DIAMOND TIMES – During GIA’s Knowledge Rocks Week: Spring Into Color, the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design was announced digitally. Belle Sin Ting Wong, who obtained her Jewelry Design diploma at the GIA Hong Kong school, was the winner, and students and alumni met digitally to celebrate and reveal her.
For the 2020 Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design, over 100 students competed for a spot as a finalist. The designs were displayed in their original, hand-rendered version, along with statements indicating the materials used and the inspiration for each item. Peers, faculty, and a team of prominent judges judged the designs of nine finalists from seven GIA campuses. Shelly Sargent, curator of the Somewhere in the Rainbow collection; Victoria Gomelsky, editor-in-chief of JCK Magazine; Alishan Halebian, owner and jeweller of Alishan; Alan Revere, award-winning jeweller, author, and educator; and Remy Rotenier, owner and jeweller of Remy Rotenier
“Despite the obstacles of the global pandemic, so many students were able to complete their Jewelry Design courses in 2020. “Themes of connection and community inspired many of the exquisite, creative designs made by students this year,” said Laurie Bailyn, senior manager of jewellery manufacturing arts, research & development.
The winning design by Belle Sin Ting Wong was a brooch inspired by the Siamese fighting fish. “With this piece, I wanted to bring environmental consciousness to the forefront… We may be very near to losing these wonderful species and hastening the pace of global warming if we maintain our poisonous lifestyles and do not utilise sustainable products,” she added.
The prize was established in 2018 in collaboration with the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation to recognise excellent creative skill among GIA students. The competition for the 2021 Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design is now open to students enrolled in GIA’s Jewelry Design courses who meet the eligibility requirements.
