The Regal Castings Jewellery Design Awards.

The New Zealand Jewellery Show held at the SkyCity Convention Centre over the weekend of the 2nd to the 4th of July featured the winning entries of The Regal Castings Jewellery Design Awards. These awards encourage New Zealand designers to enter their very best work with a chance to reach the design boundaries and go beyond.

Regal Castings Ltd has a long and proud association with precious metals and has supported the New Zealand jewellery trade since 1972. The family owned and operated company based in Auckland originally specialised as a casting company. Having grown considerably over time today it has become the premier supplier for not only jewellery manufacturers and retailers but also schools, hobbyists and investors in precious metals. It supplys tools of the trade, findings, and fabricated jewellery alloys to wedding bands and finished jewellery as well as offering precious metal refining services.

Once again the awards attracted an amazing array of entries in both The Fine Jewelley and the Contemporary Jewelley categories. The judges were delighted with the variety, visual impact and high standard of the pieces making the selection of the finalists in both categories such an enjoyable process.

The winner of the The Fine Jewelley category was Nigel Wong's "X-Tension" Tourmaline articulated necklace. This is a hinged and locking concertina style necklace in three different golds that contracts and expands to fit any wearer. It features a spectacular trilliant cut green tourmaline. The judges felt that this was by far the best executed and finished piece presented in the Regal Castings Fine Jewellery Awards. The highly thought out design and engineering was fantastic. The finish was very good and was technically well made and the industrial look was carried throughout the whole design. A versatile piece which is very easy to wear and sits nicely around the neck. Nigel is from The Village Goldsmith in Wellington.

Runners up in this category included jds – jewellery design kiosk's Auckland Skyline ring which is a very cool design and well executed, although somewhat dangerous to wear! It is a nicely finished piece and overall of a very high quality. Well designed combining native and modern subject matter with a good balance in the overall design and a clever use of diamond to show off Auckland's Sky Tower. jds – jewellery design kiosk is located in Whangarei.

Another entry from The Village Goldsmith, Karl William's yellow marquise diamond ring is an interesting design which makes good use of precious stones. Very well made and finished, the style shows simple can work.

Adrian Myers' almond blossom necklace demonstrates a very interesting use of materials with the necklace sitting beautifully on the wearer.Overall it is very well thought out and executed with good use of combining natural materials and metal to create an even design. Adrian is from Naturejewels in Nelson.

The Regal Castings Contemporary winning piece, Regal Drawing by Gillian Deery, impressed the judges in all aspects of reading and experiencing the piece. Aesthetically challenging and interesting with its rough, organic, loose form, the judges were charmed and convinced by the Regal Castings association and concept. Regal Drawing is an oversized brooch using sterling silver manipulated in a variety of different ways. Gillian Deery is from Auckland.

Other Finalists in this category included a large reversible necklace by Kvetoslava Flora Sekanova, called "new day, new life", the boldness and courage of this piece impressed the judges. The layering of newspaper and creation of a new material, incorporated with interesting decision making in regards to form, size, and colour, was very interesting. Kvetoslava Flora Sekanova is from Auckland.

Kristin D'Agostino's Jewellery on the brink of a relationship: #010 brooch, works with its softly coated seed pod that the jeweller seamlessly extends through the thin silver pin expresses the simple beauty of organic material. There is a lovely juxtaposition between the fine filigree detail of the bud and the thin asymmetrically positioned pin. Kristin D'Agostino is from Auckland.

Nadene Carr's Architectural Blooms is a well resolved brooch that repeats circular and geometric forms in soft colourful fabrics and hard metal which impressed the judges. Nadene Carr is from Auckland.