Huge Turnout for the 2024 Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Council Awards Ceremony

Held at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London on Monday 4th March 2024, the annual Awards Ceremony, otehrwise known as the 'Jewellery Oscars' was opened by the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council’s chair Anne-Marie Reeves, and hosted by Council Trustees Maeve Gillies and Judith Lockwood, who revealed this year’s award winners.

The event welcomed 300 guests, including representatives from world renowned jewellery houses, notable sponsors, industry associations, leading designers, and the UK media. The Awards presentation was live-streamed to international viewers, doubling the immediate audience.

In her opening remarks toguests and award winners, Anne-Marie Reeves said

“It’s both an honour and privilege to be standing here tonight as chair of GCDC and part of this amazing industry. For those who are starting on that journey, be inspired by those who have gone before and set the high standards we all aspire to. For those stars of the future, the world is your oyster!

“Congratulations to all the winners and especially those who were honoured with Special Awards. This is a real accolade and an honour to be cherished as a sign of excellence within your craft.”

The Craftsmanship and Design Awards are unique to the British jewellery industry and allied trades in rewarding excellence in technical skills and creative design in precious metals and related materials. The Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council (GC&DC), which operates the competition, actively encourages all craftspeople and designers in the industry – as well as apprentices and students – to enter their work.

Thanking the industry, Reeves added:

“The Awards would not be possible without the generous and unwavering support of our Patrons and Sponsors — notably our Founding Patron, the Goldsmiths’ Company and Founding Principal Patron, Cartier. Our thanks also go to our wonderful judges. Without them, this competition would not have the credibility and integrity that it’s known and respected for.”

2024 Awards Highlights

The Jacques Cartier Memorial Award 

The Jacques Cartier Memorial Award is given at the discretion of the Council for exceptional and outstanding craftsmanship. It is only awarded when, in the Council’s judgement, an entry achieves a standard to justify the honour. This year it was awarded to Penny Davis for her series of Four Painted Enamel Portraits.  The award was presented by Laurent Feniou, managing director UK for Cartier, who personally congratulated the winner.

The Lifetime Achievement Award 

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Tony Bedford to celebrate his remarkable career, a luminary in the world of silversmithing. Unfortunately, Tony could not attend the ceremony, however he sent a personal message from his workshop where he was presented with his award.  The medal was received by David Cawte on his behalf from The Trade Warden, Joanna Hardy, and Tim Fattorini of Thomas Fattorini Ltd, who Sponsor this prestigious award. 

The College Trophy

The College Trophy, sponsored by Betts Metals, was presented to Birmingham City University. This trophy is awarded to the College or University that has achieved the highest total points accumulated from any Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards given in the competition. Bishopsland Educational Trust won Silver, whilst the Royal College of Art came third.

The Senior Award

The Senior Award was presented to Penny Davis for a series of Four Painted Enamel Portraits.

The Junior Award

The Junior Award Sponsored by Tracr went to Reuben Veil-Powley for Inverted Pyramid Set Ring.

The Theo Fennell Apprentice & Master Award Apprentice Award

The Theo Fennell Apprentice & Master Award Apprentice Award was given to Charlie Lewis for the Grape and Vine Cup, and Masters, Stuart Ray and Chris Hurley.  It was an honour to see Grandfather Chris and grandson Charlie winning this award.

Goldsmiths’ Company apprentices won a series of Gold and Sponsored Patron Awards:

2024 Awards Exhibition

An exhibition of all the award-winning work from the 2024 Awards will remain at Goldsmiths’ Hall from Tuesday 5 to Friday 8 March and it is open to the public from 10am – 5pm.

There will be a programme of special events and an exhibition of this year’s winners will take place at the Birmingham Assay Office from 19 to 21 March, including an industry careers fair and open days to view the exhibition. 

The Competition

Entries are invited and actively encouraged in all aspects of the trade, from new entrants to skilled craftsperson’s, apprentices and those in education. The competition accommodates all craft and design activities in the profession, including specialist sections such as diamond mounting, setting, silversmithing, chasing, enamelling, 2D design – including CAD, jewellery, smallwork, technology and many more.

The Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council

The Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council is a non-profit making organisation founded over one hundred years ago in 1908. Today, the Council continues its work from its original remit: “to encourage, stimulate and promote the pursuit of excellence in craftsmanship and design amongst all those in the United Kingdom who work within silversmithing, goldsmithing, jewellery and the allied crafts.”

The Council is formed as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), run as a social not for profit enterprise, where all funds are used in the promotion of craftsmanship and design within the precious metals industry. The Council is governed by a committee of trade-based individuals, led by a Chairman and Vice Chair. Council members are recruited through a process of nomination and election, give their time freely and generously in order to maintain, promote and enhance the Council’s work, which is coordinated and administered by consultant secretary staff.

The Council Awards embrace every aspect of craft and design activity currently being practiced in the UK industry. Diverse and wide ranging, the skill set of British silversmithing, jewellery and allied trades is showcased annually as part of the Council’s unique national competition to which there is no parallel.

All submissions entered into the competition are judged by skilled and experienced practitioners drawn from their specialist fields of expertise within the profession. Through this process of peer inspection and assessment, work is endorsed by professionals to the highest standards and objectives set by the Council, thus validating the status and quality of these awards.

The Council promotes and encourages participation in the annual competition by means of an awards evening and exhibition, presenting winning pieces and other selected entrant work in the exhibition room at Goldsmiths’ Hall.