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<h2 id="h-mjsa-s-annual-mystery-box-challenge">MJSA’s Annual Mystery Box Challenge</h2>

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In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind, there lived not long since one of those gentlemen that keep a lance in the lance-rack, an old buckler, a lean hack, and a greyhound for coursing.

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Every year we invite a small group of designers to participate in our annual Mystery Box Challenge, where they’ll have four weeks to transform a box of materials into a piece of wearable jewelry. The big catch? They don’t know what’s coming in the box...well, kind of.

<p>Every year we invite a small group of designers to participate in our annual Mystery Box Challenge, where they’ll have four weeks to transform a box of materials into a piece of wearable jewelry. The big catch? They don’t know what’s coming in the box...well, kind of.</p>

<p>All of this year’s designers admit that they agreed to participate because they like a challenge, especially one that pushes them outside their wheelhouse. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t do what they can to prepare—and that includes looking back to see the materials featured in previous challenges. And they’ve discovered a pattern: a good chunk of metal (usually sterling silver), a few gemstones, a little bit of something precious (such as a few inches of chain or diamonds), and then one more…unusual item.</p>
<p>After all, where would the challenge be if we sent out only precious metals and gemstones? This year’s box was no different.</p>
<p>The designers all knew to expect one slightly outside-the-box ingredient in the challenge. But despite knowing to expect the unexpected, they were inevitably taken aback when they discovered this year’s unusual ingredient.</p>
<p>So, what did this year’s designers get to work with? They each received the following, with instructions that although they could add their own materials as desired, the finished piece had to include at least a little of something from each of the four groupings:</p>
<ul>
<li>One 3-inch by 4-inch sterling silver sheet from <a href="https://natchain.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Fabricated Metals</a> in Warwick, Rhode Island, a division of National Chain Group</li>
<li>Two 10 x 8 mm emerald-cut blue topaz and one 11 x 9 mm oval citrine from <a href="https://www.omigems.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Omi Gems</a> in West Covina, California</li>
<li>Nineteen 1.3 mm and one 2.0 mm lab-grown diamond melee from <a href="http://www.josephblank.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joseph Blank Inc.</a> in New York City</li>
<li>50 grams of Art Clay Copper from <a href="https://contenti.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Contenti Co.</a> in Pawtucket, Rhode Island</li>
</ul>
<p>To discover what the designers turned these expected and unexpected materials into, read on…</p>
<h3><a href="/publicationsmedia/article_and_video_library/design_insights/expect_the_unexpected/on_full_display/">On Full Display: Karin Jacobson</a></h3>
<h3><a href="/publicationsmedia/article_and_video_library/design_insights/expect_the_unexpected/beyond_the_horizon/">Beyond the Horizon: Michael &amp; Catherine Jensen</a></h3>
<h3><a href="/publicationsmedia/article_and_video_library/design_insights/expect_the_unexpected/giving_up_control/">Giving Up Control: David Giulietti</a></h3>

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<p>All of this year’s designers admit that they agreed to participate because they like a challenge, especially one that pushes them outside their wheelhouse. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t do what they can to prepare—and that includes looking back to see the materials featured in previous challenges. And they’ve discovered a pattern: a good chunk of metal (usually sterling silver), a few gemstones, a little bit of something precious (such as a few inches of chain or diamonds), and then one more…unusual item.</p>
<p>After all, where would the challenge be if we sent out only precious metals and gemstones? This year’s box was no different.</p>
<p>The designers all knew to expect one slightly outside-the-box ingredient in the challenge. But despite knowing to expect the unexpected, they were inevitably taken aback when they discovered this year’s unusual ingredient.</p>
<p>So, what did this year’s designers get to work with? They each received the following, with instructions that although they could add their own materials as desired, the finished piece had to include at least a little of something from each of the four groupings:</p>
<ul>
<li>One 3-inch by 4-inch sterling silver sheet from <a href="https://natchain.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Fabricated Metals</a> in Warwick, Rhode Island, a division of National Chain Group</li>
<li>Two 10 x 8 mm emerald-cut blue topaz and one 11 x 9 mm oval citrine from <a href="https://www.omigems.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Omi Gems</a> in West Covina, California</li>
<li>Nineteen 1.3 mm and one 2.0 mm lab-grown diamond melee from <a href="http://www.josephblank.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joseph Blank Inc.</a> in New York City</li>
<li>50 grams of Art Clay Copper from <a href="https://contenti.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Contenti Co.</a> in Pawtucket, Rhode Island</li>
</ul>
<p>To discover what the designers turned these expected and unexpected materials into, read on…</p>
<h3><a href="/publicationsmedia/article_and_video_library/design_insights/expect_the_unexpected/on_full_display/">On Full Display: Karin Jacobson</a></h3>
<h3><a href="/publicationsmedia/article_and_video_library/design_insights/expect_the_unexpected/beyond_the_horizon/">Beyond the Horizon: Michael &amp; Catherine Jensen</a></h3>
<h3><a href="/publicationsmedia/article_and_video_library/design_insights/expect_the_unexpected/giving_up_control/">Giving Up Control: David Giulietti</a></h3>

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