Minimalist rings win Weston Beamor’s annual design competition
BIRMINGHAM, England, February 2016 – Stephanie Holt, a mature student studying for an HND in Jewellery and SIlversmithing at the School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University, has won Weston Beamor’s annual jewellery design competition with her elegant and unusual design for a matching wedding ring and engagement ring set.
Jo Pond of BCU (far left) and Andrew Morton of Weston Beamor are pictured with the winning students during the presentation ceremony at JWS Birmingham.
She receives a cash prize of £500 and a week’s work experience with the company.
Stephanie’s design entitled simply ‘ONE’ has a strong, minimalist and highly contemporary feel and physically joins together the wedding ring and an engagement ring in an unusual and highly distinctive way whilst still allowing for the two pieces to be worn separately.
From left to right – the three winners – Mahroz Mirzahekmati (2nd),
Stephanie Holt (winner) and Katie Shirt (3rd).
Jewellery design is a complete career change for Stephanie. A linguist, who speaks both French and Spanish, she initially worked for the World Rally Championship and travelled widely before becoming a teacher. “Despite doing other jobs I was always making and designing things in my spare time and I am absolutely loving having the chance to do it full time,” she says.
Speaking during the prize-winning ceremony, which took place on Weston Beamor’s stand at The Jewellery & Watch, BCU course tutor Jo Pond said: “Stephanie employed simple modernist forms and engaged in a thorough design process to achieve her unique, pure and balanced award-winning ring set. She is a worthy winner.”
Stephanie Holt with her winning design
Presenting the students with their prizes, Andrew Morton, Managing Director of WB The Creative Jewellery Group (of which Weston Beamor is a part), said that the competition, which is now in its 11th year, has become harder and harder to judge: “All the designs entered were of a high standard and the winning pieces are very commercial and would not look out of place in any retailer’s window. All those who entered, not simply the winners, are to be congratulated as they have real talent and are the future of our industry,” he said.
