Australian Pearl Jewellery Design Competition – 2017 Winners

Winners Announced

Thank you to all of the designers who entered in the Australian Pearl Jewellery Design Competition.  The effort and quality that has gone into the entries is outstanding and we are grateful for your participation.  All entries with the designers named and prices listed (where provided) can be viewed via the link “View 2017 competition entries”

This will be an annual event and we invite you all to stay in touch for next year’s competition.

The 2017 winners are:

Overall Winner

First Place – Gerard Wollaston

From – Gerard Wollaston NSW

Myrtle

Taking the Australian native crepe Myrtle as its subject, the piece is about the passage of seed to fruit, and thoughts of fruition: The potential of ideas and their realisation. .

Gold, Shakudo Metal Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl

rrp. $9100

Handmade Winner

First Place – Amanda Newton

From – MBM Jewellery Design WA

Essence

Essence by definition is the invariable nature of heart and object or thing.This pearl isn’t perfect on the outside. It has irregular shape, colour and lustre. Its natural curves and characteristics have been enhanced and highlighted by turning it into a ring. It has been made into something beautiful and precious. Enabling its inner essence and beauty to shine.

18ct Rose Gold and White Gold, no Rhodium plating. 22×1.2mm, 16 x 0.1mm owsi Round Brilliant Cut TW = 0.23ct  Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl

rrp. $5395

International Winner

First Place – Christina Lim 

From – BlackFrangipani Singapore

Coral South Sea Brooch/Pendant

I thought I was dreaming when I saw the coral reef in Maldives. It felt like I was going to through a magical forest under the sea. Beautiful, lush, colourful, peaceful, almost surreal. I was captivated by everything I saw and there was so much. This was an unforgettable first snorkeling experience. This coral brooch/pendant is my humble tribute to the beauty of the sea. The focus of the piece is a beautiful south sea pearl within in a coral. Three small blue sapphires were added to complement the piece. In keeping this piece as natural as possible, the coral is fabricated by hand, at my bench with a sheet of fine silver. Textures were added to emulate a real coral. No casting is involved. The coral brooch can be worn on its own or converted and worn as a pendant. Its an individualistic piece of jewellery.

.999 Fine Silver, Blue Sapphires Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl

rrp. $3600

People Choice Winner

First Place – Claire Townsend

From – Claire Townsend QLD

The Bay

Geographe Bay in South Western Australia

Fine Silver, Sterling Silver and Vitreous Enamel Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl

rrp. $1800

Apprentice Award Winner

First Place –Yuki Mathwin

From – Yuki Mathwin VIC

Prism Layers

The structure of nacre reveals layers of microscopic hexagon platelets wrapped around a nucleus, forming the captivating iridescence of a pearl.

18ct Yellow Gold and Rose Gold, 0.01ct Round Brilliant Cut Diamond Featuring a Cygnet Bay Pearl

rrp. $3200

People Choice Voting Competion Winners

OUR JUDGES

We are delighted to have 3 diverse and experienced judges that bring decades of experience and knowledge to this competition. We are grateful for their time and energy in bringing their talents to judge the skills and creativity of Australia’s designer jewellers and their Australian Pearl Jewellery creations.

Peter Keep

Peter is a qualified jeweller & trainer and has been teaching jewellery apprentices since 2006.

He has been an active JAA committee member and Director and is at present is a councillor on the education committee of the Jewellery Industry Council.

He was trained at the School of Jewellery & Silversmithing in Birmingham UK and has never forgotten the amazing experience that quality training and passionate teachers gave him.

After 30 years of running a successful jewellery design and manufacturing business in England and Australia he was offered the position of Jewellery Trade Lecturer at North Metropolitan TAFE in Perth.

He implemented a relevant and disciplined training program using innovative teaching techniques that combined modern and traditional techniques.

The apprenticeship program in WA has enjoyed successes in design competitions as well as national and international Worldskills finals.

Catherine Birch

It has been said that Catherine Birch’s initiatives and projects tick all the boxes in terms of economic diversification, employment and creation of new industries through education, training and tourism to promote Australia to the World.

As the Corporate Advisor to Professor Datuk Dr Jimmy Choo OBE, Head of Fashion for Arab Business Club, Senior VP for ASEAN World Fashion Brands and Merchandising Group of World Fashion Organization and Co-Founder of Fashion Diplomacy International (an international trade exchange initiative), Catherine pioneers and bridges borders between trades, locally and internationally.

It is quite evident that Catherine knows the inner workings of the creative business as her 2015 Leadership Tour for the Aboriginal female youth from her Life Skills program to the United Arab Emirates obtained interests from sixty(60) art galleries in the Middle East for Australian Aboriginal artworks and arte-facts.

Magnolia Howard

Magnolia Howard has spent the past 15 years in Broome as a designer jeweller and currently heads up the Cygnet Bay Pearls jewellery division.  Having worked almost exclusively with Australian pearls during this time Magnolia brings a great deal of experience to the judging panel when it comes to working and designing around these beautiful Pearls.

For the second year Cygnet Bay Pearls presents the Australian Pearl Jewellery Design Competition.  Our jewellery design competition celebrates the iconic and famous Australian South Sea Pearl and the talents of Australia’s Jewellers, Silver and Goldsmiths. This year we have also been fortunate enough to have talented international Jewellers submit pieces. To be showcased, and winners announced, during the Cygnet Bay Pearls “Harvest Party” held at the location of our beautiful pearls origin in Cygnet Bay on the 23rd of September 2017.

Since the Australian cultured pearling industry emerged in the late 1950’s Australia has consistently produced the highest quality and most beautiful and valuable pearls in the world. For all its fame it is perhaps the least understood gem in a jeweller’s showcase.  We want to share our passion and expertise about the industry from pearl growing, harvesting and the virtues of a perfect pearl.

With 5 categories to win and a prize pool of over $25,000, we have seen some exciting, beautiful, intriguing and innovative designs.

Cygnet Bay Pearls is excited to engage the Australian  and International Jewellery Industry in the current Australian Pearling story and to showcase the wide and varied stunning pieces of jewellery that can be created featuring Australian pearls. To this end there are few constraints on what can be made, as long as its wearable, and how the jewellery is created or the alloys used. We are hoping to invigorate the way pearls are perceived and invite jewellers to amaze.

For further details and media enquiries please email: marten@cygnetbaypearls.com.au or contact us here