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Jodi Phillips with sponsors Kevin Harries representing the Gold and Silversmiths Guild of Australia and Rebecca Hammond from PW Beck

Young apprentices shine at Queensland awards

2.7 k views | Posted November 16, 2010 | By Sonia Nair

Five third-year student apprentices won across eleven categories at this year’s 2010 Queensland Jewellery Apprentice Awards.

The JAA collaborated with the Southbank Institute of Technology to organise the awards that was open to final-year students enrolled in the Certificate III in Jewellery Apprenticeship at Southbank.

To compete, the students had to design and produce three pieces of jewellery using materials of their choice. Three leading goldsmiths from the Sunshine State presided over the event.

Jodi Phillips of Le Gassik Collection on the Gold Coast won the ultimate accolade, Major Overall Winner – Apprentice of the Year.

Describing her win, Phillips said, “It was all a bit overwhelming to be honest. I’m still in shock now.”

She also won Best Design Folio, Best Overall Design Runner-up and Best Technical Aspects Runner-up for her three-piece set.

Phillips crafted a ring, earrings and a necklace in 14-carat yellow gold and silver, set in amber and yellow sapphires.

She called it the ‘Tonbo’ collection, which translates from Japanese to mean dragonfly. Inspired by a recent trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, Phillips designed three-sided designs that symbolised the three stages of a dragonfly’s life.

She used amber to represent the renewal of life as amber traps insects and preserves them.

“The amber with its neutral honey colours harmonised well with the design and brought together the overall feel of purity and energy that I was trying to achieve.”

Phillips won a total of $1150 in vouchers from the sponsors of the various categories she won, a $250 cheque and a one-year affiliate membership from the Gold and Silversmiths Guild of Australia.

Elliot Conway edged out Phillips in one category to win Best Technical Aspects with a prize of a $300 voucher from sponsors Australian Jewellers Supplies.

Conway won for a 9-carat yellow gold and silver pendant and bangle, set in boulder opals and diamonds.

Ashley Naumann of Sunshine Coast may have lost to Phillips to win Best Design Folio Runner-up and Runner-up to Apprentice of the Year but he edged Phillips out in the Best Overall Design category.

Naumann was handpicked by the crowd as People’s Choice of the Night for his winning pieces.

His intricate creations included a pendant, chain, earrings, bangle and ring set. He created Mokume Gane designs which stretches back to the time of samurais and crafted them using silver, Mexican fire agates, golden citrines and smokey quartz.

He won a total of $700 in vouchers from sponsors and a $500 credit voucher.

Southbank teachers had a hand in selecting two of the winners of the night.

They chose Melanie Nunn for Most Innovative Techniques and Jessica Tolley for the Encouragement Award. Nunn won a book and a $50 voucher from House of Jewellery.

Each winner received a certificate from the JAA as well.

Organisers set stringent participation requirements for the competitors. All clasping had to be handmade and both facetted and cabochon stones had to feature in at least two styles of setting techniques.

Competitors had to submit folios to show every stage of their work from the development process and technical drawings to colour renderings and manufacturing procedures.

Southbank Institute director and chief executive officer Craig Sherrin said the sheer talent and high quality of the jewellery on display impressed him.

“I am amazed by the calibre of entries in this year’s awards – no one would ever believe that these exquisite pieces of jewellery were created by student apprentices,” Sherrin said.

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