From volume I of the 2023 issue of #thisispearl digital magazine

This year’s contest saw a flurry of positive updates! For starters, CPAA saw a surge in U.S. entries, a new Student division, a new Retailer’s Choice category, and more judges!

Returning judges included Jean Francois Bibet, workshop and production director at Cartier, and Patricia Faber, co-owner of Aaron Faber Gallery in Manhattan (whose store has select U.S. winning entries and finalists on display and sale). Newbies for this year included Lenore Fedow, associate editor, National Jeweler; Maria Tsangaropoulos, supervisor of instruction at GIA’s New York City campus; Michael Coan, assistant professor, jewelry design department, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT); and Kathy Zaltas, owner, Zaltas Gallery, Mamaroneck, N.Y. Peggy Grosz, senior vice president, Assael, helped judge part one of the entries but was not present for live judging, which took place at GIA in Manhattan in fall 2022.

CPAA teamed up with GIA to host the judging and to give jewelry students the opportunity to see what award-winning talent—and top-quality cultured pearls—look like.

Choosing winners was, as always, not easy. Judges selected six winners across six categories for the U.S. Division, while a seventh U.S. category—the Retailer’s Choice Award—challenged 4,000 of the nation’s top retailers to vote online for their single favorite design. A pair of cowinners in the new Student Division (for U.S. students only), which drew entrants from both GIA New York and FIT, were also selected by judges. In the International division, six winners were chosen across six categories, with one individual earning two awards and a pair of cowinners in another category.

Congratulations to all the entrants! Enjoy their creations on the following pages.

 

President’s Trophy. This top prize is given to the piece deemed the most beautiful and original design concept that is well made, celebrates pearls, and leaves a lasting impression of pearls as must-have gems.
Winner: Tariq Riaz LLC

Oceana Pearl earrings in 18k white, rose, and yellow gold with 4.5–6.6 mm akoya, 21 x 15 mm South Sea, and 10 x 7 mm freshwater pearls, 7.40 cts. t.w. diamonds, 1.28 cts. t.w. pink sapphires, and 1.25 cts. t.w. tsavorites

 

Luster Award. These winning pieces represent the evolution of best-selling pearl jewelry designs bearing covetable and marketable concepts with wide appeal for the marketplace. New for 2022: These pieces must retail for $3,000 or less.

Sold! These earrings sold at the Aaron Faber Gallery!

Winner: Chaulri
Tahitian Pearl Drawstring earrings in 18k white gold with Tahitian black pearls, diamonds, and removable neon pink drawstring bows, $1,720 retail

 

Visionary Award for Classic Styles. This winning piece is attractive, creative, and salable, championing a fresh look for an iconic pearl style—strands, studs, bracelets, or a ring—to help change the dated perception of pearls in the market.
Winner: Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry, Inc.

Nautilus earrings in proprietary gradient SpectraGold featuring ombré suites of 36 pearls ranging from 10.6 mm golden South Sea pearls graduating down to 2.5 mm white akoya pearls with 0.48 cts. t.w. pavé-set diamonds

 

Wedding Day Pearls. These winning pieces best capture what a contemporary bride or groom might wear on their wedding day.
Winner: S. D. Cusson LLC
Sunrise Revisited, Tribute to Monet pin/pendant made in three flexible sections of 18k white and yellow gold containing one 13.12 mm South Sea golden pearl, 1.70 cts. t.w. round yellow and green tourmaline, 1.19 cts. t.w. round mandarin garnets, 0.65 ct. t.w. round blue sapphires, 0.35 ct. t.w. round yellow sapphires, and 0.25 ct. t.w. round diamonds

 

Fashion Award. This winning piece features a creative compilation of materials fashioned into a youthful, high-fashion, and original pearl jewelry design that looks as if it came straight from a Paris runway.
Winner: Crevoshay

Treasure of the Sea bracelet in 18k yellow gold with 11 mm white South Sea pearls, 9.88 cts. t.w. sapphires, 8.62 cts. t.w. moonstones, 8.07 cts. t.w. tsavorite garnets, and 6.09 cts. t.w. diamonds

 

Spotlight Award—Baroque-Shape Pearls for 2022. This category focuses on designs where 75 percent of the piece features one type of pearl—the baroque-shape pearl in 2022. These winning pieces should make viewers think about baroque-shape pearls of all varieties— saltwater and freshwater—and all their different colors and shapes in a way that is attractive, clever, challenges the standard of designs that feature it, and entice a non-pearl-lover to start collecting.

Winner: Ashleigh Branstetter Jewelry
Detachable earrings in 18k white gold with rhodium with baroque 18.19 x 15.75 mm and 18.24 x 15.83 mm white South Sea cultured pearls, 25.09 cts. t.w. Namibian chalcedony, and 1.58 cts. t.w. diamonds

 

Retailer’s Choice Award. CPAA asked 4,000 of the nation’s top jewelry stores to choose their single favorite piece from all U.S. finalists.

Winner: Katerina Wheeler of Katerina Evanthia
Thermal Blue Byzance earrings in 14k rose gold with natural-color blue akoya pearls and 6.48 cts. t.w. princess-cut blue topaz

 

Student Award (for U.S. students only).

This piece of jewelry should be sketched or presented in a CAD rendering and can feature any color, shape, or variety of fine cultured pearls available on the market. The design should be fresh, modern, wearable and defy outdated thoughts about wearing pearls.

Tie!

Winner 1: Victor Rouesné, Fashion Institute of Technology
Voguedelier earrings are made in 18k yellow gold with white freshwater pearls ranging in size from 3 mm to 7.5 mm. The earrings are inspired by Art Deco as well as Vogue magazine covers from the mid-1920s.

Winner 2: Luna Gwak, Fashion Institute of Technology

Ribbon Statement necklace in 18k rose gold with akoya pearls, white diamonds, pink morganite, and light green beryl

 

Awards & Sales

One unique aspect of the IPDC is that U.S. entrants must be willing to sell their work. CPAA’s retail partner, the Aaron Faber Gallery in New York City, is permitted to choose any winners and finalists for display and sale in store. In the past few years, more than $26,000 of IPDC winners have sold. Here are the 2022 pieces that the gallery put in their cases.

• Oceana Pearl earrings by Tariq Riaz LLC
• Asymmetrical cuff by Barbara Heinrich (finalist)
• Treasure of the Sea bracelet by Crevoshay
• Tahitian Pearl Drawstring by Chaulri (These sold!)
• Nautilus earrings by Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry, Inc.
• Sunrise Revisited, Tribute to Monet Pin/Pendant by S.D. Cusson LLC
• Detachable South Sea baroque pearl, Namibian chalcedony, and diamond earrings by

Ashleigh Branstetter

• Black Lace Tahitian ring by Brenda Smith of Brenda Smith Jewelry (finalist)
• Twist and Turn South Sea pearl earrings by Susan Gordon Jewelry (finalist)
• Spiral Tendril earrings by Etienne Perret (finalist)

 

 

International Division

 

President’s Trophy. This top prize is given to the piece deemed the most beautiful and original design concept that is well made, celebrates pearls, and leaves a lasting impression of pearls as must-have gems.

Winner: Shikha Pathak for C Krishniah Chetty Group of Jewellers of India

Kentsugi bracelet in 18k yellow gold with 8 mm–20 mm white, pinkish, and champagne-color South Sea cultured pearls, mother-of-pearl with gold inlay, and round and baguette-cut diamonds

 

Luster Award. These winning pieces represent the evolution of best-selling pearl jewelry designs bearing covetable and marketable concepts with wide appeal for the marketplace. New for 2022: These pieces must retail for $3,000 or less.

Winner: NEU & TIM of Japan
Venus Ring set in 10k pink and yellow gold with a 7.5–8 mm akoya pearl center and 3–5 mm akoya pearls on companion bands, $2,910

 

Visionary Award for Classic Styles. This winning piece is attractive, creative, and salable, championing a fresh look for an iconic pearl style—strands, studs, bracelets, or a ring—to help change the dated perception of pearls in the market.

Tie!

Winner 1: Melanie Georgacopoulos of the U.K.

Bubble ring in 18k rose gold with a 13 mm Tahitian pearl

Winner 2: Alexia Gryllaki of Greece
Overtone earrings in 18k yellow gold with Tahitian pearls, 2.63 cts. t.w. pear-shape garnets, 1.1 cts. t.w. tapered baguette-cut diamonds, and 0.44 ct. t.w. emeralds

 

Wedding Day Pearls. These winning pieces best capture what a contemporary bride or groom might wear on their wedding day.

Winner: Shikha Pathak for C Krishniah Chetty Group of Jewellers of India

Kentsugi bracelet in 18k yellow gold with 8 mm–20 mm white, pinkish, and champagne-color South Sea cultured pearls, mother-of-pearl with gold inlay, and round and baguette-cut diamonds

 

Fashion Award. This winning piece features a creative compilation of materials fashioned into a youthful, high-fashion, and original pearl jewelry design that looks as if it came straight from a Paris runway.

Winner: Shakshi Poddar for C Krishniah Chetty Group of Jewellers of India
Knotty Pearls Convertible Body Chain in 18k yellow gold with 2 mm–12 mm Tahitian and South Sea pearls and round brilliant-cut diamonds

 

Spotlight Award—Baroque-Shape Pearls for 2022. This category focuses on designs where 75 percent of the piece features one type of pearl—the baroque-shape pearl in 2022. These winning pieces should make viewers think about baroque-shape pearls of all varieties— saltwater and freshwater—and all their different colors and shapes in a way that is attractive, clever, challenges the standard of designs that feature it, and entice a non-pearl-lover to start collecting.

Winner: YiJ Jewelry of China
Pan’s Tree brooch in 18k gold and black gold with freshwater keshi pearls, yellow and brown diamonds, and rubies