Turing its back on the ceremonious format of past awards evenings, the JAA aimed to breathe new life into its flagship event with a sexy cocktail party at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in September.
All the right intentions were there - a fresh, youthful evening dedicated to cutting-edge designers, held at a venue that reflected the aesthetic beauty of their stunning creations.
Enlisting the aid of a PR firm to attract maximum consumer interest, the JAA seemed determined to put on a show: hot models paraded the winning jewels to admiring guests and a bevy of snappy photographers from mainstream media; a glossy, coffee-table consumer magazine was published to document the evening and its winning designs; and life-size posters depicting the pieces were erected around the room.
And the industry turned out in force, with double the number of projected guests attending - around 300 finalist/winners, sponsors, JAA members, media, JAA board and judges.
At times, it seemed too many. Vogue editor-MC Kirstie Clements -competed valiantly against a rising noise level as she compared jewellery to designer shoes, but one sensed she lost the battle.
Of course, the evening was designed as a networking opportunity, a chance for industry members to shake away the cares of a busy fair day and mix 'n' mingle with old friends - much like after-work drinks. But after the third and fourth glass of social lubrication, the chit-chat grew louder and didn't stop - even when world-famous diamond cutter Gabi Tolkowsky took the stage to announce the JAA Jeweller of the Year.
"Where is the respect?" one guest murmured into a glass of -champagne. But was it really the guests' fault? The consensus was mixed.
"The night was good in parts," commented JAA CEO Ian Hadassin.
"I wouldn't say it was an outstanding success, but a lot depended on where you were located at the venue."
The sponsors also left with mediocre impressions: "On paper, the awards night format was a great idea," said Ben Morrow, business -development manager at Opal Design Award sponsor Opals Australia. "Gallery of NSW is a fantastic venue and totally relevant to a jewellery -design award. Unfortunately, the execution left a lot to be desired - although this was somewhat out of the organisers' hands as many more people attended than were expected."
The main problem, according to Morrow and many others, was the -layout of the two-tired, L-shaped room. It allowed only those directly in front of the stage to see and hear clearly, while those to the side were seemingly forgotten; left to entertain themselves with more conversation.
Expertise Events managing director Gary Fitz-Roy - sponsor of the -Apprentice Design Award - also blamed the perceived lack of event -success on venue choice: "With the event being split over levels and -different areas, you could not hear the presenters nor see the screen and, unless you were near the kitchen, were unable to get food or drinks once everyone arrived."
Morrow echoes these sentiments: "The awkwardly-shaped, upstairs restaurant was full to capacity, and many people were unable to see the ceremony take place, although it could be heard - albeit at a distance."
On the upside, a full and chatty crowd is often indicative of a successful event. Morrow was pleased with the high-vibe of the capacity-crowd: "The mood of the attendees was upbeat to say the least. It was great to see so many people supporting the creative side of the jewellery industry."
Hadassin conceded organisers were unprepared for the amount of guests but did not view this as entirely negative: "There were too many people for the venue - it was unfortunate that the space wasn't designed to cater for all 300 comfortably. But in a way, the crowd was a good thing. To have over 300 people attend was a great achievement."
The CEO was pleased with the cocktail format and felt it worked to impart a casual, relaxed feel.
"The cocktail party allows people to mingle and network. I think people liked that they didn't have to dress up in black tie if they didn't want to and they could go home early if they wished," he said.
Indeed, the night did wrap-up shortly after the awards presentation - freeing guests to leave as they pleased - unlike in previous years when one felt fastened to their seat as they awaited their dessert course.
Hadassin said he did want the night to go a little longer, and will ensure the next event in 2010 invites guests to stay and play.
"It was a bit short. Next time there will be enough food and enough room for everyone to stand and see the proceedings properly. We will learn from the mistakes of this one and I'm sure the next one will be far better."
If there was a clear winner on the night, it was the entrants. Hailed as world-class, the jewels were truly breathtaking - and left some wondering why more is not done to celebrate the achievements of Australian designers.
"In the true Australian spirit, I think our designs always break new ground, but for some reason, we hold other countries' designs in higher esteem," Fitz-Roy commented. "After viewing the pieces this year, this should change anyone's view as to the high standard of Australian design.
Hadassin agreed: "The standard of this year's entries was very high and it just goes to confirm that the standard of design in Australia is extremely high. I believe it's world-class," he said. "Design in this country is stronger than most people - and even our industry realises.
"The future of jewellery manufacturing in Australia depends heavily on the quality of our designers, and the manufacturers making small or -one-off designs that are unusual and unique."
The JAA CEO cautioned against dismissing the importance of jewellery design to the overall health of the industry, stating new and innovative creations would ensure the trade's triumph over mass-production.
Perhaps this was why the designs truly were the heroes of the evening, with every attempt made to showcase them to their full glory.
Jeweller spoke to all category winners about their designs,- -experiences, inspirations and aspirations for the future.
Winner Grand Prix Award, Roy -Warfold Trophy Jeweller of the Year and Coloured Gemstone Award
Thomas Meihofer and Stacey Illman
Age: 47 and 31 respectively
Employer/business: Thomas Meihofer Jewellery Design
Industry experience: Swiss born, Thomas came to Australia to work as a jeweller in 1989 and -established his business as an independent designer and -manufacturer of jewellery in 1992. In 2003 Thomas established his own jewellery outlet, with his partner Wendy, under his own name in Subiaco.
Stacey worked as a jeweller at Solid Gold for six years before working for Thomas since 2000. Stacey is the workshop manager at Thomas Meihofer Jewellery Design. She has a background in classical jewellery and has developed a passion for -contemporary jewellery design.
Awards and accolades: Finalist - Harper's Bazaar and Diamond Guild of Australia Jewellery Awards - 2005
Finalist - Harper's Bazaar and Diamond Guild of Australia Jewellery Awards - 2007.
Design inspiration: The gemstone itself, which is a hawk's eye stone, cut into a ring. We were careful not to detract attention from the natural beauty of the stone, so the intricacy of the design is only evident when viewed from the side.
The original concept and gold casing in the raw was Thomas' work while Stacey completed the pattern design, execution and finishing. The greatest difficulty was finding a way to form the gold casing to fit the stone perfectly.
Unique feature: The effect of the stone and the uniqueness of the design. It is a bold piece, not -overly-complex yet interesting.
Winner Diamond Design Award (retail value up to $5,000)
Alison Page
Age: 33
Piece: Totem
Employer/business: Freelance Designer with a practice in Coffs Harbour. I am collaborating with Mondial Neuman in the creation of Diamond Dreaming, a collection of contemporary Aboriginal jewellery.
Industry experience: For the last 10 years, I have brought an Aboriginal -perspective to Australian design through architectural, interior, exhibition design and public art projects. I am a member of the award-winning Aboriginal architecture group Merrima Design. Now, I am designing contemporary Australian Aboriginal jewellery.
Two years ago, Michael Neuman from Mondial Neuman had seen me as a judge of the ABC TV program The New Inventors (which is now in its fifth season) and contacted me to collaborate on an idea that he had thinking about for years, which was to design contemporary Aboriginal jewellery. I jumped at the chance.
The pieces I have designed build on a tradition of Aboriginal design that is layered in meaning and expresses a connection to the land, family and storytelling.
We wanted to create beautiful objects that contain stories about land and family and our -connections to it. They tell these stories with exquisite natural coloured diamonds, precious metals and the finest -craftsmanship. The jewellery offers an invitation to share the spirit of the world's oldest living culture.
Awards and accolades:
Winner - International Federation of Interior Architects Design -Contribution Award - 1999
Winner - NSW Local -Government Culture Award - 2008
Design inspiration: Many cultures around the world identify with totems and symbols that express their connection to nature and the earth. In Australian Aboriginal culture, the shape of a mountain, a rock or a river could reveal your totem, which is why the piece has been abstracted - so that the wearer can interpret it.
Winner Platinum Design Award
Jason Ree
Age: 36
Piece: Fusion
Employer/business: Jason Ree
Industry experience: I worked with my father, John, as well as a few other jewellers during my apprenticeship. I then travelled overseas to meet other jewellers and learn from them also before finally establishing my own design studio.
Awards and accolades:
Winner - JAA Australian Jeweller of the Year - 2002
Winner - JAA Australian Jeweller of the Year - 2004
Design inspiration: A sculpture/installation in the Victoria Albert Museum, London. I knew I wanted to have these fine wires with diamonds at the end. One problem was to make it strong and wearable - hence the twisting of the wires, which gives spring and rigidity - the other was fusing the diamonds to the gold, which was much more complicated and resulted in quite a few burnt diamonds.
Unique feature: It uses a new technique never seen before.