Up to 100 winners; up to $1 million in prizes up for grabs!
Palladium Alliance International (PAI) announced that it will sponsor the largest jewelry design contest in the industry to date. The competition which will exclusively showcase designs crafted in palladium will offer up to 100 designers and retailers who create in-house custom designs a chance to share up to $1 million in prizes.
"PAI is the world's first organization dedicated to promoting palladium as a luxurious and distinctive jewelry metal," said John Stark, Chairman of the Palladium Alliance. "A contest that encourages creation of more palladium jewelry is a natural fit for the organization."
The competition is open to designers and retailers located in the United States and the District of Columbia. All entries must feature only genuine gemstones (if gemstones are included) and 95% palladium alloy as the only precious metal design element. A panel of industry experts will score the entries based on how well each design highlights the key qualities of palladium: its natural whiteness, durability and lightweight.
Up to 100 winners will receive a refund check equal to the cost of the 950 palladium alloy used in their winning piece, up to five ounces—a virtually unheard of action in design competitions—along with a professional photo of their winning design; inclusion in a major stylist showroom throughout 2013 for possible use in celebrity dressings at major events such as the Golden Globes, Emmy Awards and Oscars; and other prizes.
The three top designs will have the winners' names and pieces featured in PAI print ads in top fashion magazines, such as InStyle, W, Elle, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan. In addition, the Grand Prize winner will receive a contract to create a line of palladium jewelry with PAI supplying up to thirty ounces of 950 palladium alloy to facilitate manufacturing of the line. Total value of the available prizes: up to $1 million in cash and promotional consideration.
Interested designers and retailers are encouraged to review the complete contest rules at luxurypalladium.com/DesignContest. In brief, to compete, they must fill out an Official Entry form available on the website and submit a high-resolution digital photo, a detailed drawing or a CAD rendering of the design they wish to be considered. Each participant may enter up to ten designs. If selected as one of the finalists (up to 100), they will then be asked to complete and submit the finished piece for final review of its overall design, craftsmanship, practicality/wearability and marketability. Pass the final review, and the entrant is declared an official winner.
The competition begins on May 29, 2012, with photos/drawings/CAD-rendered concepts due from entrants on Friday, September 21, 2012. Up to 100 finalists will be notified on Friday, October 5, 2012 to begin work on their finished pieces, which will be due for final evaluation no later than Monday, December 17, 2012. Palladium Alliance International will announce the official winners, up to 100, on Monday, January 14, 2013, along with the winners of the third, second and Grand prize. Checks reimbursing winners for the cost of the 950 palladium alloy used in their pieces will be issued February 28, 2013.
"This is an exciting opportunity for designers, retailers and PAI," John Stark, Chairman of the Palladium Alliance, concluded. "Palladium is coming into its own as a distinctive luxury metal in jewelry design--and entrants in this extraordinary contest are about to prove just how stunning it can be."
Palladium is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal that, together with platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium, form the group of elements known as the platinum group of metals. It is lightweight, durable, naturally white, pure, and sensitive to the skin. It is becoming the luxury metal of choice for a growing number of fashion-forward jewelry designers and savvy consumers.
Formed in March 2006, Palladium Alliance International (PAI) is the world's first organization dedicated to promoting palladium as a luxurious and distinctive jewelry metal which is backed by industry-leading education, marketing, public relations and technical support. Visit www.luxurypalladium.com to learn more about the Design Contest.
