MJSA Online Honored For Website Content

MJSA Online Honored For Website Content    ATTLEBORO FALLS, MA--MJSA, the association dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design, has received a 2012 APEX Award for the content and writing of its website, MJSA Online (mjsa.org). The annual competition recognizes outstanding achievement in graphic design, editorial content, and overall communications effectiveness and excellence. More than 3,300 entries were evaluated overall for the prizes, with the website category attracting 215 entries. The competition is sponsored by Communications Concepts, the publisher of Writing That Works: The Business Communications Report. In addition to information about the activities of the association and its members, MJSA Online offers a wide range of technical, business, and legislative expertise. Among the site's offerings:  MJSA Journal Online and MJSA Custom Jeweler Online. Visitors can find exclusive online articles related to jewelry making, design, marketing, and business management. Articles are posted regularly and often relate to or enhance the articles from the association's two peer-reviewed publications of the same names. Past articles can be found in the MJSA Online Article Archive. Beginning in August 2012, a digital edition of MJSA Custom Jeweler will be available. MJSA Tech Sheets. Published periodically as special inserts in MJSA Journal and distributed at industry shows, the collectible Tech Sheets offer insights into all aspects of jewelry making and design. The sheets are available to members as PDF downloads. MJSA Compliance Guides. These members-only guides address such issues as lead and cadmium content in children's jewelry, the affordable health care law, and, forthcoming, diamond and metals sourcing MJSA Buyer's Guide and Guide to Subcontractors. Listing MJSA members by the products and services they offer, the two guides are augmented by in-depth articles on how to source effectively. The MJSA Bookstore features an A-Z archive to help trade visitors find what they need, whether it's a short how-to article or a book-length guide. The archive features hundreds of MJSA Journal and MJSA Custom Jeweler articles, as well as industry books on everything from alloying and bench tips to stone setting and wax work. Although the archive is open to the public, MJSA members can order articles free of charge and receive discounts on books.  MJSA Online also includes a Career Center with a job board; searchable guides to trade shows and educational programs; and scholarship information. For more information, go to mjsa.org, e-mail info@mjsa.org, or call 1-800-444-MJSA (6572).

About MJSA  MJSA is the U.S. trade association for jewelry makers, designers, and related suppliers. It provides the resources to achieve professional excellence and maintain a competitive edge. For more information, call MJSA at 1-800-444-6572 or visit www.mjsa.org.

Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology

Call for Nominations for the Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology

The Accredited Gemologists Association is calling for nominations for The Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology. Named in honor of its founding father for his many contributions to the gemological field and his work to establish and maintain high professional standards, past recipients of this prestigious award include: this Dr. Henry Hanni of Switzerland; Alan Hodgkinson and Alan Jobbins of the United Kingdom; CR Beesley, Robert Crowningshield, John Koivula, Antoinette Matlins, Shane McClure, Jim Shigley, and Chris Smith of the United States. The award consists of a specially commissioned bronze plaque, along with a specially commissioned medallion and check for $2,000.

Winners are announced each year in Tucson, Arizona, at a Gala Awards Ceremony and Dinner-Dance held at the conclusion of the AGA Gemological Conference. This year’s conference and award ceremony will be held on February 3, 2010, during the Tucson International Gem Fair.

The sole requirement for this award, which is international in scope, is that the candidate must have made a significant contribution to the field of gemology, or defended and upheld gemological standards in a way that has significantly benefited the gem and jewelry community. Accomplishments can be in the field of education, research, instrumentation, or the discovery of innovative techniques or practices that can be applied to gemological procedures or standards.

To nominate someone for the Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology, please write a brief background statement (200 words or less) about the candidate and why you think this award is merited.

AGA submission form and details on their site.

In 12 separate contests, one each month through 2009, covering every important category, National Jeweler's Best of Awards will recognize our industry's most outstanding jewelry design and retailer marketing.

Check the monthly schedule below to determine which monthly contests you should enter.

Don't miss your chance to be recognized as our industry's best in your area of specialty! Once entries are in, voting will open to industry members to determine industry's choice winners. In addition, an expert panel of judges will determine overall winners for prizes as outlined below.

A $50 application fee applies for each entry submitted.

Prizes:

Judge's Pick - One winner will be chosen in each of the 12 monthly contests and will receive:
Mention in a 4/c ad in National Jeweler magazine
Editorial announcement in National Jeweler magazine
Editorial announcement on NationalJeweler.com and the Daily News newsletter
Showcased on NationalJeweler.com

People's choice - Recognition along with the category winners

Monthly Award Categories:

January - Print Advertising

February - Colored Stone Jewelry

March - Online Advertising

April - Silver

May - Outdoor Advertising

June - Gold Jewelry
July - Platinum Jewelry

August - Direct Mail Advertising

September - Diamond and Bridal Jewelry

October - Radio Advertising

November - Watches

December - TV Advertising

Judges - Editorial, creative and marketing experts in the field will review and judge entries. Judges for 2009:

Design
Victoria Gomelsky, Couture International Jeweler
Lorraine DePasque, National Jeweler
Amanda Gizzi, Jewelry Information Center

Marketing
Ellen Fruchtman, Fruchtman Marketing
Ellie Parpis, Adweek
Whitney Sielaff, National Jeweler

Enter today and win! http://njn.nielsencontests.com/bin/Register

Emmy Earrings - the BIG story!

The shows producers decided to celebrate the new Reality Show Host category by having the nominees host the show...I don't think they will make that mistake again!




Thank God for Heidi Klum's earrings - they never failed to amuse even if the on stage banter didn't!



Talk about jewelry on steroids - Heidi is very tall, with a long neck and every pair of the Lorraine Schwartz Inc. earrings she wore reached from her ears to her shoulders - there must be some sort of armature that helps to hold these up (they never appeared to drag her earlobes down).



The Project Runway host wore six separate big, bold diamond pieces by Jeweler Lorraine Schwartz through the course of the evening. Among the attention-grabbers were shoulder-grazing gray and yellow rough-diamond flower earrings, swinging butterfly drops (top photo) and a bohemian diamond and lavender jade suite (see photo of Heidi on the floor).






Kathy Griffin (My Life On The "D" List) wore Erica Courtney 18k gold and diamond Flower Burst earrings with yellow beryl drops.




Other actresses rocking BIG earrings:

Kat Kraemer and Mariska Hargitay


Check out the BIG earrings and stacked necklaces on Kathy Lee!

Close up of the Kwiat designs on Olivia Wilde - Kwiat platinum earrings 1960’s Decades collection featuring more than 8 cts. t.w. pave diamonds and worth more than $300,000:

Award Season - Emerging Artist Award

http://saulbellaward.com/

Now in its ninth year, the Saul Bell Design Award continues to recognize artists whose work challenges traditional perceptions of jewelry design. Named for the founder of Rio Grande, the competition celebrates Saul's spirit and legacy by inviting jewelry artists and students to enter their most inspired creations. The industry abounds with stories of the opportunities and support Saul provided to young jewelers working to develop their skills. His quiet patience endeared him to all. And his good humor always brought a smile. It is our hope that Saul's influence continues to inspire and enlighten jewelers everywhere.

Emerging Artist Award

2009 SBDA Emerging Artist Competition - Rio Grande is proud to announce the second year of the Saul Bell Design Award Emerging Artist competition. Celebrating the fresh ideas, creative spark and unbridled energy of youth, this competition is open to designers 18 years of age and younger. There are no limitations on medium, as long as the finished piece is wearable jewelry. Finalists and winning designers are celebrated at an invitation-only gala at JCK Las Vegas, 2009. We encourage young designers to enter their most inspired work.

Participants

We invite students 18 years of age and younger to take part in the second annual Saul Bell Design Award Emerging Artist competition. Employees of Rio Grande or of any affiliate or participating company (and their immediate family members) may not participate.

Judging Criteria

Pieces are judged on the following criteria:

• The innovation and uniqueness of the design.

• The successful incorporation of media into the design.

• The quality of workmanship (for final judging).

How to Enter

You may submit as many entries as you wish. Supply one rendering or photograph (at least 4" x 6"), mounted on a white matte board (must be 8½" x 11"); no slides, please. Please keep a copy of your rendering or photograph; submissions will not be returned. Do not send finished pieces unless asked to do so by Rio Grande. Submissions which do not meet entry criteria may be disqualified. Send each rendering or photograph with a copy of the entry form (one per entry) and a $25 entry fee (per entry) to:

Rio Grande

7500 Bluewater Road NW

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87121-1962

Attention: Emerging Artists

Finalists

Finalists will be notified and asked to produce their designs for judging. Finished pieces must be received by January 30, 2009.

Winners

Winners will be notified by phone and/or mail and announced formally to the public during JCK Las Vegas, 2009.

For more information, call 505.839.3265 or 800.396.9896 ext. #13265, or email marketing@riogrande.com.

The Reward

In addition to a financial reward and industry-wide recognition, the first place winner receives a limited-edition sculpture by New Mexico glass artist John Healey created especially for the Emerging Artist category.

Financial rewards include:

First Place $500 Rio Grande Gift Certificate

Second Place $250 Rio Grande Gift Certificate

Third Place $100 Rio Grande Gift Certificate

All finalists receive a certificate recognizing their achievement.

It's Time To Start Thinking About Awards! - Saul Bell Award

2009 Saul Bell Design Award Competition

http://saulbellaward.com/

Now in its ninth year, the Saul Bell Design Award continues to recognize artists whose work challenges traditional perceptions of jewelry design. Named for the founder of Rio Grande, the competition celebrates Saul's spirit and legacy by inviting jewelry artists and students to enter their most inspired creations. The industry abounds with stories of the opportunities and support Saul provided to young jewelers working to develop their skills. His quiet patience endeared him to all. And his good humor always brought a smile. It is our hope that Saul's influence continues to inspire and enlighten jewelers everywhere.

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The Saul Bell Design Award competition continues to recognize artists whose work challenges traditional perceptions of jewelry design. We invite you to enter your most inspired creations in the 2009 Saul Bell Design Award competition.

Participants

We invite members of the jewelry or hollowware community or students of a jewelry or hollowware training program to embrace the challenge—take part in the ninth annual Saul Bell Design Award competition. Employees of Rio Grande or of any affiliate or participating company (and their immediate family members) may not participate.

Judging Criteria

Pieces are judged on the following criteria:

• The innovation and uniqueness of the design.

• The successful incorporation of media into the design.

• The quality of workmanship (for final judging).

How to Enter

Submit as many entries as you wish.

Each individual can place once as a finalist in each category.

Supply one rendering or photograph (at least 4" x 6"), mounted on a white matte board (must be 8½" x 11"); no slides, please. Please keep a copy of your rendering or photograph; submissions will not be returned.

Do not send finished pieces unless asked to do so by Rio Grande.

Submissions which do not meet entry criteria may be disqualified.

Send each rendering or photograph with a copy of the entry form (one per entry) and a $45 entry fee (per entry) to:

Rio Grande

7500 Bluewater Road NW

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87121-1962

Attention: Design Awards

The Categories

Choose one of the categories listed below as the foundation of your piece and integrate any additional stones or materials you wish into your jewelry or hollowware design. Submitted pieces must be a wearable jewelry style (except in the hollowware category) and must be composed of at least 75% of the material specified in the chosen category. The piece may not have won an award in any other competition.

Gold/Platinum

The predominant metal is gold, platinum or a combination of both.

May be cast, fabricated, forged, assembled, or any combination of techniques.

Must be your original design.

Precious Metal Clay®

The predominant material is either silver or gold Precious Metal Clay® (PMC), PMC+® or PMC3®.

Must be your original design.

Beads

The predominant design elements are beads, pearls, or other strung ornaments.

Beads may be any material.

Must be your original design or assembly.

Silver

The predominant metal is silver.

May be cast, fabricated, forged, assembled or any combination of techniques.

Must be your original design.

Hollowware

A vessel that is spun, drawn, forged and/or raised.

May incorporate decorative cast or fabricated components into the design.

The medium is predominantly silver and/or gold.

Enamel

The predominant surface material must be enamel.

Use glass-based enamels and fire on any type of metal.

Must be your original design and construction.

Finalists

Finalists will be notified and asked to produce their designs for judging.

Finished pieces must be received by January 30, 2009.

Winners

Winners will be notified by phone and/or mail and announced formally to the public during JCK Las Vegas, 2009.

For more information, call 505.839.3265 or 800.396.9896 ext. #13265, or email marketing@riogrande.com.

The Reward

In addition to financial rewards and industry-wide recognition, each award-winning designer receives a limited-edition sculpture created by New Mexico glass artist John Healey.

Financial rewards include:

Grand Prize $10,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate

First Place (in each of the remaining five categories) $2500 Rio Grande Gift Certificate

Second Place (in each of the six categories)$1000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate

Winners and their designs may be featured in Rio Grande publicity campaigns.