„Young Designers Corner“ 2024 - The Finalists

The time has come – the finalists of the Young Designers Corner Jewelry Competition 2024 have been determined! From numerous entries, the jury has selected five young up-and-coming designers who will be invited to present their work at Gemworld Munich from
October 24 to 27.

There, on Thursday, October 24 at 4:00 p.m. in the forum area in Hall B6, the three winners will also be announced.

In addition to the prizes awarded by the jury, there will also be a public vote via the Instagram account of the Munich Show in the run-up to the fair. Among all participants who have cast their vote by October 23, 3x two free tickets each will be raffled.

Award ceremony of the “Young Designers Corner” 2024:
Thursday, 24.10.2024 | 4:00 p.m. | Forum in Hall B6

Below you will find the jewelry concepts of this year's Young Designers Corner finalists:

Bracelet “Octopus”

The octopus is a deep-sea creature, symbolizing the mysticism and mystery of the deep sea. The octopus bracelet is designed in Art Nouveau style. The work is made within the framework of biophorism and zoophorism, which is typical of Art Nouveau animalism. Biophorism implies the embodiment of natural forms and organic elements in art, while zoophorism focuses on the depiction of animals and their attributes.
The work used materials such as silver and precious stones. The undulating and slightly polished texture of this work symbolizes the connection with the sea. The octopus also has two powerful tentacles that have the function of holding the bracelet on the hand. The wearer of the bracelet can easily fix the octopus to their arm and easily change the shape of the tentacles.
The stones were used to emphasize the beauty and image of this animal, they allow you to aesthetically express ideas and create graceful images of the animal through vivid texture colors and shades.
The stones have been selected to convey the natural colors and textures of the octopus.
Eyes Agates play the role of eyes in this octopus. Cuttlefish eyes have different sizes, as shown in this work. Rhodochrosite stones are used as the torso and tentacles of an octopus, highlighting its natural color and aesthetics. These stones also have isothermal properties and energies.
Rhodochrosite, known for its pink color, is a stone of love and compassion. Rhodochrosite helps to open the heart and promotes the development of sincere love for oneself and others. It promotes inner peace and tranquillity, helping to overcome anxiety and stress.
Eye agate, characterized by circular patterns that resemble eyes, has strong protective and healing properties. The stone helps to ground and achieve inner balance. It promotes harmony between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of a person, helping to stabilize mood and strengthen emotional stability. Eye agate is considered a strong protective stone. Its “eyes” serve as a symbolic shield against negative energies, evil eyes and psychic attacks.
The bracelet is therefore not just a piece of jewelry, but also an accessory that has a positive effect on a person's physical and mental state.

Crystal ring

I have always been fascinated by the beauty of naturally growing crystals. They can have very different shapes and it is impressive how nature can produce such regular and clear structures. It is particularly exciting when several different stones grow on top of each other and still form a harmonious whole. And the colors of minerals can also be so incredibly intense.
We humans bring out the best in the stone, cut it into completely different shapes and make its color appear even clearer and brighter. The character changes dramatically as a result; the polished stone is characterized by absolute perfection and symmetry and stands in stark contrast to the naturally grown crystals.
It is precisely this contrast that I wanted to capture, the contrast between nature and the man-made. But despite everything, it is important to me that there is a certain harmony in the whole. The other, nature, that which we don't often leave as it is, is in some cases more closely connected to us than we can see. And sometimes the two can make each other shine.
In addition, the gemstone has always been a central element of jewelry design. However, it was my wish to design a piece of jewelry that would implement the gemstone theme in a different way. Perhaps in a way that hasn't been seen before, but it should still be wearable and suitable for everyday use.
As I love modeling and carving in wax, this is how the ring was created. This was the best way for me to get the shape exactly as I imagined it. In between, I kept making drawings and then continued working in wax.
The finished ring was cast in silver and has a beautiful garnet in the center. I bought the stone from the Schütt company in Pforzheim, which is very committed to sustainability and only uses stones from existing resources. In this way, they stand for the protection of people and nature.

The work is inspired by the phenomenon of Halley's Comet. It has been with us for many centuries, with its first confirmed flight in 240 BC. People quite often associated it with changes such as the transition of dynasties or natural disasters. For example, in 1066, Harold II died in battle and William the Conqueror took the throne. It has been with us for many millennia and it will take several hundred thousand years before it completely loses its mass. Its most memorable appearance was in 1910, which once again aroused mass fear of the unknown universe in people, this time through the media. There were advertisements in the newspapers about organized trips with astronomers, as well as panicky statements from people unrelated to this field of science.
Although scientists assured that the comet, despite its relative proximity, would not hit the earth, and that its tail, despite its toxic composition, would not kill all life on our planet, books such as "The End of the World in 1910 Due to Halley's Comet" by an unknown author continued to appear and warn people of their imminent extinction. In China, however, the comet has marked political changes for many centuries, so it could not have appeared at a better time. James Hutson reports that this event stimulated unrest among the working class and later turned into a revolution that gave rise to the Democratic Republic of China. This is probably one of the clearest examples of how belief in extraterrestrial phenomena affects the reality around us. Believing that the stars have decided for us, we often move in a certain direction with greater self-confidence.
The silver (925) necklace heavily refers to the Art Nouveau style, bringing to mind celestial bodies traveling through our solar system. The main panel was designed to add the asymmetrical quality to the composition, while keeping in mind the art nouveau design traditions of meandering vines. Framed in a silver“comet”, silicon carbide is supposed to bring to mind something extraterrestrial with its texture and shape. The material was chosen because of its history: it was first discovered in a meteorite. The repeated comet motif in the hidden clasp is intended to symbolize its returns. Strings of smoky quartz mute the rich color and texture of the necklace. All settings should be as little visible as possible, without distracting attention from the story told by the necklace. Chalcedony that were placed on the sides resemble nebulae. The necklace is meant to surround the person who wears it, reminding them that they are part of something bigger. A concept that was here before them and will return after their demise.

Full moon brought bigger tide, and tides brought shells to the shore, those shells were the original money. Thousands of years later, the coins are still golden and round, do they remind you of the full moon? With these objects, whose forms stray between the moon, coins and shells, I try to trace the potential connection between original jewellery, wealth and the operation of the earth and the universe.

Creating jewelry inspired by oyster shells

These jewelry designs are inspired by the unique characteristics of oyster shells. Oyster shells with their rough and uneven exterior, blend in perfectly with rocks and nature. On the inside, the shells have a hidden pearl sheen, which is a unique beauty.
So I used oyster shells as materials to create jewelry, and used a technique to imitate the surface of shells onto brass, so that both the wearer and the viewer could appreciate the beauty of the shell surface.
By recycling leftover oyster shells as a material for creating jewelry, it is possible to create works that are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly, supporting sustainable design and reducing the use of new resources.