The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has once again spotlighted the exceptional abilities of its jewelry design students through the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design. This year marks the seventh iteration of this prestigious competition, which aims to recognize and foster talent in the field of jewelry design across the globe.
The recent celebration took place during the GIA Alumni Collective event in Tucson, Arizona, where Suhan Wang, a distinguished graduate from the GIA school in Taipei, was honoured with the award.
“On behalf of the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation and Rosa Maria Buccellati, we want to congratulate Ms. Suhan Wang, this year’s award winner, plus all the other designers whose work has honored this competition,” said Larry French, chief officer for North American strategies at the foundation. “We appreciate the talented GIA design instructors whose skill and efforts helped the students on their journey to celebrate the art of jewelry design in the highest way, an art that meant so much to our founder Gianmaria Buccellati.”
Esteemed Panel of Judges
The competition’s rigorous judging process was overseen by a panel of industry experts, including Nanz Aalund, a renowned jewelry designer, goldsmith, and educator; Cathy Calhoun, owner of Calhoun Jewelers; Victoria Gomelsky, editor-in-chief of JCK; Charles Lewton-Brain, jewelry artist and co-founder of the Ganoksin Project; Remy Rotenier, a fine jewelry designer and educator; and Shelly Sergent, collections manager of the Somewhere In the Rainbow Gemstone and Jewelry Collection. Their collective expertise ensured a comprehensive evaluation of the contestants’ work, underlining the competition’s commitment to excellence.
“The inspiration came from the mellow and delicate fruits in the dense jungle. It took only a few minutes for the sketch of this design to be completed, but it took dozens of hours to refine details and finish rendering,” said Wang, the winner of this year’s competition. “Attending GIA was a rewarding experience for zero-to-one growth, and it certainly gives me higher expectations of myself, which motivates me in my career.”
2024 Competition and Course Offerings
The Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design competition for 2024 is currently open for entries. Eligibility extends to students enrolled in GIA’s Jewelry Design course, underscoring the institute’s dedication to nurturing future talents in jewelry design. Further information about the competition and how to enter can be found on GIA’s official website.
GIA’s Jewelry Design course is a comprehensive program that covers drafting, shading, design theory, and illustration across various mediums. Completing the course equips students with both a hand-developed and digital portfolio of their work, showcasing their skills and creativity. The course is available at multiple GIA campuses worldwide, including Bangkok, Carlsbad, Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, New York, Taipei, and additional locations in Shanghai and Shenzhen, China. Besides Jewelry Design, GIA offers programs in Jewelry Design & Technology and Comprehensive Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) for Jewelry, along with the Graduate Jeweler Program.
