The Turning of the Fagus / Snow at Crater Lake - 2021
FINALIST // Jewellers Association of Australia, Australasian Jewellery Awards 2021-2022
I am thrilled that my entry into the JAA Awards has been selected as a finalist! I have been working on my piece since April (it was put on hold for a while whilst the Awards were postponed due to the impacts of Covid).
There has been countless hours of work and pondering and as time went on the design evolved, got much bigger than planned and went through multiple redesigns and brainstorms.
The piece is hand manufactured in 18ct yellow, white, rose and green gold. The branch style neckpiece curls around the wearer mimicking the autumnal turning of foliage through the use of graduated gold on hand carved leaves. Central to the neckpiece is a freeform natural Australian Parti Sapphire which has been custom cut, to mimic the outline of Crater Lake at Cradle Mountain. Surrounding the main stone, and scattered along the piece are puddles of grain set white diamonds referencing highland snow fall.
My entry comes 11 years after first entering the awards in 2010 where I was extremely lucky to be awarded in my category and as overall winner.
To say I have been nervous to try again is a bit of an understatement. But, after the challenges of 2020 I made the decision to back myself and give it a go. I feel incredibly proud and honoured to have been selected. I am self employed and this piece is entirely self funded. It has beena big undertaking - and I feel incredibly proud to have reached the Finalist stage.
Images: 1 & 2 by Emily Snadden, Image 3 by Peter Whyte Photography (Modelled by Selina Ross)
Read more about the awards program HERE
