Winners of the 14th Annual American Vision Awards Announced

" 2005 Professional Winner of the American Vision Award - Crystal Distinction" (click here)

PROVIDENCE, RI-Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2005 American Vision Awards (AVAs)-MJSA's annual design competition recognizing the talent and innovation of designers whose work is influencing the future design trends in jewelry. The pieces were judged on originality, creativity, presentation quality, effective use of materials, wearability, and the design's perceived manufacturing and marketing potential.

This year saw the addition of four new distinction categories-Silver Distinction, sponsored by The Silver Users Association; Mokume-gane Distinction, sponsored by Reactive Metals Studio and Shining Wave Metals; Reactive Metals Distinction, sponsored by Reactive Metals Studio, Cabot Supermetals, and Titanium Products Design Inc.; and CAD/CAM Distinction, sponsored by Model Master.

Other distinction categories, in addition to the overall Professional and Student awards, include Platinum Distinction, sponsored by Platinum Guild International USA, and Crystal Distinction, sponsored by Swarovski North America.

The 2005 AVA Winners are:

- Professional Category 1st place: Nicholas Licata of Licata Jewelers Inc. in Sylvania, Ohio; Diamondback Rings, 14k yellow and white gold with pearls and accented with diamonds.

- Professional Category 2nd place: H. James Kaya of Solair Jewelers in Boston, Massachusetts; platinum and 18k gold rubellite Pendant with diamonds.

- 1st Place Category Student: Anne Lund, GIA, of Alamogordo, New Mexico; 18k yellow gold wire necklace, set with diamonds, varying sizes of white and pink freshwater pearls, and a large white baroque pearl.

- 2nd Place Category Student: Yutao Liu, Fashion Institute of Technology, of New York City; reversible pendant: three-dimensional abstract flower, with diamonds and colored sapphires.

- Platinum Distinction 1st place: H. James Kaya of Solair Jewelers in Boston, Massachusetts; platinum tension-set ring with natural yellow sapphire and diamonds.

- Platinum Distinction 2nd place: Omri Adelson Dejano of New York City; Forever Love, convertible brooch/pendant made of cobalt platinum with a trillion-cut diamond, natural blue sapphire cabochons, and diamond accents.

- Crystal Distinction 1st place: Chow Hartanti of Irienna's Art in Duluth, Georgia; flower pattern necklace made with Swarovski crystals in fuchsia, olivine and clear colors.

- Crystal Distinction 2nd place: Michele Bock of MelanieMichele-Jewelry in Normal, Illinois;
Star Chrysanthemum Hairpins.

- Silver Distinction 1st place: Todd Reed of Todd Reed Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; 18k gold, 22k gold, and sterling silver hand-forged pin with patina, large raw diamond cube, and brilliant-cut diamonds.

- Silver Distinction 2nd place: Marie Scarpa of Marie Scarpa Designs in Petaluma, California; Sole e Luna, sterling silver pin/pendant with curved spires set with freshwater pearls and citrines, and hand woven with fine silver and 18k wire.

- Mokume-gane Distinction 1st place: Steve Midgett of Earthshine Mokume Inc. in Franklin, North Carolina; Shell Form brooch in 18k yellow and red gold mokume-gane with pink Belizean conch pearl and diamonds.

- Mokume-gane Distinction 2nd place: Lisa Krikawa of Krikawa Jewelry Designs in Tucson, Arizona; Mokume curls, 14k palladium white gold and mokume-gane ring with moissanite and diamond accents.

- Reactive Metals Distinction 1st place: Joan Dulla of Chandler, Arizona; hand crocheted and anodized niobium-wire necklace with Swarovski crystals.

- Reactive Metals Distinction 2nd place: Charles P. Bahringer of Bayside, Wisconsin; titanium ring with diamonds (titanium is anodized aqua).

- CAD/CAM Distinction 1st place: Charles P. Bahringer of Bayside, Wisconsin; platinum ring with four slabs of onyx and diamond accents.

- CAD/CAM Distinction 2nd place: Lee Krumbholz of Krumbholz Jewelers in Cincinnati; 18k white gold flame ring with 11.82 ct peridot and diamond.

- CAD/CAM Distinction Honorable Mention: Vache Minassian of Golden Link of N.J. in New York City; 18k white and yellow gold reversible bracelet with blue, yellow, and pink sapphires, and diamonds.

All of the above winners will receive cash awards of up to $1,000 as well as recognition in AJM Magazine and MJSA news releases, on MJSA Online, and in leading industry publications. In addition, the first-place winner for CAD/CAM Distinction will win the Model Master CNC 1000 Milling Machine, valued at $15,500, courtesy of Model Master.

AVA winners were selected by a panel of judges, consisting of industry professionals chosen by MJSA. The judges for 2005 were Cindy Edelstein of Jeweler's Resource Bureau; Michael Coan, Jewelry Department Chair, Fashion Institute of Technology; Peggy Jo Donahue, Editor in Chief, Professional Jeweler; Beth Braverman, Associate Editor, National Jeweler; Colleen Chiron, Segment Marketing Manager, Swarovski; and Jill Kenik of Acropolis Studios Inc.

Founded in 1903, MJSA is a national jewelry trade association representing approximately 1,800 members from all facets of the jewelry industry. MJSA's mission is to unite and empower our members to advance the jewelry manufacturing industry through government affairs, marketing and promotion, industry education, and cost-saving member benefits. For more information, visit MJSA Online at www.mjsainc.com. MJSA is also the presenter of Expo New York (www.expo-newyork.com), the largest trade show in the U.S. dedicated to jewelry manufacturing, and the publisher of AJM Magazine (www.ajm-magazine.com), an award-winning international trade publication.

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