2012 Future of the Industry Winners
Open to any student enrolled in an art, design, or jewelry-related program at a college, university, or a proprietary technical school, the Future of the Industry Awards celebrate the talent that will lead the jewelry industry into the future. Showing both promise and passion, these designs mark the emergence of a new generation that continues the industry’s commitment to craftsmanship.
1st Place Winner
Ariel Alexandrou, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
"Pods" Ring. This ring was carved from wax and then sent off to be cast in sterling silver. The completed casting was then filed, sanded, and polished, and gold plating was applied the cupped areas where the cabochon-like stones would sit. The stones were carved from a large piece of serpentine, and holes were drilled in each. The stones were then fitted over sterling wire posts that had been soldered to the cupped areas; epoxy was used to adhere the stones to the posts. Nature and its organic lines inspire Ariel, and the inspiration for the "Pods" ring came from mushrooms and other types of fungal growth.
2nd Place Winner (TIE)
Bongsang Cho, Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, Georgia
"Stellar Brooch #9." This ring combines 18k gold, copper, and 23k gold leaf. By juxtaposing traditional smithing techniques with advanced laser welding, Bongsang connected the past and the present, and in so doing exceeded the limitations of convention and expressed a new vision.
2nd Place Winner (TIE)
Youngjoo Yoo, University of Iowa, Coralville, Iowa
"The Laurel Brooch." Youngjoo’s metal pieces can be seen as the historical record of her growth as an artist: each piece tellingly shows how she perceived the surrounding world at that time she was working on it. She is greatly interested in the geometric Platonic solid, into which she adds organic images of flowers and clouds. The "Laurel Brooch" is emblematic of this. It measures 3.1 inches by 2.2 inches by 1 inch, and combines sterling, 24k gold, and hand-cut keum-boo "leaves" to balance intricate geometries with organic relief.