Jewellery Design Awards: 2017 Finalists

2017 FINALISTS

Celebrate with the winners at 

the awards cocktail party on 

Saturday August 26, 2017 

More than $80,000 in prizes 

105 registered entries 

Great entertainment, food and wine! 

The winners of the Jewellery Design Awards will be announced at the awards 

dinner. Buy your tickets now to see who’s won a share of the $80,000 in prizes! 

Tickets can be bought online at jewelleryfair.com.au for just $65 

INTERNA TIONAL 

JEWELLERY FAIR 

AUGUST 26 > 28, 2017 

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE SYDNEY 

Organised by 

Supported by

JEWELLERY DESIGN AWARDS 

Celebration of 

industry talent 

he inaugural Jewellery Design Awards (JDA) competition 

was developed with the aim of showcasing the design and 

manufacturing prowess of Australia and New Zealand’s most 

talented jewellers working in all areas of the trade. 

Expertise Events announced the competition in 2016 as part of 

its celebration of the International Jewellery Fair (IJF) returning to Darling 

Harbour and, by all accounts, industry support and participation has far 

exceeded expectations. 

The contest boasts a prize pool of more than $80,000 – winners across 11 

sponsored categories will be awarded a minimum prize of $2,500 in cash or 

category-specific product intended to benefit the jeweller’s business, while the 

overall Supreme Award Winner will receive two airline tickets to Baselworld next 

year flying business class with Etihad Airways and four nights’ accommodation 

to attend Baselworld, as well as a full-page advertisement in The Australian 

Women’s Weekly. 

What’s more, there were 105 entries submitted, which Expertise Events 

managing director Gary Fitz-Roy said reflected the highest number of entries 

received for an industry design awards program in recent times. 

An independent jury had the difficult task of reducing this number to 59 finalist 

pieces, and these have been left to the devices of a judging panel that will 

determine the best of the best in each category. 

Finalists will be judged on criteria including relevance to the design theme, 

intelligent use of materials, presentation in a retail environment, as well as 

commercial viability. 

In an effort to avoid bias, judges won’t be identified until the awards ceremony 

and cocktail function held at the new International Convention Centre on 

Saturday August 26. Fitz-Roy believed judging should be blind both ways 

(judges are not aware of entrant names), explaining that designs could not be 

influenced by a judge’s likes, dislikes or professional activities when the jeweller 

did not know their identity. 

The pieces will also be on display at the IJF, which takes place from Saturday 

August 26 to Monday August 28. Visitors are encouraged to view the designs 

and vote for their favourite to win the Fair Visitor Choice Award. 

While everyone must wait for the winners to be revealed at the awards 

ceremony, Jeweller does have the inside scoop on the finalist pieces, including 

the inspiration and materials involved. 

Get ready to be mesmerised by the incredible talent and craftsmanship that 

exists in the local industry. 

September 2017 Jeweller 63

SUPREME AWARD WINNER 

To be awarded to the entry that receives the highest point score out of all finalists 

Sponsored by: 

FAIR VISITOR CHOICE AWARD 

To be awarded to the piece that receives the most votes by visitors at the fair 

Sponsored by: 

INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA 

JEWELLERY 

JIA 

JEWELLERY INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA ® 

THE JDA IS SUPPORTED BY 

1ST & 2ND YEAR 

APPRENTICE/STUDENT AWARD 

Sponsored by: 

SAMEER ANEEZ 

Item: Pendant 

Name of piece: Tieke’s Fall 

Inspiration: Maori mythology: Maui battles the 

Su. Maui was followed by his pet bird Tieke and 

each time Maui told him to go home because 

it was dangerous, he refused. Eventually during 

battle Maui threw him back to earth with fiery 

hands, and although burning him, ultimately 

saved him. I wanted to bring light to the loyal 

companions we all have and the recognition they 

deserve. The front shows Tieke as being valiant 

and brave; the reverse showing the injuries he 

sustained during battle. Both of these are true, 

as he falls from the sun that formed the bale. 

Materials: Sterling silver 

SUMAYA BAKKAR 

Item: Necklace 

Name of piece: Passion 

Inspiration: The piece is filled with femininity, 

delicacy and details in all directions that symbolise 

non-stop passion. To me, it means beauty in all its 

details. Passion is a piece of art made from gold 

and diamonds filled with specific details. 

Materials: Gold, diamond 

HANNAH CARAVELLA 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: In Bloom 

Inspiration: Every morning on my way to work I 

pass through my father’s garden full of fruit trees. 

I always find that the seasonal change has such 

a beautiful effect on the fruit trees. The tangled 

branches of all the different trees inspire the 

intertwining branches that form the structure of 

the ring. The delicious smell of the ripening sweet 

fruits that are so inviting inspired my choice of juicy 

looking sapphires. 

Materials: 18-carat rose gold, fairtrade palladium 

silver, sapphire 

64 Jeweller September 2017

3RD & 4TH YEAR 

APPRENTICE/STUDENT AWARD 

Sponsored by: 

SAYEH ALIZADE AHRABI 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Dove 

Inspiration: The Dove is inspired by my beloved 

childhood homeland bird in our garden. When it 

came time to make my ring, I combined Persian 

motifs with the symbol of peace to create an 

innovative piece. This bird sings love, peace and 

friendship messages among people in the world 

and the ring is designed for two fingers to join 

them together. 

Materials: Sterling silver, blue tourmaline, 

enamelling colour 

HEATHER BELL 

Item: Pendant 

Name of piece: Nouveau 

Inspiration: The inspiration for this piece came 

from the design styles of the Art Nouveau period. 

My pendant features common themes found in Art 

Nouveau design such as mythical creatures, whiplash 

curves, organic forms and unusual materials. My 

construction of the piece was inspired by the Japanese 

art form of carving the metal with a hammer and chisel. 

Materials: Sterling silver, mammoth ivory, lapis lazuli 

LOUIS BUCKLAND 

Item: Earrings 

Name of piece: Pavo 

Inspiration: My inspiration for these earrings 

comes from the Silk Road trading route that ran 

from Japan through to the Mediterranean Sea. 

Peacocks and their feathers were some of the 

items traded along this route and I thought they 

would make beautiful chandelier earrings with 

their bright, deep colours and the way that they 

flow from quill to end. I have named them Pavo as 

that is one of the ancient names for the peacock 

and similar to the Spanish word pavá. 

Materials: Sterling silver, cubic zirconia 

TANG NING 


Name of piece: Silkroad Style Earring 

Inspiration: These earrings feature 

Chinese and West Asian style – with 

the middle part showing a dragon, 

the bottom with purple grapes and a 

symbol of the Silk Road civilisation of 

China and West Asia. 

Materials: Sterling silver, cubic 

zirconia, crystal 

KELLY RYU 


Name of piece: Sun & Moon Earrings 

Inspiration: I was inspired by the 

Byzantine Empire and their infatuation 

with silk and their granulation 

techniques. I was also inspired by their 

balance for delicate and detail oriented 

with sturdy, weighty jewellery. 

Materials: Sterling silver, cubic zirconia 

LUCY TANG 

Item: Bracelet 

Name of piece: Time Machine 

Inspiration: The inspiration for this 

piece was time travel, space and aliens. 

I wanted a futuristic look that was raw, 

thus contrast between textured and 

sleek surfaces was used. 

Materials: Sterling silver, spring steel 

TIANYI WANG 

Item: Earring and brooch 

(interchangeable) 

Name of piece: Birdcage 

Inspiration: Birdcage was inspired by 

the quote: “If you love someone, set 

them free. If they come back, it was 

meant to be.” The piece features a pearl 

bird egg in an 18-carat gold-plated 

solid sterling silver cage. Jewellery 

provides a universe of modern and 

hand-finished jewellery made from 

primarily high-quality materials. 

Materials: 18-carat gold-plated sterling 

silver, pearl 


AUSTRALIAN OPAL AWARD 

Sponsored by: 

ALYRA BARTASEK 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Opal Ear 

Plug Ring 

Inspiration: Working in the 

commercial jewellery industry, 

the purely materialistic 

requests in relation to value has 

made me question my making 

ethos. This piece forms part of 

a larger series called ‘Can You 

Hear the Value’. The materials in 

Can You Hear the Value are all 

arguably traditional; however, 

the techniques used are 

contemporary. Specifically, the 

method used to make the Opal 

Ear Plug Ring on an ice cast of 

my own ear and the setting 

of the Australian boulder opal 

as it blocks the ear canal is 

unconventional. It is hoped 

that on further inspection of 

these pieces a conversation on 

the potential deeper meaning 

and function of jewellery will 

be stimulated. 

Materials: Sterling silver, 

Australian boulder opal 

JIM HE 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Great Barrier 

Reef 

Inspiration: Inspired by a 

sense of social responsibility, 

designer Jim He handcrafted 

the Great Barrier Reef ring 

to draw attention to climate 

change and its effects on one 

of the world’s greatest natural 

wonders. A large 218-carat 

boulder opal, set atop 18-carat 

yellow gold, dominates the 

centre of the piece and boasts 

a rich blue colour to imitate 

the captivating beauty of the 

ocean. The vibrant marine 

world is brought to life by the 

stunning array of gemstones, 

ranging from black diamonds 

to rubies, depicting a variety of 

fish and coral. 

Materials: 18-carat yellow 

gold, boulder opal, black 

diamond, coral, other 

gemstones including garnet, 

moonstone, ruby and sapphire 

SHELLY JAM 

Item: Neckpiece 

Name of piece: Barbarous 

Neckpiece 

Inspiration: This piece is 

largely inspired by brutalist 

architecture. At first glance 

these monolithic structures 

seem to be in conflict with 

their environment but 

more often than not if you 

look beyond the scope of 

the building itself a jarring 

harmony exists. Here, that 

jarring harmony is showcased 

with the use of hard metal 

and soft gemstone. The 

metal becomes the built 

environment and the opal is 

the natural world. 

Materials: Fine silver, opal 

CASSANDRA 

MAMONE 

Item: Eyewear 

Name of piece: Australiana 

By Cassandra Mamone 

Inspiration: Australiana is 

inspired by the beauty of 

Australia, and captures the 

essence of the woman who 

lives for the finer things in 

life and the desire for it to be 

forever cherished. The luxury 

eyewear encapsulates the 

essence of Australian summer 

with 9-carat yellow gold 

representing sun-kissed skin, 

inlaid with solid green-blue 

opals embodying the sparkling 

blue waters of the Pacific 

Ocean. Opal is the gemstone 

of love and represents purity 

and intensity. It was enthralling 

to work with opals, and also 

a challenge to present a 

traditional gemstone in an 

interesting and wearable way. 

Materials: 9-carat yellow gold, 

solid green-blue opal from 

Mintabie, South Australia, 

diamond 

YUJI SATOMI 

Item: Men’s tie necklace or 

women’s brooch 

Name of piece: The Mistress 

Of The Adriatic 

Inspiration: Northern Italy 

is the cultural and artistic 

centre of the Mediterranean 

– the birthplace of worldclass 

design and traditional 

aristocratic style. I have always 

looked for an opportunity to 

reveal the style of this region 

in the form of fine jewellery 

design. Luckily, I found a piece 

of Australian native black opal 

that had not been manually 

crafted very much. 

Materials: Platinum 900, 

18-carat gold, black opal, 

diamond, silk rope 


BRIDAL AWARD 

Sponsored by: 

LISA BURGE 


Name of piece: Spring Flower 

Inspiration: I designed 

this piece to represent 

the sweetness of a spring 

wedding. The textured flower 

centrepiece represents the 

blossoms of spring, the blue 

topaz represents ‘something 

blue’ and the purple amethyst 

represents the colour of 

royalty, as every bride wants 

to feel like a princess on her 

wedding day. The freshwater 

pearl symbolises the purity and 

beauty of the beautiful bride 

and the diamond and cubic 

zirconia add a touch of sparkle. 


freshwater pearl, blue topaz, 

amethyst, cubic zirconia, 

diamond 

KELLY LITTERICK 

Item: Hairpiece 

Name of piece: C’est La Vie 

Inspiration: This product was 

created with a beach-themed 

wedding in mind. I grew up in 

Exmouth on the North West 

Cape of Western Australia. 

The ocean and beach were 

my whole world as a child so 

I drew on my memories of 

the cape. I wanted to create 

a simple jewellery hairpiece 

that only incorporated small 

freshwater pearls to portray 

the look I was after. My gold 

diamante innovative hair 

charm is the unique jewellery 

accessory that accompanies 

this piece to hold it firmly in 

place in any hairstyle. 

Materials: Kela gold and 

diamante hair charm, tiger tail 

wire, small odd-shaped oval 

freshwater pearl 

SAMANTHA 

NORDHOFF 


Name of piece: Take Flight 

Inspiration: Looking at the 

strength and grace of birds 

of flight. Different types of 

feathers all work together to 

create a perfect and powerful 

wing that can carry the bird 

on a dance-like flight path, 

with every small movement 

portraying its intention. These 

earrings are graceful and 

feminine, yet empowering 

through their symbolism. 

Versatile, the wings can be 

worn out-stretched and fierce, 

ready for flight, or dropped 

down for elegant composure, 

with briolette sapphire drops 

that can be moved from wing 

shoulder to wing tip. 

Materials: Fairtrade palladium 

silver, fairtrade 18-carat 

white gold, Argyle certified 

diamonds, pastel-blue sapphire 

TRACY VAN OOSTRUM 

Item: Pendant 

Name of piece: Love In 

A Jewel 

Inspiration: Inspired by the 

idea that the most precious 

jewellery we own in life is 

that which has sentimental 

value, Joachim and Tracy van 

Oostrum designed a unique 

collection of jewellery. The 

Love In A Jewel pendants have 

a special compartment that 

can hold a tiny note of love, 

sand or soil from a special place 

– so, love and magic moments 

can be treasured forever. A 

photo of the contents is taken 

prior to the pendant being 

sealed. 

Materials: Yellow gold, 

diamond 

GARY THYREGOD 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Tie The Knot 

Inspiration: I wanted to create 

a dress ring using marquise cut 

diamonds in a way that flows 

along the finger incorporating 

colour and movement. 

Materials: 18-carat white and 

yellow gold, diamond 


CAD/CAM/CAST AWARD 

Sponsored by: 

JUSTIN BURMAN 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Samurai 

Warrior 

Inspiration: Growing up with 

interests in martial arts, the 

Samurai is a symbol of building 

skill and maintaining discipline 

towards achieving mastery of 

oneself. The Dragon represents 

something that is ancient and 

powerful, which inspires my 

appreciation for past cultures 

and their beliefs. I wanted 

something to remind me of 

these qualities that life has 

to offer. 


EMILY COPP 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Boundless 

Inspiration: Original 

inspiration comes from 

the joyous connection 

between music and dance. 

Like a ballerina executing a 

perfect pirouette, the design 

is an expression of elegant 

movement. The Boundless ring 

design builds from interlocking 

infinity swirls to cradle the 

solitaire parti sapphire – a 

tribute to the eternal love 

of betrothal. 

Materials: Rhodium-plated 

18-carat white gold, Australian 

parti Sapphire 

AMRITH 

DHARMAWARDANE 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: The Wave 

Inspiration: My aim was 

to create something that 

pushed current 3D modelling 

technology to the limit. 

Drawing inspiration from 

‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’, 

I wanted this ring to have 

a truly ‘organic’ feel to it. 

However, despite wanting 

to up the complexity from 

a 3D modelling standpoint, 

I really wanted to follow the 

most basic jewellery design 

guidelines with respect to 

wall thicknesses, intricate 

details and castability so 

that this piece could be 

reproduced without requiring 

any special manufacturing 

techniques/equipment. 

Materials: 18-carat rose 

and white gold, diamond, 

pink sapphire 

MINDIKA 

HADDAGODA 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Modern 

Classic 

Inspiration: Development 

and creation was influenced 

by modern and traditional 

decorative elements that 

would cater to the modernday 

market where customers 

search for modern designs 

with classic decorations. 

Materials: Yellow gold, white 

gold, sapphire, diamond 

JOEL NICHOLLS 

Item: Brooch/pendant 

Name of piece: Northern 

Beaches Cacatua 

Inspiration: I live and work 

in Sydney’s Northern Beaches 

and see this beautiful bird in 

my everyday life. It is a loud, 

bold and powerful bird that 

I wanted to create into a 

sculptural piece of jewellery. 

I decided to make a brooch/ 

pendent as this lends itself to 

a bigger scale and generally 

from a more opulent era. 

Realism is a style/art form that 

I enjoy and wanted to give this 

my best shot using the latest 

technology in our industry. 

Materials: White, yellow and 

rose gold, black rhodium, 

white, black and yellow 

diamond, emerald, chrome 

tourmaline, pink tourmaline, 

smokey quartz, morganite, 

tanzanite, aquamarine 


COLOURED GEMSTONE AWARD 

Sponsored by: 

GREG HOLLAND 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Fox 

Glacier Ring 

Inspiration: The Fox Glacier 

ring with aquamarine sapphire 

and diamonds is handcrafted 

as a one of a kind in recycled 

platinum. The internal shapes 

and forms of Fox Glacier in NZ 

inspired this piece. 

Materials: Recycled platinum, 

aquamarine, Ceylon sapphire, 

diamond 

GREG HOLLAND 


Name of piece: Moeraki 

Earrings 

Inspiration: Inspired by 

the boulders at the famous 

Moeraki beach north of 

Dunedin, NZ. The concept was 

inspired by the flow of the tide 

in and around these incredible 

and iconic spherical boulders. 

Materials: Recycled platinum, 

black spinel, diamond 

DANIELLE KLAR 


Name of piece: Rubellite Drop 

Earrings 

Inspiration: Looking for a red 

carpet look; a dramatic drop 

earring. 

Materials: 18-carat white gold, 

rubellite, diamond 

SARAH-LYN LEWIS 

Item: Pendant 

Name of piece: Violet Eden 

Inspiration: I wanted to design 

a large but elegant statement 

pendant, using a vine and 

leaf pattern. Old Hollywood 

glamour and the free-flowing 

lines of the Edwardian era 

jewellery inspired me. 


23-carat gold, amethyst 

JANE MAGON 

Item: Necklace and earrings 

Name of piece: In The 

Beginning: Earth’s Story, The 

Known And The Unknown 

Inspiration: My inspiration 

was the creation of the Earth 

and the social and religious 

discussions surrounding 

this topic. 

Materials: 18-carat gold, 

dinosaur tooth and a range of 

gemstones such as emerald, 

peridot, sapphire and garnet 

JODI PENFOLD 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: From Paris With Love 

Inspiration: This piece was a celebration 

of survival. After almost being caught 

in the Brussels airport bombings while 

collecting this aquamarine from the 

Baselworld jewellery fair, I wanted to 

come home and make a piece that 

celebrated life and togetherness. I 

wanted to set the aquamarine so it was 

visible from all four sides. If you turn the 

ring upside-down its reminiscent of the 

Eiffel Tower. 

Materials: Platinum, 18-carat rose gold, 

aquamarine, diamond 

BEN PRESTON-BLACK 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: All Wrapped Up 

Inspiration: Entering competitions are 

the best opportunity to push yourself in 

design originality. I try not to have any 

design constraints or limitations and 

enjoy a fluid, open and organic process 

at the bench. All Wrapped Up evolved 

with no finished image in mind. For 

me, I find this is the best way to be as 

original as possible for the purpose of a 

competition piece. 

Materials: Rose gold, palladium, zircon, 

diamond 

LUKE ROSE 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Oceanic 

Inspiration: I’ve always been 

mesmerised by the ocean and the 

beautiful coastline of NSW. Using this as 

my inspiration, I really wanted my design 

to convey the hypnotic, rolling motion 

of the ocean, whilst staying true to my 

signature style. It was important to have 

movement within the piece, and so the 

central gemstones all slide from side to 

side when the piece is worn. 


platinum, white and blue sapphire, 

aquamarine, blue topaz 

NICHOLAS VRETTAS 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Azure 

Inspiration: Bold, statement jewellery 

has to be my number one favourite 

aspect of being a jeweller because it 

allows me to create a piece of jewellery 

that ‘speaks for itself’ through its wow 

factor. I wanted to achieve a dramatic 

design by keeping the focus on the 

brilliance of the carefully selected 

gemstones and colour combinations. 

Materials: 18-carat white gold, London 

topaz, yellow topaz, diamond 


DIAMOND AWARD 

Sponsored by: 

JAMES BALLAS 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Kanga Ring 

Inspiration: A weekend away in Mudgee, NSW 

and watching a kangaroo in full flight gave me the 

inspiration to design a ring using the natural flow 

of its body shape; it worked so well with the legs 

wrapping around the finger to form the band. 

Materials: 18-carat white gold, diamond 

BEVAN HILL 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Tablet Of Love 

Inspiration: The Tablet of Love was inspired by the 

essence of Soraya Diamonds. Soraya is the Persian 

meaning for ‘jewel’ and this ring was designed to 

capture our love of diamonds. This alluring tablet, 

designed to eloquently sit above the ring finger, is a 

declaration of exquisite taste, expert craftsmanship and 

endless love. 

Materials: 18-carat white gold, diamond 

YOSSI JABLONSKI 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Diamond In A Shell Ring 

Inspiration: The piece is inspired by the look 

of pearl in a shell but instead of using pearl and 

mother of pearl shell I made it with a big, bright 

diamond and little diamond ‘walls’ to represent 

the mother of pearl shell. I always wanted to 

make a diamond ring where the size and type of 

the gemstone/diamond could be changed. This 

ring allows the jeweller to use different types of 

marquise cut gemstones in different sizes; the 

diamonds and gold colour of the insert between 

the shell’s walls can also be changed. 

Materials: 18-carat white, yellow gold, diamond 

BEN PRESTON-BLACK 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Balancing Act 

Inspiration: My main aim is to always 

present an original design to the 

judges. To best communicate this I try 

not to have any design constraints or 

limitations and enjoy a fluid, open and 

organic process at the bench. Balancing 

Act evolved with no finished image 

in mind. For me, I find this is the best 

way to be as original as possible for the 

purpose of a competition piece. 

Materials: Green gold, platinum, 

diamond 

ARA TCHORBADJIAN 

Item: Pendant 

Name of piece: Ovgianos 

Inspiration: I sought inspiration from 

the abundance of natural beauty 

found in the Australian environment 

– primarily the ocean and the organic, 

free-formed coral found within, lent 

a natural fluidity to my piece. The 

colours of an underwater scene are also 

captured in the coloured Australian 

diamonds, and the Australian South Sea 

pearl reflects the beauty of the ocean. 


Australian South Sea pearl, white and 

coloured diamond 

NICHOLAS THEOCHARI 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Pente 

Inspiration: To excel furthermore in 

tension setting, a multiple tension set 

ring where the floating aspect can be 

viewed from many angles was created. 

Five diamonds were tension set. 


diamond 

ALISON WHEELDON 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Folie A Deux (The 

Madness Of Two) 

Inspiration: “There is always some 

madness in love. But there is always 

some reason in madness” – Friedrich 

Nietzsche. I am moved by the madness 

of love. Love is a matter of perspective, 

like the waxing and waning of the 

moon. This ring is the two full half 

moons, connected, shining bright and, 

equally, they total more than the sum 

of their parts. 


diamond, light yellow sapphire 


MEN’S ACCESSORIES 

& JEWELLERY AWARD 

Sponsored by: 

LOUIS BUCKLAND 


Name of piece: Sea Of Tranquillity 

Inspiration: My inspiration for this piece comes 

from the rock pools and sunsets at beaches near 

my hometown. The sunburst pattern represents 

the sunset and I have blackened and then polished 

the high points of the textured side to show how 

the ocean will smooth and grind down the tops of 

the rocks but still leave the hollows and rock pools 

untouched. I chose the hexagonal shape because 

it is comfortable to wear and straight lines and 

corners give it a masculine feel. 

Materials: Sterling silver, stainless steel (for the 

snap blade) 

DAVID CHEN 

Item: Watch 

Name of piece: Carbon 1 Series 1 (Rose Gold & 

Navy Blue) 

Inspiration: The design inspiration came from a 

honeycomb’s shape and structure with the aim of 

creating a timepiece that is from the future. 

Materials: Rose gold, carbon fibre, fibreglass, sapphire 

crystal, 316 stainless steel 

STEVE PALLAS 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: La Lineas 

Inspiration: La Lineas represents the complex 

aesthetics of architecture, combining clean lines 

with multi-dimensional arrays. I created something 

with presence that I would like to wear. 

Materials: 18-carat white gold, white and 

black diamond 

SONJA SCHARMANN 

Item: Ring/pendant 

Name of piece: Explorer 

Inspiration: Versatile platinum ring and pendant 

combination on rubber bands. The piece features 

the Latin words aqua (water), terra (earth) ignis 

(fire) and aer (air) cut out of the ring’s surface with 

corresponding symbols on one side, and the 

classic compass rose engraved on the opposite 

side of the pendant component. This jewellery 

represents desire in men to explore all elements 

of their surroundings and fits perfectly with the 

modern lifestyle where it is not always possible for 

men to wear a ring on their hand. 

Materials: Platinum, rubber 

NICHOLAS THEOCHARI 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Pyramid 

Inspiration: The natural shape of a rough diamond 

is explained to our clients as two pyramids and the 

free-form patterns of the mokume gane. Both elements 

of shapes and patterns are unique by nature and hand 

much like the mysteries of the Pyramids themselves. 

Materials: 18-carat white and yellow gold mokume 

gane, 18-carat white gold band, natural Australian 

Argyle champagne diamond 

ALBERT TSE 

Item: Cufflinks 

Name of piece: Memento – Sydney 

Inspiration: I have always wanted to make a 

memento of the places that I have been, and the 

topographic view has always fascinated me. So 

for my first city, I combined both Sydney and its 

topographic view. This will become part of my 

memento series. 



PEARL AWARD 

Sponsored by: 

MINDIKA HADDAGODA 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Ballerina 

Inspiration: Developed, created and influenced 

by modern and traditional decorative elements. 

A highly engineered look, fine edges, creativity, 

efficiency, functionality, delicacy, lightweight yet 

with strength are the hallmarks of this design. 

Materials: 18-carat white gold, yellow gold, 

diamond, pearl 

YOSSI JABLONSKI 


Name of piece: Cultured Deco Waterfall 

Inspiration: My inspiration for this piece was to 

modernise the necklace style that was used in the 

1920s Art Deco period into something that could be 

worn in contemporary society. I was intrigued by the 

extravagant size, beauty and attention to detail within 

the pieces of the Art Deco era, and wanted to impose 

those elements by using contemporary materials and 

creating an industrial look while keeping the design 

soft, classy and elegant – alluding to an updated and 

revamped historical heirloom. 

Materials: Pure silver, rose gold, dyed freshwater pearl, 

rubber O rings 

LYNAIRE KIBBLEWHITE 


Name of piece: Dancing Light 

Inspiration: I was inspired to make this piece 

of jewellery after a challenge I was given, to ‘play 

with light’. Keeping these words in my head, I 

have spent a lot of time experimenting with 

different surfaces, shapes and pearls in order 

to discover this effect. I have kept the design of 

this bracelet simplistic in nature in order to keep 

the attention on the beautiful pearls and their 

surrounding colour. 

Materials: 9-carat white gold, 18-carat white gold, 

Australian South Sea pearl, gold pearl from the 

Philippines, pearl from Fiji, Tahitian pearl 

BARRIE LANDER 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Echoes Of The Ocean 

Inspiration: Since I was a child the nautilus has 

always captivated me. Both the nautilus and the 

Pinctada maxima oyster, which hosts our South 

Sea pearls, inhabit the same waters in the North 

West of Western Australia, where I spent time as 

a jeweller. Echoes of the Ocean is a combination 

of both. 

Materials: 18-carat yellow and white gold, South 

Sea pearl, diamond 

JANE MAGON 


Name of piece: White Coral Reef In The Moonlight 

(Reefs Of Australia) 

Inspiration: This design emerged after we were 

stranded in our boat on a white reef one night. The 

white South Sea pearls refer to their clean saltwater 

origins; white jade and diamonds refer to the white 

sand and coral. The jade master carving represents a 

dragon that to my western eyes looks like waves. In 

Chinese culture dragons represent the sea as well as 

the flow and power of the oceans. 

Materials: 18-carat yellow gold, South Sea pearl, 

Tahitian pearl, keshi pearl, freshwater pearl, diamond, 

jade, opal, quartz 

GERARD WOLLASTON 


Name of piece: Radiolaria 

Inspiration: Radiolaria – the ocean; woman; 

beautiful; bountiful; mysterious; dangerous. 

Materials: 18-carat yellow gold, platinum, ruby, 

diamond, hand-carved mother of pearl 


PRECIOUS METAL AWARD 

Sponsored by: 

PAUL AMEY 

Item: Utensil 

Name of piece: Salad Fork 

Inspiration: Fine dining is a great pastime for 

me. When I got a fantastic meal I was always 

annoyed that the cutlery was in such a shabby 

state so I did something about it. Nothing beats 

fine dining using 18-carat platinum and diamonds 

with oysters. 

Materials: 18-carat platinum, stainless steel, 

diamond 

NESS CAMPAGNARO 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Sea Urchin Trillion Ring With 

Lemon Quartz 

Inspiration: Sea urchin texture is incredibly unique 

and fine in detail. When you magnify it, it looks like a 

completely different universe – a myriad of craters and 

fine dots and lines, a subterranean organised chaos. 

We wanted to bring it to life in cast silver and add our 

favourite canary yellow lemon quartz for extra sparkle. 

Materials: Sterling silver, 18-carat gold-plated 3 micron 

half shank, lemon quartz 

JANE MAGON 


Name of piece: Falling Apart Necklace 

Inspiration: This necklace is the result of my 

reconsidering the notion of the construction 

of jewellery and playing with its antithesis – 

‘deconstruction’. A necklace that is constructed 

(ordered) is subsequently reversed to create 

‘disorder’. It looks as if it’s falling apart, yet it is not. 

Deconstruction is dismissive of authority and order 

for the jade is tilted at various angles. The necklace 

is connected to the philosophical notion of ‘play’ 

and the idea of the Creation-Destruction cycle. 

Materials: 14-carat yellow gold, white jade, 

pink sapphire 

NICK DE KLERK 


Name of piece: Sydney’s Secrets 

Inspiration: The necklace is inspired by two 

beautiful, rare and elusive sea-creatures native 

to Sydney’s sea shores: the shy, diminutive 

White’s seahorse, with its sinuous curling tail and 

gracefully-curved neck; and the exquisitely marked 

Weedy seadragon, found only in a few places, with 

the males carrying their vibrant pink eggs along 

their bellies and tails. 

Materials: 18-carat white and rose gold, white 

diamond, fancy intense pink Argyle diamond 

JASON REE 

Item: Ring 

Name of piece: Klif-hang-er 

Inspiration: I’m always intrigued by texture, form and 

discovering unconventional ways to use precious 

materials. Klif-hang-er evolved over 20 years and is 

inspired by my love of Sydney’s coastal sandstone cliffs. 

This design expresses elements of suspense, intrigue 

and chaotic symmetry. 

Materials: 22-carat yellow gold, 18-carat green gold, 

14-carat rose gold, palladium 500, Argentium Silver 935, 

natural diamond 

SONJA SCHARMANN 


Name of piece: Eternity 

Inspiration: This 18-carat yellow gold ornamental 

necklace takes the timeless but ever popular 

Celtic theme and elevates it to a precious and 

elegant new level. By carefully choosing classic 

materials, like brushed 18-carat gold with ebony 

inlays and leather, this fully handcrafted piece will 

give the wearer a feeling of enduring value, strong 

connection with nature and deep cultural roots in 

a time of constant changes and uncertainties. 

Materials: 18-carat yellow gold, ebony, leather 


TM 

MY DREAM RING

Jewellery Design Awards: 2017 Finalists

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