Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Council celebrates 110th anniversary, 60 years partnership with Cartier and 10 years of its Lifetime Achievement award
A VIP industry reception was held at The Goldsmiths’ Centre in London on Tuesday 15th May, both in honour of the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council (GC&DC) Patrons, Sponsors and Contributors, and to mark some important milestones for the organisation.
A VIP industry reception was held at The Goldsmiths’ Centre in London on Tuesday 15th May, both in honour of the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council (GC&DC) Patrons, Sponsors and Contributors, and to mark some important milestones for the organisation.
In a triple celebration, the event toasted 110 years of the GC&DC since its inception in 1908, the 60th anniversary of the Council’s partnership with Principle Patron Cartier, and 10 years of its Lifetime Achievement Award.
The event welcomed more than 100 guests from across the UK industry, with GC&DC Chairman Andrew Putland thanking the Awards’ existing benefactors for their ongoing support, while encouraging other businesses and individuals in the trade to support the GC&DC Awards in 2019 and beyond.
Guests enjoyed a special viewing of a video from the 2018 GCDC Awards evening, which took place at Goldsmiths’ Hall in February. This was followed by an exclusive ‘In Conversation’ with two notable winners from the 2018 awards: silversmiths Miriam Hanid and Oscar Saurin. Interviewing one another in front of the VIP audience, they spoke of their unique working processes, upholding quality in design, and what it means to win at the GC&DC Awards.
In celebration of the major milestones the GC&DC has reached in 2018, the Council also unveiled a special celebration cake, shared with guests.
Speaking of the evening, Chairman Andrew Putland said: “It is always fantastic to bring our Patrons, Sponsors and Contributors together, to express our gratitude for their ongoing support, and to show them how their sponsorship is inspiring both existing and future generations of craftspeople in jewellery, silversmithing and the allied trades. Miriam and Oscar were a dynamic duo, who gave the audience a great insight into what goes into making an award-winning piece. Thank you to everyone who came, and our future supporters of the GC&DC Awards.”
The annual GC&DC Awards, fondly known as the ‘Jewellery Oscars’, encourage, stimulate and promote the pursuit of excellence in craftsmanship and design among those engaged in silversmithing, goldsmithing, jewellery and the allied trades in the UK. They remain the only peer-reviewed technical and creative awards in the UK industry, and are keenly supported by the leading organisations, brands and individuals wishing to uphold and future-proof the trade.
The Council’s Founding and Leading Patron is The Goldsmiths’ Company, with world-renowned jewellery houses Cartier and Graff as Principal Patrons. Special Patrons for the Awards currently include The Goldsmiths’ Centre, Baird & Co., International Jewellery London (IJL) and Brown & Newirth.
A full list of the Council’s 2018 supporters Patrons, Sponsors, Contributors can be found in the current competition brochure on the GCDC website.