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Centurion Picks Six for Emerging Design Winners February 08, 2011 (0 comments)
Tucson, AZ—The six winners of Centurion’s third Emerging Designer Contest were announced at the opening dinner of the 10th Anniversary of the Centurion Jewelry Show. None of the winning designers has ever exhibited in a U.S. fine jewelry trade show prior to Centurion 2011.
“We are very proud to be able to find and introduce these amazing emerging designers to the prestige jewelry industry,” said Centurion president Howard Hauben. “In addition to [the designers] winning the competition, we offer the top retailers in the country the chance to meet these up-and-comers and view their collections.”
The 2011 winners are:
- William Belack, Belack Jewelry Design, United States
- Pamela Harari, Pamela Harari Jewelry Design, Israel
- Amitai Kav, Amitai Kav, Israel
- Valerie Ostenak, VOSTENAKstudios, United States
- JJ Williams, JJ Number 8, United States
- Nuttapon (Kenny) Yongkiettakul, Kavant, Thailand
Winning pieces were chosen by a popular vote of prestige retail jewelers in late 2010; they were selected by the retailers for their combination of uniqueness and salability. The designers were:
William Belack, Belack Jewelry Design, Miami and New York. Tel.: (786) 553-4003, email: william@belackinc.com
Belack’s work features hand-made jewelry using a conceptual design process, fusing natural stones along with ancient ideas and workmanship in the art of jewelry making. “Pieces are created to fill a narrative within our design approach. It is this narrative that we hope can be translated to our customers as it adds to and becomes part of their story. Rough against smooth, fine against flawed, there is a unique beauty found within everything, and it is this beauty that we strive to capture while creating modern and sophisticating jewelry,” he says.
William Belack's earrings
Pamela Harari, Pamela Harari Jewelry Design, Kadima, Israel. Tel.: (+972) 523276319, email: pharari@netvision.net.il.
Pamela Harari has been using different techniques, unusual rough materials for 28 years. Brought up in Leeds in the North of England, Pamela studied jewelry design at the Jacob Cramer College of Art, and then went on to do an apprenticeship in Paris before emigrating to Israel. Today, she lives and designs from her home in Kadima, a small farming town in Israel.
When choosing stones, she prefers the ones with little imperfections for that “little something” that makes them unique, and perfect in themselves. The idea is to use an element from nature or history and through the stone, color and cut, design the jewel. The process in the way Pamela works is impeccable, setting high standards for herself and the finished product. It starts by finding an exceptional stone, developing a design original in content, and then producing the piece ready for setting and finish.
Her jewelry collection is created from pieces made with a mélange of materials of high carat gold and rare hand cut gems. Dynamic in unsymmetrical form, Pamela knows that at the end of the day her jewels will always make a statement and give the wearer "joie de vivre."
Harari's colored diamond and high-karat gold pendant
Amitai Kav, Jerusalem, Israel. Tel.: (+972) 2-6794749, email: kavkatan@inter.net.il
”Original and personal design in gold is inspired by the region: the Egyptian, the Bedouin and Oriental elements,” says the designer. Born in 1941, Kibbutz Negba, Israel, Amitai Kav is a self-taught jeweler. His work is on display now at Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA, Jewish Museum, New York City, Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA, Luvaton–Kav Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel; and Shuki Freiman Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel. He also counts among his fans Jordan’s Queen Noor and U.S. Secretary of State and former First Lady Hillary Clinton. His cuff is pictured at the opening of this article, and below, a pendant/brooch.
Kav's brooch
Valerie Ostenak, VOSTENAKstudios, Cottonwood, AZ. Tel.: (928) 646-7078, email: valerio@vostenakstudios.com
VOSTENAKstudios, a sole proprietorship, is focused on design of bespoke sculptural jewelry for discerning collectors, with some collections able to extend into high-end design limited production markets. The use of steel speaks to the customer's desire for an alternative to high karat gold while maintaining an exclusive and creative look, and incorporates those elements they are familiar with, such as 14k gold, pearls, or Swarovski crystals. Design style is organic and flowing. Inspired by the sensuous movement of roots, vines, and water, and the timeless seasonal changes of trees, the wearer is connected to nature's timeless and sensuous flow.
Ostenak's necklace
JJ Williams, JJ Number 8, Mission Viejo, CA. Tel.: (949) 636-6975, email: jj@jjnumber8.com
Says the designer, “JJ Number 8 is fresh, graceful and elegant. The number 8 symbolizes good luck and happiness. JJ Number 8's jewelry has a powerful allure and its brand has a magnetic connection with women.”
A gold pendant by JJ Number 8
Nuttapon (Kenny) Yongkiettakul, Bangkok, Thailand. Tel.: (+662) 243-2446, email: nuttapon.y@gmail.com
“With the contemporary approach to jewelry design, my collection (www.kavantjewelry.com) displays the beauty of nature and the art within the irregularity and randomness of it. The collection harmonizes modern structures and ideas together with the uniqueness of shapes and patterns in nature to create exclusive one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry,” says the designer.
Kenny's flower earrings are fully articulated and all the petals move independently.