September 2004 Precious Metals/Metalsmithing Saul Bell Awards Honor Innovation Hundreds of submissions yield 10 winners Rio Grande named nine category winners and one Grand Prize winner in the fourth annual Saul Bell Design Award competition. The event, named for Rio Grande’s founder, honored original, innovative pieces in four jewelry categories (gold/platinum, silver, Precious Metal Clay® and beads) and in hollowware. Designers chose one of the categories as their predominant material and could integrate any additional material. Thirty finalists were chosen from among hundreds of renderings and photographs submitted in the first part of the competition. The finalists then created and submitted finished pieces. The 10 winners received more than $30,000 in prizes and awards and had their entries displayed at the Rio Grande booth at the JCK-Las Vegas Show and at www.saulbellaward.com. Deadline for entries in the 2005 competition is Sept. 20, 2004. Contact the company at (800) 396-9896, ext. 13247, hideyo@tbg.riogrande.com, www.saulbellaward.com. Gold / Platinum Grand Prize Winner Elizabeth Gualtieri Zaffiro Portland, OR La Floraliere brooch is constructed of 22k yellow gold sheet and wire with 22k yellow gold and platinum wire work and granule details accented with natural American river wing pearls, blue zircon, aquamarine briolette, blue sapphire, diamond, tsavorite garnet and Australian blue keshi pearl. Second Place Anisa Steward Mark Loren Designs Fort Myers, FL Cast and hand-finished 14k white gold pendant features a bicolor Munsteiner-cut tourmaline and white and blue diamond accents. Honorable Mention Kas Mahfood Kas A Designs Jefferson City, MO The 22k gold setting is cut from sheet metal then formed and attached to a platinum body and hand-set with a golden sapphire and diamonds. Honorable Mention T Lee T Lee Fine Designer Jewelry Minneapolis, MN Full Spectrum Mixed Weave Labyrinth Cuff bracelet is constructed of platinum and 24k gold woven over 18k white gold. It’s accented with spessartite garnet briolettes, Kanchanburi sapphire trillions and diamonds. Credit to Studio C and Gemco International. Silver First Place Marilyn Bailey M.E. Bailey Designs Hendersonville, NC Hollow-form bracelet is created from two 22-gauge spiculum tubes. Sawed ends create the V-point, then two tubes were soldered together. Eighteen-karat gold bezels holding garnet bullets close the tube ends. Second Place Maria Kiernik Berkeley, CA Seven Seeds Opening stack rings are made from a hand-carved wax model and cast in silver. Multiple rings are cast, oxidized and finished. One band is accented with diamonds. Precious Metal Clay® First Place Ivy Solomon Ivy Woodrose Oak Park, MI Pendant framework and backing are constructed of sterling silver sheet and rectangle wire. Molds of antiques and other found objects are made of Super Sculpey™; PMC was pressed into molds. Colores™ and Durenamel™ are used for color. Second Place Gordon Uyehara HonuDream Honolulu, HI Secret Garden Amulet pendant/necklace is made of PMC3® rolled rope and stencil-cut shapes. The lattice area is created using a syringe. The chain is woven sterling wire finished with a sterling toggle and PMC end caps. Set with lab-grown padparadscha sapphire. Beads First Place Rika Mouw Rika Designs Homer, AK Wintry necklace features about 900 Czech glass dagger beads strung on a spiraled wire. It’s finished with fabricated 22k gold/sterling bimetal, sterling silver and a 14k gold clasp. Second Place Felice Killian Felice Designs Charleston, SC Caviar necklace is constructed of 250 handcrafted soft Moretti glass beads using a lampwork technique. Beads are accented with Swarovski® crystals and attached to a sterling silver chain. Finished with sterling silver toggle clasp. Hollowware First Place Daniel Huynh San Diego, CA Tasseograph sculptural teapot is made of sterling silver sheet, tubing and wire. Chasing adds texture. Delrin® handle is lathe-turned, hand- finished and detailed. Second Place Induk Kim Lawrenceville, GA Silver sculptural teapot, part of a three-piece set, is fabricated and cast; red blown glass accents the handle and lid pull. Honorable Mention John Carnes John Carnes Designs Saugerties, NY Sterling silver and nickel silver wire vessel is made of 932 hand-cut 16 gauge pieces hammered flat and arranged into two long sheets, soldered and formed with a hydraulic press. The lid is accented with ruby.