the  prestigious  "International Jewellery  Design  Excellence  Award"  Announces  2019  Winners

The judging panel for the 2019 IJDE Award included (from left): Jeremy Keight, Managing Director of Jewellery World, Australia; Diana Zhang, the first female Asian jewelry designer to present at the Paris Biennale des Antiquaires; Lawrence Ma (Chief Judge), Chairman of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show 2019 Fair Organizing Committee; Priscilla Ku, Managing Director of Bossku Investments Ltd.; Giovanni Micera, Director of Preziosa Magazine, Italy; Jeff Chan, Specialist at Christie’s Jewellery Department; Rinri Mizuno, Director of Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry; and Renaud Fonverne, President of MV Media SAS.

Winners of the 2019 International Jewellery Design Excellence Award (IJDE) – the prestigious biennial competition that honors the "best of the best" among winners of previous jewelry competitions - were announced recently at an award presentation ceremony in Hong Kong. A total of 137 award-winning designers from 21 countries and regions participated in this year’s competition, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and  the Hong Kong Jewellers’ & Goldsmiths’ Association, Hong Kong Jewellery & Jade Manufacturers Association, Hong Kong Jewelry Manufacturers’ Association and Diamond Federation of Hong Kong, China Ltd.
By Fatimah Sewani Gwalani

The highest honor, the Champion of Champions," went to American designer Aleksandr Maryaskin for his egg-shaped desktop decoration named “Discovery of Eggcellance.” The “egg” can be twisted open to reveal a miniature church complex inspired by a traditional church the designer helped restore while living in Ukraine.

The Craftsmanship Award was presented to Ukrainian designer Borys Palamarchuk. His handmade, hot-enamel “Best Ring” features a round decorative piece with a diamond-studded golden rim and a koi carp that appears to be swimming in the sunshine. The design symbolizes the circulation of light energy, which in turn signifies luck, victory and hard work. It is also meant to represent self-sufficiency and moral courage. Swimming against the current, carp are associated with persistence and strength, as well as overcoming challenges and achieving goals. The koi carp, in particular, symbolizes the pursuit of ambitious goals and success.

    The biennial IJDE Award gathers award-winning designers from all over the world to compete for a number of accolades that honor outstanding jewelry designers and provides an opportunity for the industry to exchange experiences, expertise and craftsmanship.         Lawrence Ma, Chief Judge of the IJDE, explained that  designers taking part in the biennial IJDE Award have been pushing boundaries in recent years, making it a high-quality competition. “This year’s entries were excellent, gathering award-winning entries of jewelry design competitions from around the world. Designers have expressed the cultures of different places through their jewelry design. I have seen many designs with extraordinary creativity, craftsmanship and aesthetics in the competition.” 
     One of the other judges, Jeremy Keight, the first Australian to be selected to judge this competition, expressed his appreciation of all the entries, and how difficult it was to choose the final winners. "The entries all showed outstanding creativity and craftsmanship, having already been 'champions' in their own right, with designs that evoke personal experiences. " 
     Another judge, Priscilla Ku, said: “Jewelry design is not only about aesthetics. It also requires soul in the design. I am happy to see the stories and ideas behind every design. The entries this year set a high standard. All of the designers made efforts in breaking through current design standards with the use of challenging materials and craftsmanship. The competition provides a platform for jewelry designers to showcase their designs.”

German designer Michael Weggenmann won recognition with the Aesthetics Award for his piece “Stars in Heaven,” which is meant to be “a declaration of love to the strong woman.” The design exudes confidence and fascinates with breathtaking contrasts: a black stainless-steel ring with a fine 18K rose-gold design is set with a “mysterious” shiny pearl. The precious Tahitian cultured pearl with its iridescent shimmer contrasts the rustic charm of stainless steel.

Hong Kong designer Sarah Zhuang captured the Innovative and Uniqueness in Design Award. Her piece “Urban Reflection” incorporates Hong Kong’s world-renowned skyline in a set of four rings, depicting the city’s diverse architecture with ultra-modern skyscrapers juxtaposed against historical buildings. The rings can be worn together to form a picture of the iconic skyline with reflection.