Jacobs the Jewellers' Emerging Designer Competition: Announcing the 2021 winners
Jacobs the Jewellers, Reading’s oldest independent jewellery retailer, was today thrilled to share the winners of its annual Emerging Designer Competition.
2021’s seventh edition delivered an innovative hybrid competitive exhibition experience, being both online and instore.
The results were as follows:
Jewellery Winner
Georgia Piggot, Cosmic earrings
Jewellery Runner-up
Sorrel Acacia, Silk bracelet
Silver Winner
Freya Jeavons, Ore vase
Silver Runner-up
Kelda Young, Continuity vase
Seven Bishopsland designers took part in the exciting Competition presented instore and on www.jacobsthejewellers.com during July. Each participant showcased an item of silver as well as a piece of jewellery. Over the two week voting period, visitors to the website voted for their favourite jewellery design as well as their preferred silver object and those visiting the store saw the items in Jacobs’ the Jewellers recently refurbished shop. For the first time ‘meet the maker’ videos were premiered on YouTube which attracted over 250 views. Two items in competition were sold to supportive customers.
The winners each received £250 of HS Walsh vouchers, the runners up £100 vouchers each to spend on tools or materials to help establish their careers in the jewellery and silver industry plus a framed presentation certificate.
The event also synchronised with local arts organisation Jelly’s annual Open for Art cultural programme, a firmly established arts event in Reading. The annual competition has been made possible for the Bishopsland Educational Trust through the initiative, co-operation and support of Jacobs the Jewellers, the Goldsmiths’ Centre and HS Walsh.
Local arts organisation ‘Jelly’, supporters since the competition’s inception in 2014. All parties are supporting this competition with an ongoing commitment to the craft and artists of Bishopsland Educational Trust not to mention Reading as a creative centre in the South East.
“It’s been great to have the gang back in the shop exhibiting their jewellery and silver. My congratulations to them all on such an incredibly high standard of work – I heard frequent reference to this group being especially hard to choose between – the close voting showed it too.”
– Adam Jacobs, partner, Jacobs the Jeweller
“The Goldsmiths’ Centre is delighted to be supporting Jacob the Jewellers’ Emerging Designer Competition 2021. It’s an amazing endorsement and real life retail experience for emerging and talented designers from Bishopsland Educational Trust to showcase their talent. As a charity, we’re also passionate about giving new talent a springboard into their careers through training and showcasing opportunities, and we can’t wait to congratulate the winners.”
– Chris Oliver, Head of Professional Training, The Goldsmiths' Centre