Contests

Staff -- JCK Online, 5/1/1999 2:00:00 AM

JJA HONORS DESIGN WINNERS

Winners of the ninth annual Jewelers of America Affiliate Design Competition were honored at the Jewelers of America show in New York. The 24 entries were all winning pieces from design competitions held by JA state and regional affiliates throughout 1998. Each piece was a hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind design created by an employee of a JA member store.

R. Jeffrey Dunnington of Designs in Gold of Houston won Best of Show with a 5-mm mesh chain necklace featuring a rainbow hematite and multicolored channel-set sapphires.

In Category I, priced under $1,000, the winner was Bruce Campbell of Just Jewelers in Farmington Hills, Mich. His entry was a pair of drop earrings in 14k white and yellow gold with iolite and carved garnet. In Category II, priced at $1,000 to $3,000, the winner was Robert La Perla of La Perla Ltd. in West Hartford, Conn., for a three-strand dyed pink pearl necklace that fastens with a clasp of platinum and 18k yellow gold with rubellite and diamond. Crystal Viney of Jewelers Workshop in Madison, Wis., won in the over-$3,000 category for a 14k gold necklace and ring set with a 5.74-ct. tanzanite and diamonds.

The category winners were judged by a panel of manufacturers, jewelry design experts, industry association executives, and members of the trade press. Show attendees voted for the Best of Show piece. The winner received airfare and hotel accommodations at the summer JA show as well as dinner for two during the show, to be held Aug. 1-4 in New York.

MJSA ANNOUNCES VISION RESULTS

The Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America has announced the winners of its 1999 American Vision Jewelry Design Competition. The competition has two divisions, student and pro- fessional. Entries, which are color renderings, are judged on the basis of originality, creativity, presentation quality, effective use of materials, wearability, and the design’s perceived manufacturing and marketing potential. Judges for this year’s contest were Geri Bondanza of Michael Bondanza Inc., Peter Brams of Jacmel Jewelry Inc., and Carrie Soucy of National Jeweler magazine.

In the professional category, the first-place winner was Mitch Moschetti of MRM Design in Denver, for a pendant and matching earrings, designed to be made in 18k gold or platinum. The second-place winner was Glen Denzer of Glen A. Denzer Modelmaking, Attleboro, Mass., for a platinum ring with an oval amethyst cabochon. Honorable mention went to Susan Schultz Tobias of Brooklyn, N.Y., for a bracelet in 14k gold and blue topaz.

In the student division, the first-place winner was Sophie M. Gardner, a student at the Gemological Institute of America’s Carlsbad, Calif., campus, for a ring in platinum or white gold with a blue/green tourmaline and a bracelet in white metal and diamonds. Jeesuk Oh, of Savannah College of Art & Design in Maple Shade, N.J., submitted the second-place winner, a 14k yellow gold and diamond baguette necklace design, titled “Through the Windows.” Honorable mention went to Holly K. Croft of Sotheby’s Institute in San Diego for a bracelet called “Regard,” in 18k gold, with the word represented by ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, another ruby, and diamond.

First-place winners received a Royal Diamond Crystal Awards, and all winning designs were displayed at the MJSA Expo New York, held March 28-30 in New York.