Rio Grande has announced the winners of its 18th annual Saul Bell Design Award competition.
The winning pieces beat out hundreds of international submissions and faced two rounds of judging.
“In the 17 years I’ve been with Rio Grande, it’s been an honor to see so many talented designers rise to the challenge of creating awe-inspiring pieces and to hear their stories of creation,” said Rio Grande creative director Jamie Gros in a statement.
Here are the winning pieces and collections.
Best of Show:
Origami, Window With a View collection, by Sophia Hu; Las Vegas
Sophia Hu’s Origami, Window With a View collection
Gold/Platinum:
First Place: Mata Hari, by Garen Garibian, Los Angeles
Second Place: Freedom, by Rosario Garcia; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Garen Garibian’s Mata Hari brooch
Silver/Argentium Silver:
First Place: Itado, by Matthieu Cheminée; Montreal
Second Place: Koral, by Caroline Rivière; Longueuil, Canada
Matthieu Cheminée’s Itado bracelet
Enamel:
First Place: Leaping Tree Frog, by Carina Wong; Hong Kong
Second Place: The Dragonfly, by Sinork Agdere; Los Angeles
Carina Wong’s Leaping Tree Frog ring
Hollowware/Art Objects:
First Place: Cheap Thrills, by Jason Baide; Bozeman, Mont.
Second Place: Fantasy Coach, by Leonardo Maldonado; Delray Beach, Fla.
Jason Baide’s Cheap Thrills
Alternative Metals/Materials:
First Place: Head in the Clouds, by Gabri Schumacher; Schoonhoven, Netherlands
Second Place: Orchid Neckpiece, by E. Douglas Wunder; Kutztown, Pa.
Gabri Schumacher’s Head in the Clouds ring
Jewelry Collection, Couture/Fine:
First Place: Rocky Mountains Memories, by Wolfgang Vaatz; Rio Rico, Ariz.
Second Place: Knightsteel, by Zoltan David; Bee Cave, Texas
Wolfgang Vaatz’s Rocky Mountains Memories bracelet
Jewelry Collection, Fashion/Bridge:
First Place: The Wave Collection, by Kwabena Abeney; Burnaby, Canada
Second Place: Dreamweaver, by Elizabeth Sabol; Pittsburgh
Kwabena Abeney’s Wave Collection
Emerging Jewelry Artist, 22 Years of Age and Younger:
First Place: Courage, by Hoi Yi Lai; Toronto
Second Place: Goya, by Taron Rueger; Parker, Colo.
Hoi Yi Lai’s Courage ring
Emerging Jewelry Artist, 18 Years of Age and Younger:
First Place: Waterfall, by Peyton Rogers; Fort Worth, Texas
Second Place: Fairy Necklace, by Caroline Senyszyn; Fort Worth, Texas
Peyton Rogers’ Waterfall necklace
For designs from finalists and a list of the competition’s judges, visit saulbellaward.com.
Top: Leaping Tree Frog ring by Carina Wong
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