Pearls are a product of the sea, so it’s only natural a design inspired by it take home one of the top prizes at the Cultured Pearl Association of America’s (CPAA’s) design contest.
Designed by Philip Bouasse of Montreal’s Nishi Pearls, ‘Big Wave’ was honoured with the Brilliance Award at the 2013-2014 International Pearl Design Contest (IPDC) for the entry that best illustrates the spectrum of pearl colours in the most beautiful way.
Bouasse said he’s always been moved by the ocean, spending many hours watching the waves in Belle-ÃŽle-en-Mer, a small island off the coast of Brittany, France.
“Instead of the conventional graphic pattern of the wave, however, I wanted to render the wild, chaotic, and glorious beauty of waves, as well as the dramatic effect when they come crashing into rocks with the blinding white and shining foam reflecting the light when tempest is raging,” he tells Jewellery Business.
CPAA president Peter B. Bazar said the group received entries from 15 countries this year.
“We are very happy with the success of this year’s competition,” he added.
Bouasse says ‘Big Wave’ is also partially based on Nishi Pearls’ company logo, and that plans are in the works to create the necklace using Canadian diamonds.
The other winners at IPDC are:
- President’s Trophy—’Wave’ by Mark Schneider, Long Beach, Calif. The award represents the highest honour given to a design that unanimously captivated the judges as the best of the best.
- Luster Award—’Obi’ by Stanislav Drokin of Ukraine. The honour is given to the entry judged most marketable of all entries in the competition. This design will have the most overall appeal for the retail marketplace.
- Designer’s Award—’Midnight Comet’ by Darryl Alexander of Gilbert, Ariz. The prize represents the entry that takes pearls to the far corners of the imagination and beyond.
- Orient Award—’Lunar Eclipse’ by Hsiao Ching Lee of Taipei City, Taiwan. The award is given to the entry that would inspire a newfound affinity for cultured pearls.
- Visionary Award—’Lily Pearl’ by Chi Huynh, Galatea: Jewelry by Artist of San Dimas, Calif. The prize is given to the entry that redefines the iconic pearl strand and shifts the perception of cultured pearls for today’s buyer.
- Fashion Award—shared by ‘Tahitian Paradise’ by Vicki Smith of Cheshire, England and ‘Wave’ by Mark Schneider of Long Beach, Calif. Fun, fresh, modern—a design that looks as if it came straight from the Paris runway.
- Wedding Day Pearls—shared by ‘Wedding Bouquet’ by Dilly Kirby of Elizabeth Blair Fine Pearls of Harbor Springs, Mich., and ‘Rough Diamonds’ by Lee Wiser McIntosh of Katura Design of Atlanta, Ga. The award is given for the design that best creates a fantasy wedding theme with pearls.
