
Danielle Klar
Plumery Pty Ltd
$2200
.