IJL Announces Bright Young Gems 2016

These emerging stars of the contemporary jewellery world are selected from final year students at colleges and universities across the UK by a prestigious panel – comprising

• Hilary Alexander, OBE: Editor at Large Hello! Fashion Monthly Magazine,
• Vivienne Becker: jewellery historian and Contributing Editor to the Financial Times - How To Spend It Magazine,
• Claudia Mahoney: Executive Fashion and Beauty Director of Glamour,
• Annabel Davidson: Editor of Vanity Fair on Jewellery and, for the first time, 
• Shaun Leane, British luxury Fine Jewellery Designer.
• All were very impressed with the high standard and diversity of work presented, with competition so fierce that two additional designers were named as Highly Commended by the judges.

“This year’s Bright Young Gems have been distinguished by a considerable degree of technical virtuosity, allied to an innovative approach to high-tech and traditional materials. The winning submissions each display the thorough knowledge of the jeweller’s craft with exceptional creativity. It is young jewellers such as these 2016 Bright Young Gems who are helping to ensure the future of the industry”, explained Hilary Alexander OBE, Editor-at-Large, Hello! Fashion Monthly. 

BYG Winners and Runners Up 2016

This year’s Bright Young Gems are:

Talisa Bergen
Talisa recently graduated in Jewellery Design at Central Saint Martins. Her final collection addresses current socio-political issues from her home country, Turkey. Juxtaposing ancient symbols of Turkish cultural identity with humour, she creates surreal narratives which echo the political climate in a more accessible light and aim to intrigue and engage the wearer. Each piece is based on a different incident and tells an individual tale. Talisa uses wax carving and enamelling, incorporating precious metals and stones in her work.

Katy Tromans
Katy Tromans completed an Art and Design Foundation in her home town of Stourbridge, and has recently graduated from the Birmingham City University School of Jewellery. She creates highly detailed, narrative jewellery based on stories. Her jewellery is functional and wearable, and when not worn becomes an objet d'art. The hero pieces of her collections are very decorative - precious metal rings which become a part of a sculptural stand. Inspired by these pieces, Katy produces more commercial affordable, but just as detailed, pieces of jewellery.    

Stephanie Wills
Stephanie has just graduated from further study at Birmingham City University in Design for Industry. Stephanie uses her background in 3D Design to create mechanical jewellery in precious metals and gemstones. The inspiration behind her Concealed Jewellery series comes from looking at repeating patterns and structures, an aesthetic derived from looking at repeating Spirograph patterns, to then construct pieces of detailed decorative jewellery. These change through moving mechanisms within each piece, creating versatile kinetic jewellery that can be worn in many different ways.

Rebecca Wilkes
Rebecca Wilkes is a recent graduate of the BA Design for Industry course at the School of Jewellery in Birmingham. Now working as an independent jewellery designer, her current product range exploits the potential of 3D printing, a technology that is impacting on the jewellery industry. Rebecca takes her inspiration from the natural world and translates it into a modern look with the use of 3D printing. Rebecca’s unique collection takes the use of 3D printed nylon to a higher level of quality and exclusivity, as demanded by the jewellery industry

Shiyun Chen
Shiyun Chen is an international graduate in Jewellery Design at Central Saint Martins. Her ‘Skin’ Collection, is inspired by the quality of human skin and how it communicates a state of health or illness, evidence of injury, and even embarrassment. She is interested in how these signals affect the skin, and also how they can affect how others perceive us. In her work she translates these effects to create jewellery which is more than purely decorative. Her work uses a variety of colourful gemstones in pieces which reflect the changing nature of skin. 

Highly Commended:

Yoonkyo Bae
Royal College of Art
Tubular Air
Using organza, Yoonkyo creates lightweight volumes through building tubular structures. Properties of the material and the process she has developed - fusing fabric - enable her to make large volumes that are both physically and visually light. Alongside, a translucency of the fabric makes a visual ambiguity which reacts to surrounding colours and lights. Her jewellery collection ‘Tubular Air’ has different ranges: from a small ring for everyday to extravagant arm pieces for occasions.

Stephanie O’Leary
BA Hons Jewellery & Accessories, Middlesex University
Chain Brooch
Drawn to the simplicity and elegance of clean lines in architectural design, Stephanie O’Leary is influenced by geometric structures which jut-out, protrude or extend from the existing ‘frame’ of their environment.  Specifically scaffolding, cranes and power lines. By focussing on an element of movement, Stephanie uses universal hinges and industrial materials to create kinetic urban structures, which mimic the minimalist and fragmented aesthetic of London. 

This year’s participating universities and colleges include
Birmingham City University - School of Jewellery,
Central Saint Martins,
Edinburgh College of Art,
Middlesex University,
Royal College of Art,
The Cass - London Metropolitan University,
University of Lincoln,
University for the Creative Arts.

Shaun Leane commented about the entries, “Platforms such as Bright Young Gems are essential. They allow our flourishing young designers to grow in all areas of their careers. It is so important that we nurture their talents and aspirations as they are the future."

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