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Three Diverse Emerging Designers Debut At Centurion 2020 | February 05, 2020 (0 comments)
Phoenix, AZ—The winners of the 2020 Centurion Emerging Designer Competition truly offered a new vision with something for everyone, as their respective collections spanned the gamut from high jewelry to everyday fashion to rugged men’s pieces.
Each year, the Centurion Emerging Designer Competition, sponsored by Stuller, attracts the best rising talents in American and global jewelry design. Entrants are invited to submit three images of their work, to vie for one of three coveted spaces at the Centurion Jewelry Show. Entries are judged by the Centurion Retailer Advisory Board and a panel of judges chosen from among the industry’s leading trend influencers.
The three winners for 2020 are Suarabh Bhola of New Delhi, India; Gazza Ladra of Brooklyn, NY; and Jeffrey Long of JL Jewelers in Fairfield, OH.
Saurabh Bhola
Saurabh Bhola firmly believes in the power of design, vivid imagination, and the willingness to experiment. He has a keen eye to push the boundaries and perpetually amaze his clients with the organic and sensuous silhouettes of his design language.
Bhola honed his skills at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, under the patronage of Maurice Galli, who headed the creative team at the house of Harry Winston. He later worked for Tiffany & Co. as a designer for its Iridesse chain of pearl-based jewelry stores. It was at Iridesse where he was bestowed with the honor of being chosen for a program clled the “Workshop Without The Walls,” and he went on to win a scholarship program to study Italian design under the program called DIMI, or Design Innovation Made in Italy, at the Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy. Presently, he produces his one-of-a-kind pieces for some of the most prestigious jewelry galleries in Europe.
Earrings with sapphire, diamond and natural pearls; a ring with a Golconda diamond and unoiled emeralds, and Petal earrings with natural unheated rubies by Saurabh Bhola.
Gazza Ladra
Infused with ancient symbology, Gazza Ladra talismans vibrate with the twin energies of the sun and the sea to serve as reminders of our connection to our home, the earth. Gazza Ladra’s creator, Sunny Setton De Poortere, a Franco-American, designs with a sense of endless gratitude for the cultures on our planet.
Her collection embraces the universal symbols of luck, truth, and wisdom. Some of her inspirations include the shiver of camel bells, the temples of ancient Phoenicia, the unblinking eye of Horus, the scent of jasmine trailing a desert caravan and, of course, shining yellow gold. Her jewels are handcrafted in New York City and her collection is designed to appeal to a wide range of women's budgets. Her signature collection features lush gold and gemstones, while a more affordable collection of 10k gold charms on simple cords lets budget-conscious younger fashion-loving women to be immersed in the Gazza Ladra brand as well.
In keeping with the designer’s passion for helping our planet, a percentage of profits from Gazza Ladra is donated to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a growing global alliance of more than 1,000 organizations, businesses, and thought leaders in 60 countries working toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on humans, animals, waterways, the ocean, and the environment.
A line of fashion-forward talismanic jewelry captures the essence of Gazza Ladra's commitment to the earth and sustainability, appealing to today's modern consumer.
Jeffrey Long
Born in Cincinnati, OH, Jeffrey Long started building things at a young age with his father. He followed this interest by getting a degree in architectural engineering in Dayton, OH. Looking for something more interesting, he moved to Kokomo, IN, to begin work for his brother Bill at his small jewelry shop, Long’s Jewelers. There, he was trained as a bench jeweler and began understanding jewelry structure and design. While he apprenticed as a goldsmith, his passion and interest grew; soon he realized he needed his own workspace and set out on his own and began doing custom work in 1984 in Florida under the name JL Designs.
Long started casting his own findings after gaining more experience as a stone setter, which is when he started to develop his own jewelry design style: greatly inspired by vintage jewelry while still showing interest in unique artists such as Salvador Dali. In 1996, he moved back to Ohio and opened JL Jewelers, a retail store with a heavy focus on custom designs in silver and gold, as well as vintage and estate jewelry. Long is expanding his popular custom designs and men’s pieces into a wholesale line.
Ancient coins and convertible bracelets with interchangeable clasps and beads are part of Jeffrey Long's edgy men's collection.