New York, NY – Nov. 1, 2018. The Cultured Pearl Association of America (CPAA) has announced the International winners of its 9^th Annual International Pearl Design Competition (IPDC).

On Tuesday, Oct. 30, judges Tara Silberberg of The Clay Pot in Brooklyn and New York City, Editor and Brand Consultant Cheryl Kremkow, and Jean Francois Bibet, workshop and production director at Cartier, inspected images and CAD renderings of 25 finalist pieces at a private location in the city. By the end of the day, eight winners had been chosen across seven categories for the International Division. Winners are as follows:

President’s Trophy. Duet cuff by Ambika Thandavan of Ganjam Nagappa & Son (P) Ltd. in Bangalore, India. Proposed design to be made in 18k rose gold with pink and cream-color akoya pearls, pink tourmalines, and diamonds.

Luster Award. Tie! The World is My Oyster pendant necklace by Niki Kavakonis of Niki Kavakonis Designs in Toronto, Canada, and the Ostralis pendant by Georgina Staley of Georgie’s Fine Jewellery in Australia. The World is My Oyster is made in 18k gold with a 16 mm Tahitian pearl with hand carving and hand gilding of 23k gold leaf with a stand that allows the pearl to rotate on an axis as an object of art. The Ostralis pendant is proposed to be made in 18k rose gold with large South Sea pearls, small akoya pearls, and Australian pink Argyle diamonds.

Orient Award.  Circuit earrings by Juhyun Song of Amy Eujeny Fine Jewelry in South Korea. Proposed design to be made with South Sea pearls, malachite, and diamonds.

Visionary Award for Classic Styles. Meet Me in Paris necklace by Jennifer Pusenkoff of Jennifer Pusenkoff Designs in Germany and the U.S. Proposed design to be made with South Sea and freshwater pearls in round and drop shapes in pastel colors ranging from very light pink and pinkish orange to salmon to yellow or gold and 18k gold components.

Wedding Day Pearls. Alhambra earrings by Alexandra Neskreba of NES Jewelry Design Studio in Russia. Proposed design to be made in 18k gold with diamonds and pearls.

Fashion Award. My Glamorous Armor necklace by Wei Lo, a student from Taiwan. Proposed design to be made in platinum with black and peacock-green Tahitian pearls and golden-yellow South Sea pearls.

Spotlight Award—Akoya Pearls. Universe earrings by Yuan Hsin Chang of Capstone Diamond International Ltd. in Taiwan. Proposed design to be made in 18k gold with akoya pearls and diamonds.

Honorable mentions for the International Division include the other finalists:

• Fantasy ring by Angela Lin
• First Love earrings by Daquan Wu
• Dancing Girl pendant necklace by Jieqing (Jaclyn) Ding
• Stream Pearl necklace by Hector Hassey of Hector Hassey Design
• Manhattan Bridge necklace by Meng Hsuan Lin
• Embrace brooch by Millie Ho
• Pearl Duck ring by Paula Guzmán
• Fluttershy brooch by Ray Ma
• Amour en Cage earrings by Sabina Wong
• Bird Bath ring by Yoshiko Lovella Izumi
• Hanging Gardens earrings by Yoshiko Lovella Izumi
• Pearl of the Orient necklace by Yoshiko Lovella Izumi
• Heart of the Young Grass earrings by Sylvia Jielu Zhang
• Play of Keys earrings by Kinnal Sharanappa
• Dance of Lotus bracelet by Murugesh Manickam
• Bolt of Tahiti single earring by Murugesh Manickam

The goal of the IPDC is to create compelling new pearl jewelry designs worthy of recognition, media exposure, and now, financial rewards, hopefully through sales of some entries. The CPAA celebrates pearls of all varieties and encourages seasoned and award-winning artists and beginners alike to compete in the IPDC.

International participants competed with renderings and sketches alone. 

For more information about the CPAA, log onto www.cpaa.org.

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CPAA is a nonprofit founded in 1957. The group comprises the finest manufacturers, wholesalers, dealers, and suppliers of cultured pearls in the United States, and its goals are to improve retail marketability of pearls and cultivate demand among consumers. Through promotion, education, public relations, and unwavering commitment to the category, CPAA aims to inspire an authentic passion for all cultured pearl varieties. For more information about becoming a certified pearl expert, please visit PearlsAsOne.org. To learn more about the Cultured Pearl Association of America, please visit CPAA.org.