Winners of the 2014–2015 International Pearl Design Competition were announced this week in New York City.
This year marks the fifth annual International Pearl Design Competition organized by the Cultured Pearl Association of America, a nonprofit group aiming to drive awareness to pearls in the marketplace.
Winners are as follows:
The President’s Trophy is highest honor and is awarded to a design that unanimously captivated judges as the best of the best.
President’s Trophy, Seven Wonders by Bimal Koley of Dubai, UAE
The Luster Award is given to the most marketable pearl jewelry design for a retailer.
Luster Award, Nautical Pearl Ring by Mark Schneider of Long Beach, Calif.
The Designer’s Award is given to the entry that takes pearls to the far corners of the imagination and beyond.
Designer’s Award, shared by Seven Wonders by Bimal Koley of Dubai, UAE, and Birth of Pearl (shown above) by Llyn Strong of Greenville, S.C.
The Brilliance Award is given to the best illustration of the spectrum of pearl colors.
Brilliance Award, Entangled by Aspen Demirdjian of Los Angeles
The Orient Award is given to the most compelling design that will inspire a new affinity for pearls.
Orient Award, Pearl Geode ring by Hisano Shepherd of Los Angeles
The Visionary Award is given to an artist who redefines the iconic pearl strand and shifts the perception of pearls for today’s buyer.
The Visionary Award, Lady Gaga Transformation by Shinka Kimura of Brooklyn, N.Y.
The Fashion Award is given to a modern, fresh design that could be seen on a Paris runway.
The Fashion Award, Leaf Walk by Murugesh Manickam, C. Krishniah Chetty & Sons of Bangalore, India
The Wedding Day Pearls award is given to a piece that speaks to a fantasy wedding theme, since brides and pearls go hand in hand.
Wedding Day Pearls, State of Grace by Phillip Bouasse of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The Fantasy Award is given to a conceptual, aspirational design.
Fantasy Award, Celebration by Shinka Kimura of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Commendations were also given to 15 entries that demonstrated high standards of achievement in accordance with the judging criteria.
Commendation winners:
Hsin-Yin Tsai, Taiwan
Chi Huynh, Galatea Jewelry by Artist, San Dimas, Calif.
Heather Auclair, Imperial Pearl, Providence, R.I.
Rabin Mondal, Dubai, UAE
Lee Wiser McIntosh, Atlanta
Palash Banerjee, Dubai, UAE
Sonoko Yoshida, Osaka, Japan
Chelsea Knights, Long Beach, Calif.
Ching Yueh Tsai, Tainan City, Taiwan
Michael Jensen, Pena Blanca, N.M.
Brenda Smith, Woodstock, Ga.
Shu Chun Yao, Taipei, Taiwan
Priyanka Murthy, Jacksonville, Fla.
Mastoloni, New York City
Katey Brunini, Solana Beach, Calif.
Judges included Jill Newman, senior editor of the Robb Report, Cheryl Kremkow, director of Citrine Media, Jennifer Gandia of Greenwich Jewelers, Tanya Dukes, senior editor InStore and InDesign, and Jean Francois Bibet, high jewelry workshop manager for Cartier.
For more information about the annual contest, contact Bo Perry at 401-432-9990 or boperry@cpaa.org.
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