In November we announced the results of the IGI Expressions™ Jewelry Design Competition. We have shared information on each champion, separately, in prior posts. Now we are pleased to feature all seven of winning creations together, bringing our coverage of this uplifting event to a close.
“The Freedom to Dream”
This year entrants were asked to interpret the word “Dream,” converting it into design elements.
Dreams are stories and images that our mind creates. They can be entertaining, fun, romantic, disturbing, frightening, and sometimes bizarre. Dreams are also a representation of our aspirations, motivations, goals, desires and hopes. Dreams give us the freedom to imagine beyond.
IGI thanks event partners Binny’s, Imaginarium, Sparkle Diam, TJ Impex and Uma Ornaments for assistance in fabricating the winning designs below, selected from over 555 talented submissions which arrived from 21 countries.
Design 1 of 7
Dr. Dushyant Dave
Dr. Dave is an academic who earned his Ph.D. in design from Banasthali University in Rajasthan. He has used his fine arts experience and conceptual skills to actively collaborate with entities in the jewelry and luxury accessories industries across India for more over 10 years. Regarding his IGI Expressions™ honor, Dr. Dave says:
I am grateful to IGI Expressions™ for giving me the opportunity to showcase my design on a global platform. I am also excited to see the fabricated design at IGI’s D show. Once again, my gratitude and warm regards to the whole team of IGI Expressions™ for making this event so special.
A self-starter with strong interpersonal skills, Dr. Dave works as efficiently with a team as he does as an individual contributor, seeking new challenges and thinking “out of the box” when solving a given problem. His core beliefs include character, personal values, vision, action, and the willingness to learn from one’s mistakes as a virtue that propels one ahead in life and career.
Process Video
Our thanks to Binny’s for bringing this design to life.
Original Design
Finished Creation
Design 2 of 7
Haniyeh Mohsenizadeh
Haniyeh Mohsenizadeh was born in Bushehr, Iran, in 1993. An enthusiastic participant in art subjects and design from an early age, she enrolled in art school as a youth to learn graphic design and carried those studies forward into university. Haniyeh’s passion and skill started earning attention, recognition, and awards while she was a student. Her jewelry design career began while she was still at university and has never stopped.
Primarily inspired by nature and Iranian culture, Haniyeh’s works have been honored in national and international competitions and exhibitions alike. Now instructing at the university level while collaborating with manufactures and jewelry brands around the world, Haniyeh is considered one of Iran’s top jewelry designers.
Process Video
Our thanks to Imaginarium for bringing this design to life.
Winning Design
Design 3 of 7
Sanaz Ghafari
Sanaz Ghafari, a Jewelry Designer and Art Researcher, was born in 1990 in Isfahan, Iran, a city where she still works and lives. A lifelong art advocate, Sanaz believes growing up next to the Zayanderud river and traditional Iranian architecture fostered her creativity. She has been active in artistic endeavors since 2007, studying metal handicraft and jewelry design – earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees – and engaging in national exhibitions and co-operations with jewelry makers from 2008-2020.
Sanaz has received several Poster Awards, won eighth place at the Design Festival of Arabesque Jewelry of Iran in 2018, was named Most Talented M.A. student (Field of Handicrafts) at the Art University of Isfahan in 2020 and is now an international IGI Expressions™ Award Recipient. She is also a successful author and trained to be a high school and university instructor so she can help others who are interested in art and jewelry design.
Dedicated to increasing her skills in design and research every day, Sanaz was eager to participate in the IGI Expressions™ competition and is honored to be named a winner.
Process Video
Our thanks to Uma Ornaments for bringing this design to life.
Original Design
Finished Creation
Design 4 of 7
Shirin Kazemi
Shirin Kazemi holds a Bachelor of Handicrafts from the Isfahan University of Arts and a Master of Handicrafts from Soore University, Tehran, where she now lectures. A Jewelry Designer for Dorsa Luxury Goods & Jewelry, Shirin is also a freelance designer for Kouben Jewelry and owner of the Shirin Jewelry Brand. Regarding her IGI Expressions™ honor, Shirin says.
Working with IGI was a fantastic experience because I was able to create earrings that were inspired by nature.
Shirin believes we were all made in nature so that we might have the most beautiful representations of nature, and nothing compares to creativity in demonstrating personal desire for beauty. To that end, she believes, the best approach in jewelry design is to connect with the planet.
Process Video
Our thanks to Sparkle Diam for bringing this design to life.
Original Design
Finished Creation
Design 5 of 7
Leila Bahrami
Leila Bahrami was born in Iran in 1992. A goldworks, art and jewelry design teacher with more than 10 years of experience, she also holds a degree in private law.
Leila underwent no formal jewelry design training prior to entering the IGI Expressions™ Competition – she has always drawn her creative inspirations from personal interest. This IGI Expressions™ Award is her first official honor for jewelry design.
Process Video
Our thanks to Imaginarium for bringing this design to life.
Winning Design
Design 6 of 7
Malvika Vadsak
Malvika Vadsak is a second year B.A. student attending the Indian Institute of Gems and Jewelry in Mumbai, India. After attending an IGI Webinar on gemstones which piqued her interest Malvika began arduously following IGI’s social media, which led her to the IGI Expressions™ opportunity.
The theme ‘Freedom To Dream’ was a perfect match to my creative ideas, as I always dreamt of creating elegant designs. I put my best imagination into a glorious necklace. In the future I see myself as a successful designer. – Malvika Vadsak
An organized artist who likes to seek contentment in small things, Malvika is inspired by nature and enjoys concepts which are “simple and not too complicated.” Her father, a diamond broker and enthusiast, regularly showed her sparkling stones, teaching her the 4Cs, special features and other interesting facts. This early immersion in gemstones and jewelry led her to enroll at the institute in Mumbai.
Process Video
Our thanks to TJ Impex for bringing this design to life.
Original Design
Finished Creation
Design 7 of 7
Melika Etemadi
Melika Etemadi was born in 1995. She became acquainted with jewelry design in 2003 while attending university and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in industrial design from the Art University of Isfahan. Now an Iranian Jewelry Designer, Melika has won four international competitions, designs for various worldwide jewelry brands, and holds a position as a university professor instructing design courses at Gemod’art Academy in Tehran.
According to Melika, the field of jewelry design is interesting because it is complex and delicate while, at the same time, is constantly changing and growing – which makes it attractive.
Process Video
Our thanks to Imaginarium for bringing this design to life.
Original Design
Finished Creation
Thank you, Jurists
IGI thanks our esteemed jurists for sharing their time and expertise and advocating for jewelry design. Winning designs were selected by a panel of renowned jewelry and fashion industry experts including Italy’s Paolo De Luca, India’s Pallavi Foley, David Gotlib from Belgium, Ashraf Motiwala from India, England’s Katerina Perez and Veronique Tournet from France.
Dreams Become Reality
The six champion designs and honorary mention were all featured at the Premium D Show in Goa, India. The winning participants also received a competition Champion Certificate, Champion Award, and small cash honorarium. The artists and their creations are receiving further exposure here on the GemBlog, in IGI’s pan-Indian ORIGIN Magazine and across the institute’s various worldwide social channels.
The IGI Expressions™ Jewelry Design Competition is intended to foster artistic communication, cultural diversity and beauty through modern jewelry design. We hope the outstanding works from this year’s contest will attract and inspire future participation from creatives around the world who love jewelry, design, and life.
See results from the 2020 IGI International Jewelry Design Competition.