Eye-catching jewels top Editor’s Choice at IJL 2011
Claire Adler
LONDON, August 20, 2011 – Luxury journalist Claire Adler has chosen innovative, eye-catching and commercial jewellery collections from among 2011 IJL exhibitors for the Editor’s Choice, now in its third year.
Editor’s Choice recognizes and showcases jewellery designers and producers exhibiting some of the most creative and cutting-edge jewellery at IJL.
Editor’s Choice 2011 attracted the biggest number of entrants so far. They came from 12 countries, as far afield as Oman, India, America and Singapore, as well as Spain, Israel, Germany, Hong Kong, Poland, Georgia, Ireland and the greatest number from England.
The winner of the Visual Impact category was Andrew Geoghegan (stand E64), with a show stopping piece most likely to be picked up by the media because it photographs well and will look great in a magazine.
Satellite Fire Opal Cocktail Ring
Andrew Geoghegan’s Satellite cocktail ring is designed for striking visual impact. The delicious, deep red centre stone is a Mexican fire opal buff top, framed by brilliant cut diamonds. Breaking away from traditional ring design, the gap in the 18ct yellow gold, allows a smaller satellite stone to be held in orbit below the main stone giving the ring depth and dynamic form.
Andrew told Jewellery Outlook: “I entered the award with the understanding that winning would be an incredible blessing and perfect PR for me.
“The Satellite ring seemed the perfect candidate as it showed a more daring direction for me and the comments from my customers were extremely encouraging.
“When the phone call came through from Michael Heywood at IJL that I had won the award I was pretty much bowled over!
“This has spurred me on to create a wide range of new collections which will be launched at IJL from Gents’ wedding rings to jaw dropping Cocktail Rings.
“It would not seem right if my collection was not displayed in an intriguing and innovative way so I have teamed up with one of the world’s leading cabinet makers to make stand E64 the one to visit. Prepare to be impressed and intrigued!”
Claire Adler said, “The clean design of Andrew Geoghegan’s stunning Satellite ring is bold yet graceful. It’s tactile and beautifully finished.”
Highly Commended
Kleshna Jewellery – stand C70
Cosmic Weave
The dramatic drop look of the Cosmic Weave is a sterling silver crochet piece punched with Swarovski Cosmic Rings and embellished further with a scattering of gun metal crystals.
The almost medieval construction plays with the balance of material and space within this gorgeous chain-mail-like piece.
Claire Adler commented, “Kleshna’s Cosmic Weave is attention-grabbing – it’s a jewel that’s meshed like fabric and that takes up lots of space – hinting at a blurring between jewellery and clothing, which is a concept I love.”
Dower & Hall – stand G78
Phosphorescence Cuff
Dan Dower, Design Director, was inspired to create the opulent Phosphorescence Cuff while on honeymoon with Diane Hall.
While taking romantic strolls on the beach and watching the sun set over undulating golden seas, the phosphorescence on the waves at dusk and the stars reflecting in the water at night created beautiful patterns and was mesmerizing. Dan wanted to capture this beauty in a statement, iconic piece.
Claire said, “Dower & Hall’s cuff is a bold, memorable and feminine piece – in fact, for the makers Diane Dower and Dan Hall it’s an expression of their own honeymoon memories.
“The mesmerising beaten gold alludes to the stars reflecting the water at night and the sun setting over the sea. It’s good news to know romance is alive and kicking.”
Technical excellence winners
Jian of London – stand F71
Stardust collection
It has taken almost five years from initial concept to the production of the Stardust Collection.
The challenges were formidable and it has taken a fusion of new technologies, crafts and skills from jewellery and watch making to precision engineering and a little bit of chemistry to bring it all together.
The Jian of London gemstone modules are easily fitted by a jeweller in minutes into any base finding. For even greater flexibility and choice the sapphire dome is easily filled and sealed by a jeweller providing them with the opportunity to create their own configurations and source their own gemstones if desired.
Despite all of the technical challenges associated with the Stardust Collection Chief Designer, Jane Massie, has stuck to her principles of simple elegance that emphasise natural beauty.
The innovative Stardust designs mix a broad range of natural gemstones, settings, shapes and sizes to provide today’s consumer with unlimited possibilities to find the perfect piece for them.
The collection sets new standards of choice with three gemstone module settings; from constantly on the move ‘floating’ gemstones that sparkle and dance within a sapphire dome, to stunning micro pave set gemstones and super size checkerboard gemstones.
A piece that celebrates individualistic style and shows off the unique talents of the designer e.g. spectacular handcrafted filigree.
Claire said of the Stardust collection, “Jian of London have spent five years developing their flexible module jewellery concept, and they’ve come up with jewellery with a fun, young vibe.”
Overall Originality and Inspirational Craftsmanship Winners
Winner
Abigail Stradling – stand C31F
Time Ring
Abigail is inspired to reflect nature in a truly unique way. Both of her collections, Time and Symbiosis, consist of bold and dramatic works originating from a need to convey a multi-levelled concept, resulting in an exceptionally strong look that is also rich with meaning.
The signature Time pieces feature natural materials such as sand and wood, encapsulated in oil, within a glass form.
The contents move with the wearer and are reflective of a place or a memory. When combined with precious metals, they create truly original forms.
“I am amazed to have won the Editor’s choice award for Overall Originality and Inspirational Craftsmanship,” Abigail said.
“I feel incredibly proud to have been selected from among such a variety of accomplished designers.”
Claire said, “I love the piece by Abigail Stradling – frankly, it’s totally mad to put sand and wood encapsulated in oil on a multi-finger ring, yet she’s done it.
“Jewellery is about having fun — and the unexpected is very much part of that.”
Highly Commended
Gina Melosi – stand C31C
Cuff
Made from 100 percent recycled sterling silver and plated in white rhodium, this edgy yet luxuriously designed cuff from Gina Melosi retains the contrasts between fragility and roughness inherent in broken glass.
Gina creates conceptual, fashion-forward jewellery with a sensitivity toward sourcing materials from fair-trade suppliers and minimizing her environmental impact.
Her designs often tread a thin line between delicate and slightly dangerous, bold yet highly wearable, playing with contrasts of form, texture, colour, and meaning which culminate in exquisite objects of adornment.
Claire said, “The idea behind Gina’s striking and visually intriguing cuff plays with an interpretation in precious metals of cut glass – like the reality, it’s pretty but also hints at danger.”
Daniel Vior – stand C44
Alula Imbricata necklace
In Latin ‘alula’ means wing tip and ‘imbricata’ means overlapping contact. This pendant forms part of a series in which Daniel references eroticism, utilising the language of vegetation.
Alula refers to the contact, to the touch maintained between the sheets, some translucent, using Carnelian (especially cut) and other enamels over a bas-relief of minuscule dotted lines.
The structure, in two crossed forms at different heights, unite both aesthetics and function in a pendant.
A piece or collection being produced in significant numbers that demonstrates thorough research of the target market and trends and is likely to fly off the shelves.
“Barcelona-based Daniel Vior began his design concept for this piece with the ‘language of vegetation’ – today, jewellers that breathe new life into old enamelling techniques are rare, but Vior’s work is contemporary and artistic,” Claire said.
Commercial Vision winners
Winner
Button & Co – stand F131
Memory Bracelet
Designer Elaine Sarah Comerford would watch her mother sewing as a little girl, with the button tin always close to hand. She would play with the buttons and choose the ones she wanted.
As she outgrew the clothes her mother would cut off the buttons and store them for later use. She was reminded of these beautiful memories years later when she saw the button tin and was inspired to create the Memory Bracelet, a button-themed charm bracelet for capturing memories.
The only bracelet of its kind, it has already gained global appeal with its identifiable story. Handmade in Ireland, each memory button is sewn on with the unique ‘needle and thread’ feature.
Each button is blank on the back to allow for engraving special moments to keep them private and close to you. Buttons can also be customised by adding diamonds or sapphires on request.
Claire said, “As the jewellery market faces tough challenges, Button & Co’s emphasis on engraving personal messages within a customisable design gives this jewellery an edge and a longevity that is already proving a winning combination.”
Highly Commended
Babette Wasserman – stand C60
Swallow set necklace – Maman Bébé collection
The Maman Bébé range was created to fill a gap in the market for a luxury gift for both mother and baby. As the baby comes from within the mother, this matching set of jewels, one for the baby and one for the mother are designed with this theme in mind.
T
he Swallow set is a cute circular disc for the mother and a cut-out swallow shape in gold vermeil for the baby.
Emotionally symbolic and beautifully designed, the collection is easy to sell as a gift idea or as a personal special treat, and suitable for all pockets.
The Swallow necklace set is also available encrusted with Swarovski crystals in champagne and amethyst. The range is sterling silver, either rhodium plated or with vermeil 18 carat.
“Babette Wasserman’s designs are always brimming with life and colour – and possibly none more than this adorable necklace set, which hints at new life nurtured within the mother,” Claire said.
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