April 11, 2001
Michigan Jewelers Association
announces Design Competition winners
Royal Oak jewelers Brendan Sherwood, Kirk Eilertsen and Tim McInerney captured "Best in Show" for their gold bracelet set with tourmaline and diamond in the Michigan Jewelers Association's 12th Annual Jewelry Design Competition. Winners were announced at the organization's 2001 Greater Great Lakes Jewelry Exposition, held March 30-April 1 in Novi.
The three jewelers, all of Elements Custom Jewelry, created a white, yellow and rose gold bracelet with a pear-shaped green tourmaline and a trilliant diamond. Sherwood designed the piece, Eilertsen manufactured it and McInerney set the stones. The bracelet also received first place in the competition's Designer/Manufacturer category.
As Best in Show winner, their design gains entry into the Jewelers of America Affiliate National Design Competition in New York.
The Spectral Award for the piece receiving the greatest number of votes from show attendees went to Avo Ounjian, of Artisan's Diamond and Fine Jewelry in Farmington Hills. He created a ladies' 18k platinum ring featuring a sea-green tourmaline, two pear-shaped pink tourmalines and 1.75cts of pave-set diamonds.
As Spectral Award winner, Ounjian received a 6.18-carat antique-shaped garnet with a checkerboard top, donated by Roger Dery, of Spectral Gems in Birmingham.
Sixty-eight pieces designed by Michigan jewelers were entered in the competition, setting a new record for participation. First- and second-place winners were named in four categories: Student (high school), Advanced Student (college), Professional Goldsmith and Designer/Manufacturer. All winners received an etched glass plaque.
Entries were judged by a panel of industry professionals based on overall design, craftsmanship, practicality and wearability. Frank Yanke, of Yanke Designs in Franklin, served as judge coordinator, and MJA's Robin Gregory coordinated the competition.
The Michigan Jewelers Association is a division of the Michigan Retailers Association, the unified voice of retailing in Michigan and the nation's largest state trade association of general merchandise retailers.
The complete list of winners follows. Photos of winners and their pieces are available in electronic format by e-mailing Robin Gregory at rsgregory@retailers.com.
Student Category
1st: Ryan Welsh, Plymouth (Canton High School)
Pin depicting a brass frog with a green stone eye on a copper leaf.
2nd: Piper Huber, Ann Arbor (Huron High School)
Square sterling silver pin inlaid with pine needles, with pinecone
designs on the border.
Advanced Student Category
1st: Daniel Monroe, Belleville (Ann Arbor Art Center)
Multicolored spiral pendant of silver and niobium with a woven Stretch
Magic cord.
2nd: Judith Braun, Northville (Plymouth-Canton
Schools)
Swiss coin pendant on a necklace of freshwater pearls, rectangular
citrine beads and 14k gold beads.
Professional Goldsmith Category
1st: Alexia Bongiorno, Alexander J. Bongiorno Creative
Jeweler, Troy
18k white and yellow gold pendant with a 13.5ct paisley-cut amethyst
and 0.75ct pave-set diamonds.
2nd: Marcia Alfieri, Alfieri Jewelers, Portage
18k yellow gold pendant with a pink marquise-cut sapphire, a green
and pink round tourmaline and 14 round diamonds.
Designer/Manufacturer Category
1st: Brendan Sherwood (designer), Kirk Eilertsen
(fabricator) and Tim McInerney (setter), Elements Custom Jewelry, Royal
Oak
White, yellow and rose gold bracelet with a pear-shaped green tourmaline
and a trilliant diamond.
2nd: Daniel Hacker (designer) and Terry Suydam
(manufacturer), Hacker Jewelers of Tecumseh, Tecumseh
14k two-tone gold pendant with a barrel-cut bicolor watermelon tourmaline
and bezel-set diamonds.
Best in Show
Brendan Sherwood, Kirk Eilertsen and Tim McInerney, Elements
Custom Jewelry, Royal Oak
(See Designer/Manufacturer Category above.)
Spectral Award (People's Choice)
Avo Ounjian, Artisan's Diamond and Fine Jewelry, Farmington
Hills
Ladies' 18k platinum ring with a sea-green tourmaline, two pear-shaped
pink tourmalines and pave-set diamonds.
