Shortlist for WB design competition ‘most commercial yet’
BIRMINGHAM, December 13, 2015 – Weston Beamor, the Birmingham casting house, 3D printing and bespoke manufacturing company, has recently announced the short-list for its annual design competition in conjunction with the School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University (BCU).
The winning and two highly commended designs, which are now in the process of being made by Weston Beamor ready to go on show at Jewellery & Watch Birmingham in February 2016, where the actual winner will be announced, were described by the judges as being ‘of the highest quality and amongst the most commercial we have seen since the competition began’.
The students, all of whom are in their second year of an HND in Jewellery and Silversmithing, were set the task of designing a solitaire diamond engagement ring featuring a 1ct diamond and matching wedding band. Designs could be made in either platinum or 18ct gold and could also incorporate accent diamonds.
Each student was also required to consider their target audience and to create a mood board to support their design as well as working out detailed costs for its production.
The contenders are: Stephanie Holt, Mahroz Mirzahekmati and Katie Shirt.
Stephanie Holt
Stephanie Holt’s design entitled simply ‘ONE’ has a strong, minimalist and highly contemporary feel and physically joins together the wedding ring and engagement ring in an usual and highly distinctive way whilst still allowing for the two pieces to be worn separately.
Mahroz Mirzahekmati
Mahroz Mirzahekmati’s ‘Unconditional’ design is more traditional in feel and introduces intricate and flowing rose gold details to add interest to the white shanks. The solitaire diamond is cleverly placed using a demi-rub over setting and the two bands sit seamlessly together to create a very pleasing whole.
Katie Shirt
‘Florence’ by Katie Shirt draws its inspiration from perhaps the most romantic city in the world. Described by the judges as ‘a great design’ the ring features a pear-shaped diamond in an intricate raised setting. Here too the wedding band sits perfectly alongside the engagement ring and adds additional interest and detail when the two are combined.
“We have run this competition for a number of years and every year the standard of entry gets higher. The three designs we have chosen are all strongly commercial and none of them would look out of place in the window of one of the UK’s quality-jewellery retailers. They are a tremendous tribute to the students and to the School of Jewellery,” says Glen Day, business manager at Weston Beamor.
Course Director, Jo Pond was also delighted with her students’ efforts. “This competition really is a high-spot of the year for our HND students and they learn a great deal about the commercial design process by taking part. The chance to tour the factory and to talk to Weston Beamor’s CAD & 3D printing team before they begin gives them an invaluable insight into their chosen career,” she commented.
All three designs will be on show on Stand P40 – Q41 in Hall 17 of Jewellery & Watch Birmingham and the winner will be announced at 2.00 on Tuesday 9th January, 2016. The winner will receive a cheque for £500 and will also be invited to have a week of work experience within Weston Beamor , while those in second and third place will receive £250 and £100 respectively.
