In the midst of the bustling 2013 JCK Las Vegas fair, Rio Grande set aside an entire evening (as it usually does) to toast its newest crop of winners of the Saul Bell Design Awards. (A list of SBDA finalists can be found here.)
Among the guests at at Fleur in Mandalay Bay on June 1 were company employees, well-known industry personalities, contest winners and their families, and the judges—a mix of Rio Grande staff and others (JCK was represented) who had the final say over who the honorees would be. Additionally, three Emerging Jewelry Artist awards were given out.
The 2014 SBDA deadline is Sept. 20, 2013, and Nov. 29 for the EJA awards. Winners of this year’s SBDA are below. Only the names of EJA winners are listed; images were not available to JCK at press time but can be seen here).
Grand Prize Gold/Platinum: Hinged earrings in palladium with Tahitian pearls, diamonds, and tsavorite by Ryan Roberts of Chimaya, N.M.
Second Place Gold/Platinum: Necklace in 24k gold fused to argentium with jasper, agate, opal, diamond, and sapphire by Michael Boyd of Pueblo, Colo.
First Place Silver/Argentium: Stingray feather necklace with hand-fabricated sterling and 18k gold links inlaid with stingray leather and featuring bezel-set yellow sappphires by Megan Clark of Raleigh, N.C.
Second Place Silver/Argentium: Future brooch with bezel-set amethyst, pink tourmaline, and iolite by Jinbee Park of New York, N.Y.
First Place Enamel: Trio of Binyeo, or, traditional Korean ornamental hair pins, formed with silver, 22k gold, and enamel and featuring a fairy tale about a woodcutter told visually on each piece; by Inja Kim of Seoul, South Korea
Second Place Enamel: Roman Crown necklace hand-fabricated in copper with moveable leaves by Nena Potts of Rogersville, Mo.
First Place Precious Metal Clay: Gate at the Garden of the Gods cuff in bronze and copper clay, with a design inspired by the entryway to a sculpture garden in Thailand; by Wanaree Tanner of Quincy, Ill.
Second Place Precious Metal Clay: The Garden of Good and Evil in silver precious metal clay with sapphires accents is inspired by a trip the designer took to a cemetery in New Orleans; by Christi Anderson of Marana, Ariz.
First Place Holloware: The Dryad’s Kiss professional-quality concert flute in silver wire, tubing, and flat wire, inspired by the book of that title, by John Lunn of Newport, N.H.
Second Place Holloware: Letter knife in Damascus steel, 22k gold, and silver with hand-cut jade, dinosaur bone, black jade, emeralds, sapphire, and black rose-cut diamond by Michael Boyd of Pueblo, Colo.
First Place Beads: The Vintage Touch necklace with Swarovski crystals, turquoise cabochons, seed and metal beads, and a porcelain cameo by Guzialia Reed of Japan
Second Place Beads: The Renaissance Revival necklace in freshwater pearls, 24k gold-plated glass seed beads, vintage Swarovski crystals, and other crystals by Laura McCabe of Stonington, Conn.
Emerging Artist Winners
First Place: The Soraya necklace in silver with chalcedony by Jose Lins of Renton, Wash.
Second Place: Sugar Skull locket necklace in nickel-silver with red enameled interior by Kylie Urban of Auburn, Wash.
Third Place: A Remembrance of Childhood moveable pendant necklace in silver, copper, and Nu Gold by Mackenzee Pierog of Eau Claire, Wis.
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