PLATINUM GUILD INTERNATIONAL USA ANNOUNCES A CALL FOR ENTRIES

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN!

PLATINUM GUILD INTERNATIONAL USA ANNOUNCES A CALL FOR ENTRIES

 FOR THE FOURTH ANNUAL

JCK 2013 PLATINUM INNOVATION AWARDS

Platinum Guild International (PGI-USA) in conjunction with JCK Las Vegas announces a call for entries for the third annual JCK 2013 Platinum Innovation Awards, held at JCK Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay, May 31 through June 3, 2013. The deadline to submit design images is April 10, 2013 and final product submissions are due April 25, 2013. Exhibitors from JCK, as well as the LUXURY, Elite Enclave and AGTA Shows are welcome to submit designs. The competition acknowledges innovation and skill in platinum design in both bridal and fashion jewelry and will designate awards in the following categories:

• Platinum Engagement Ring
• Entry Platinum Engagement Ring (semi-mounts under $2500 retail)
• Platinum Wedding Band
• Platinum Men’s Jewelry
• Entry Platinum Fashion Jewelry (under $3500 retail)
• Platinum Red Carpet Jewelry
• Platinum and Colored Gemstone Jewelry

The call to entry coincides with the relaunch of PGI’s trade-facing website:

 www.platinumguild.com.  

The revamped site offers a more enticing new look and user-friendly navigation.  

On platinumguild.com, visitors can browse platinum news and press,  marketing materials and sales support. Entrants for the Platinum Innovation Awards can log on to the site at http://platinumguild.com/en-US/news-press/platinum-innovation-awards to submit.   

Entrants are welcome to submit one product per category and will instantly become “nominees” into this year’s competition. All nominees will have their designs professionally photographed and featured on PGI-USA’s consumer website, www.preciousplatinum.com, and press website, www.pgi-press.com, as they await the chance to win the Platinum Innovation Awards’ prize package. Awards will be granted twice in each category, based on one Editor’s Choice and one Buyer’s Choice Award.  One special Best in Show Award will be given as a culmination from all votes. Judging will begin on May 7^th at an exclusive Editor Preview Event in New York City. Editor’s choices will not be revealed until after the buyers have voted at the shows.

“The Platinum Innovation Awards have created an infectious buzz within the platinum jewelry industry for the past three years,” says PGI-USA CEO Huw Daniel. “With each contest, we see innovation in design reach a new level, highlighting the extraordinary versatility of platinum. We anticipate that this year will raise the bar even higher.”

Winners in each of the seven categories will be announced on June 2, 2013, and will receive a generous promotional benefits package.

For complete details and to submit your best platinum designs, please visit www.platinumguild.com.  The deadline for all entries is April 4, 2012. 

About PGI-USA:

Platinum Guild International is dedicated to promoting platinum and its, pure, rare and eternal qualities to the consumer and the jewelry trade.  PGI has offices in each of the world's major jewelry markets, providing information, assistance and education on all aspects of platinum jewelry. For more information please visit www.platinumguild.com

CALL FOR ENTRIES: 2013 NICHE Awards

CALL FOR ENTRIES: 2013 NICHE Awards

Honors for Innovation in Fine Craft Design, for Professionals and Students

BALTIMORE -- Entries are being accepted now for the2013 NICHE Awards, a prestigious juried competition recognizing excellence in fine craft design. Professional and student artists may apply online at www.NICHEAwards.com. The deadline for entries is Sept. 30, 2012.

Contest categories include ceramic, fiber, glass, metal, wood, and jewelry arts. New categories added this year seek original artist-made holiday ornaments and decorations; objects for the kitchen and for dining; and jewelry made from alternative materials.

Judging of entries is based on three main criteria:

• technical excellence, both in surface design and form
• a distinct quality of unique, original and creative thought
• market viability (professional entries only)

The entry fees are $40 for professional craft artists and $18 for students; up to three artworks may be entered per person.

The judging will take place in October. Finalists will be invited to display their work in a NICHE Awards exhibit at the Buyers Market of American Craft, a national wholesale tradeshow of American-made products, February 16-18, 2013, in Philadelphia. Winners will be announced at a ceremony during the Buyers Market on February 17, 2013.

The NICHE Awards are sponsored by NICHE magazine,the quarterly trade publication for U.S. and Canadian retailers of fine craft and artist-made products. NICHE is published by The Rosen Group, a Baltimore-based arts marketing, publishing and advocacy firm.

  

Contact: Jean Thompson, at jeant@rosengrp.com or call 800-432-7238, ext. 218.

UnCommon Goods: Call For Jewelry Designers

UncommonGoods is looking for their next great jewelry designer – they’re accepting submissions for unique pieces and fresh designs until midnight on August 31 here: http://www.uncommongoods.com/designs/jewelry.

Calling all jewelry designers! Here's your chance to get your products in front of UncommonGoods customers. We're looking for unique pieces and fresh designs that we haven't seen anywhere else. Think earrings, necklaces, cufflinks, watches or bracelets, and whatever else you think will make us say "wow".

What's In It For You?
This is a great opportunity for you to win a little pocket change ($500), your jewelry will be seen by UnCommonGoods' active consumer community and possibly sign a vendor contract with UncommonGoods.  


Community Sourced 
We’ll share the designs we like with our customer community using our community voting app, then our panel of judges (Brooklyn artist Kiel Mead, style & beauty expert Jenn Falik, and our own jewelry & accessories buyer Erin Fergusson) will choose the winning design from the top five vote-getting finalists.





UncommonGoods is an online marketplace offering creatively designed, high-quality merchandise at affordable prices. At UncommonGoods, we believe that creativity and the expression of individuality represent two great human treasures. We have set out to create a business that makes uncommon goods accessible to everyone.

Founded in August 1999, UncommonGoods is privately held and headquartered in New York City

2012 Spectrum Awards - Now Accepting Entries

The American Gem Trade Association has announced that they are now accepting entries to the AGTA Spectrum Awards.  Some of the most respected awards in the Gem & Jewelry Industry, the Spectrum Awards have three distinct divisions.

The Spectrum Awards have 5 categories that range from Daywear to Men's to Bridal.  The Platinum Honors division is sponsored by the Platinum Guild International and consists of five categories. And, this being an awards program from the premier Colored Gemstone Association, there is also a "Cutting Edge" division.

All entries also qualify for two "Honors" categories and "Best of Show".

Fashion Forward Honors recognizes the outstanding use of colored gemstone and/or cultured pearl beads in artful, trend-setting jewelry. All necklaces, earrings, bracelets or other jewelry that qualifies for judging in the AGTA Spectrum Awards™ competition will automatically be qualified for Fashion Forward Honors judging.

Manufacturing Honors recognizes outstanding use of colored gemstones and cultured pearls in jewelry appropriate to be manufactured in production quantities. All designs that qualify for judging in the AGTA Spectrum Awards™ competition will also automatically be qualified for Manufacturing Honors judging.

"The judging panel changes each year and consists of experts from different disciplines within the jewelry industry. Entries are judged on a solid criterion which includes overall beauty and wearability, innovative design, effective use of materials, quality of gemstones, quality of workmanship, broad-base consumer appeal and potential to generate positive publicity for natural colored gemstones. Each piece is examined by hand with an eye for craftsmanship and quality of the materials used."

So - why should you enter the 2012 AGTA Spectrum Awards?  the video gives you some really important reasons...exposure...placement...




Download the entry form at:  2012 AGTA Spectrum Awards Entry Form

Deadline for entry is Friday, September 23, 2011.  No exceptions will be made. Photos and Award descriptions from the AGTA Spectrum Award website

DEADLINE June 6th! ...for the 6th Annual Halstead Grant

Just got a great Reminder note from Hilary Scott at Halstead:

"Just a reminder that the submission deadline for The Halstead Grant is June 6^th! This long weekend is the perfect time for new jewelry designers to wrap up their submission packets. Eligibility criteria and application details are at www.HalsteadBead.com/Grant. The winning entrant will receive a $5,000 small business cash grant, $1,000 in supplies and industry recognition. Good luck to all this year’s candidates"

Competition Deadline: June 6, 2011

Halstead Bead Inc is inviting jewelry designers to enter its 6th annual grant competition for new entrepreneurs in the industry. The winner of the 2011 business development grant will receive $6,000 in cash and merchandise as well as other benefits. The award was previously known as The Jewelry Design Business Development Grant; however, it has been renamed in 2011. The award is sponsored by Halstead Bead Inc., a supplier of wholesale jewelry supplies.

Designers utilizing jewelry making techniques such as metalsmithing, lampworking, metal clay, wirework, beading, or casting are eligible to enter the competition. Candidates must be US citizens who began their businesses after January 1, 2008. Their design companies must focus on “bridge jewelry” which is the segment between costume jewelry and fine jewelry. Bridge designs are primarily crafted from sterling silver with semi-precious stones, crystal, glass, pearls and other materials. This segment is also known as “craft jewelry” or “art jewelry.”

Complete application details can be found at http://www.halsteadbead.com/Grant. Candidates are required to submit a design portfolio, resume and answers to several business planning questions. Applications must be received between April 15 and June 6, 2011. The grant website includes several helpful articles on launching a national jewelry business as well as information on past winners and finalists. Previous grant winners include Cowboy’s Sweetheart Jewelry, VOSTENAKstudios, Bridgland Studios, Belle Brooke Designs, and Ananda Khalsa Jewelry.

The Halstead Grant differs from other jewelry industry competitions because of its emphasis on small business skills. Jewelry entrepreneurs applying for the grant must demonstrate not only extraordinary design, but also a strong business strategy. The application experience promotes the small business planning required to make a jewelry brand commercially viable at the national level.

The grant sponsor, Halstead Bead, Inc., is one of North America’s leading jewelry supply wholesalers. The firm was established 38 years ago and now supplies thousands of jewelry designers and manufacturers around the globe. Halstead Bead, Inc. is wholesale only and specializes in jewelry findings, chain, wire & beads for the bridge jewelry segment.

PGI & JCK Announce JCK 2011 PLATINUM INNOVATION AWARDS

PLATINUM GUILD INTERATIONAL USA ANNOUNCES A CALL FOR ENTRIES

 FOR THE SECOND ANNUAL JCK 2011 PLATINUM INNOVATION AWARDS

"2010 Platinum Innovation Award Winner,
Uneek Platinum 'Snowflake' Pendant"

Platinum Guild International (PGI-USA) in conjunction with JCK Las Vegas announces acall for entries for the second annual JCK 2011 Platinum Innovation Awards,held at JCK Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay, June 3 through June 6, 2011. Following the success of last year’s competition – which included an impressive 75 entries from the nation’s top jewelry brands – this year will once again celebrate and award innovative platinum design in both bridal and fashion jewelry.  The deadline to enter is April 6, 2011.

“We’re thrilled to bring the Platinum Innovation Awards back to JCK Las Vegas,” shared Huw Daniel, President of PGI-USA.  “The overwhelming response and passion from last year’s participants has inspired some exciting evolutions to this year’s competition. We are eager to see the ingenuity continue, and look forward to helping our industry partners build their platinum sales through innovative design.”

Contest categories were selected by top US retailers based on what platinum product they would like to see in their stores.  This year’s contest categories include:

·       Vintage-Inspired Platinum Engagement Ring

·       Modern Platinum Engagement Ring

·       Entry Platinum Engagement Ring (semi-mounts under $2500 retail)

·       Platinum Wedding Band

·       Platinum Earrings

·       Platinum Fashion Ring

Entrants within each category will instantly become “nominees” into this year’s competition, and benefit from having their design professionally photographed and featured on PGI-USA’s consumer website, www.preciousplatinum.com as they await the chance to win the Platinum Innovation Awards’ prize package, valued at $50,000.   Contest judges will be an elite panel of top editors and retailers attending JCK Las Vegas.

“JCK is thrilled to once again have Platinum Guild International’s Platinum Innovation Awards as part of this year’s event!” quoted Yancy Weinrich, Industry Vice President, JCK Events.  “We praise their efforts to promote the beauty of platinum not only to consumers, but to retailers at point-of-sale. With JCK’s new home at Mandalay Bay this year, and an enhanced show floor experience, the Platinum Innovation Awards will offer excitement and fun for retailers who spend time with us this year as well as honor exhibitors who excel in designing platinum jewelry.”

Winners in each of the five categories will be announced on June 5, 2011, and will receive a prize package valued at $50,000, including:

·       Official JCK 2011 Platinum Innovation Awards trophy

·       Inclusion in the Design Gallery of PGI’s consumer website, www.preciousplatinum.com, which hosts more than 40,000 unique visitors per month

·       Winning pieces featured in PGI’s national advertising campaign

·       Custom-designed store window display, featuring the winning platinum design, at a store of the winner’s choosing

·       Professional photography of the winning product (including the digital file for reproduction in the winner’s own advertising/online/media placements)

·       Inclusion in all post-contest press outreach

·       Inclusion in a congratulatory ad in a jewelry trade publication

·       A customized poster featuring the winning product and denoting it as an awardwinner

·       Inclusion in PGI’s national publicity campaigns to trade and consumer media

·       Customized in-store signage package for up to 100 of the winner’s top retail customers

·       PGIwill conduct an in-store, facilitated sales training session at a store of the winner’s choosing

·       Professionally produced ad slick for placement in local/regional media

For complete details and to submit your best platinum designs, please visit www.platinumguild.com. Additional questions may be directed to Jennifer Singerman, PGI-USA, at jsingerman@pgiusa.com or (212) 404-1604.  The deadline for allentries is April 6, 2011. 

About PGI-USA:

Platinum Guild International is dedicated to promoting platinum and its, pure, rare and eternal qualities to the consumer and the jewelry trade. PGI has offices in each of the world's major jewelry markets, providing information, assistance and education on all aspects of platinum jewelry. For more information please visit www.platinumguild.com

What's So Funny?

Brigitte Martin of crafthaus asks...What's so funny?

Humor in Craft

People of all ages and cultures respondto humor enthusiastically and craft artwork definitely can be very funny !

Often, the work exudes a sense of the absurd due to exaggerated size or by being executed in unusual materials. Craft artwork can be highly ironic, political, sarcastic, or just plain amusing, and it comes in a variety of media, such as metals, wood, fibers, ceramics, glass, mixed media etc.

Brigitte Martin has joined up with Schiffer Publishing to develop a book about the role humor plays in contemporary craft, and we welcome your submissions in image, text, audio, and video !

We are lookingfor the following contributions:
- images of humorous artwork,
- texts/essays by the contributing artists, commenting about humorous aspects in their artwork,
- audio art
- video art (the book will contain a CD of audio/video art depending on qualifying submissions)
- essays by writers about the role of humor and fun in craft.

Can you show us humor in all its shades expressed through craft artwork and text ? Who decides what's funny and what isn't ? What topics are off-limits ? Is irony funny ? Sarcasm ? Are politics funny ? Religion ? This book aims to provide the viewer with entertainment, commentary, and of course, many fine craft pieces by makers from all over the world. Humor has no borders. Or does it ? It might be interesting to learn how a piece will be hilarious in China, but only garner mild astonishment in Sweden and vice versa.

This call is open to craft artists working in all craft media. crafthaus membership is not required. International entries are particularly welcome and encouraged ! The book is scheduled to be on the market in 2012.

This is a rolling call: THE SOONER YOU SEND IN YOUR ENTRY the greater your chance to be considered ! Final deadline: March 1, 2011.

Artists:

To submit your work for initial consideration, please email:
humorincraft@yahoo.com

- low res image(s),

- information regarding media, measurements,

- brief blurb about your work and your views on the topic of "humor in craft"

- Audio/Video artists: Please email an excerpt of your piece or direct me to a website where your work can be heard/seen.

Once selected, you will receive detailed information about the image requirements for printing, as well as other pertinent information and a deadline for final submission.

Image requirements for eventual inclusion in book:

Be prepared to submit your photos at 300 dpi and sized 15 x 10 inches !
Format: tiff or jpg

AdobeRGB1998 preferred but not necessary
Pixel count for a 9 x 7 image is: 3500 x 2800 pixels

Writers:

Please submit a brief outline on your proposed essay topic, as well
as some information about you to:
email: humorincraft@yahoo.com

Photos from crafthaus

AGTA Spectrum Awards - It is not too late to enter...

Click Image for Larger View....

Call for Entries: eXtreme Tea Exhibition

eXtreme Tea Exhibition

An exhibition of historic and contemporary tea infusers and strainers curated by Tom Muir.

The exhibit will be shown from January 16 – March 21, 2010 at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.

Introduction:
If you’ve used a teabag, you’ve used the least attractive, and most common, form of contemporary tea infuser. A tea infuser is simply a device that holds loose tea leaves for brewing in a pot or cup. But this simple, useful object has a history of extraordinary artistic elaboration, in common with all tea implements. Today, as tea is a popular beverage around the globe, the tea infuser presents an exciting challenge for contemporary artists in many media. The contrasts between tradition and contemporary possibilities for the tea infuser are extreme indeed – even more so is the inventiveness that takes this simple function to imaginative extremes!
High craft and low craft are contrastingly represented in tea infusers, which can be made of metal, glass, ceramic, fiber and plastic – and combinations of mixed media. The functional solution that artists have found to the problem of steeping tea have varied widely and wildly – from figural, thematic depictions and literary references to visual and functional puns and engineering tours de forces.

With possibilities for multiple use in the contemporary context, tea infusers provide unlimited possibilities for artists! Besides the popularity of tea itself, new forms of contemporary tea infusers will also share in the world-wide status of teapots as culturally significant artforms.

To have work considered for the exhibition:
please send high-quality digital images
and information to:
Tom Muir
Fine Arts Center
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH 43402
or tommuir@hughes. net

Deadline for submission: October 1, 2009

Photo: Courtesy of Powerhouse Museum's Photostream

Call for Entries: LUKE & ELOY GALLERY

"PAPER or PLASTIC ?"

Exhibition: November 14, 2009 - January 16, 2010
Deadline for submissions: October 3, 2009

LUKE & ELOY GALLERY is currently reviewing submissions for "PAPER OR PLASTIC ?", a group show opening November 14, 2009.

We are looking for artwork executed in all paper, cardboard or plastic materials. Work can be 2- or 3-dimensional, and contain various other media - such as metal - as long as the main components of the work are either paper, cardboard or plastics.

Video of paper or plastic based artwork, and site-specific installations are also welcome.

An entry form, and information regarding artwork submission for this exhibit can be found on the gallery's website: http://lukeandeloy.ning.com
Email us your questions to: lukeandeloy@live.com

Call for Project Designers: 30-Minute Necklaces

Remember the 30 minute Earring Challenge?

Well this is yet another chance to be published!

Jewelry Design Challenge: 30-Minute Necklaces

Publisher: Lark Books

Editor: Marthe Le Van

Proposal Deadline: August 3, 2009

Are you a skilled and imaginative jewelry designer who is up for a challenge?

Great! Your mission is to design a necklace or pendant that can be made…start to finish…in 30 minutes flat. Can it be done? Absolutely.

Jewelers exceeded expectations by submitting stunning collection of work for "30-Minute Earrings," the first book in this series. Now we ask you to join the fun."30-Minute Necklaces" will showcase more than 50 incredibly stylish step-by-step projects that can be created without investing too much of a valuable commodity—time! The selected designs will be modern and sophisticated and encompass many different styles and techniques. The common denominator will be fast projects that look terrific!

PS: In "30-Minute Necklaces," we won't be teaching fundamental jewelry making techniques. Designers can assume that their readers are already proficient (and quick!) at the basics.

For details and entry forms, visit the Lark Books website!

Accept the challenge!

Call For Entries - SNAG 40th Anniversary Apron

Call for Entries: There will be a limited edition shop apron created to help celebrate  SNAG's 40th Anniversary. The aprons will go on sale at the 40th annual conference, in  Philadelphia on May 20, 2009. The 40th Anniversary Committee is holding a contest to find the artwork to grace this limited edition apron. The contest is open to any student (full or part time) in any metals program in North America. (This means you or your students!) There are many prizes: a $50 gift certificate for the winner, and a $25 gift certificate for the runner-up, generously donated by Allcraft Tools. The winning design and designer will be featured in an announcement in Metalsmith Magazine . Not to mention bragging rights, and a free apron, courtesy of the anniversary committee. If you want to see your artwork on everybody else’'s apron, now'’s your chance. Final designs due via email March 16, 2009. Email address:snag@alberic. net