Winners were named in the Jewelry Professional category of the 2014 NICHE Awards presented by NICHE magazine, the trade publication for retailers of American- and Canadian-made fine crafts. An awards ceremony was held on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in conjunction with the Buyers Market of American Craft, Jan. 18–21. This year marks the 25th year of the awards.
Winners in the Jewelry Professional category are:
Alternative Metals: Silver Inlaid Ebony Triangle bracelet by Suzanne Linquist, Junction City, Ore.
Fashion: Build Out Bracelet by Ashley Heitzman, Portland, Ore.
Fine: 3 Tier Fan Resin and Gold necklace by Sadie Wang, Silver Point, Tenn.
Gold with Stones: Stepping Stone earrings by Elizabeth and Jack Gualtieri, Portland, Ore.
Silver: Silver Inlaid Ebony Drop and Toggle by Suzanne Linquist, Junction City, Ore.
Silver with Stones: Untitled by Robin Waynee, Santa Fe, N.M.
Wedding: Shimmer band with diamond and sapphire by Adel Chefridi, Woodstock, N.Y.
Winners in the Jewelry Student division are:
Fashion: Nasca Sunflower, Laura Mapes, Oregon College of Art and Craft
Fine: Samurai, Makiko Maeda, Fashion Institute of Technology
Log onto Nicheawards.com to see finalists in all categories (a complete list of winners has not yet been posted).
Entries are judged on technical excellence in design, market viability, and originality. Thirty-five winners were selected from 174 entries in the professional division, and 14 winners out of 85 entries were chosen in the student division.?The professional division was judged by: Michael Higdon, museum shop manager at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.; Dana Singer, former executive director of the Society of North American Goldsmiths; Erin Fergusson, senior manager of merchandising at UncommonGoods.com; and Stan and Judy Gillis, owners of the Real Mother Goose in Portland, Ore.?
Applications for the 2015 NICHE Awards will be available in spring 2014.
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