The deadline for submissions is April 2.
Every year, the MJSA Vision Awards celebrate outstanding talent in the field of jewelry design. The winning designers represent the future of the jewelry manufacturing industry, and the Vision Awards competition showcases their creativity and boosts their careers. Some of the industry's finest designers can point to a Vision Award among their exemplary credits. We are looking forward to seeing the exciting things that designers, jewelers, and students are creating for 2019.
MJSA ensures the Vision Award winners receive the recognition they deserve by promoting their triumph through the industry's leading publications, which in 2019 will include INSTORE, Metalsmith, The Retail Jeweler, and the association's own MJSA Journal special awards issue in August.
In addition, the winning entries will be on display for thousands of buyers and exhibitors during the March 2020 MJSA Expo in New York City, THE show for professional jewelry makers and designers. Other prizes include gift certificates of up to $500 (courtesy of Rio Grande), cash awards, book libraries, and, for student winners, scholarships up to $1,000.
There are multiple submission categories:
Professional Design Excellence (1-3 years in business):
Honors designs that exhibit exceptional creativity, craftsmanship, and marketability by jewelers in business for 1-3 years
Professional Design Excellence (4+ years in business):
Honors designs that exhibit exceptional creativity, craftsmanship, and marketability by jewelers in business for 4 or more years.
Future of the Industry (Student):
Sponsored by the MJSA Education Foundation
Recognizes the work of students in jewelry-related programs who exhibit exceptional design talent and creativity.
Custom Design Distinction:
Sponsored by Century Casting Co., Inc.
Honors designs that met a client's request and the challenges encountered during the design process and how they were overcome.
Enamel Distinction (NEW for 2019):
Sponsored by Rio Grande
Honors entries that best incorporate glass-based enamel as a primary design element.
Laser Distinction:
Sponsored by LaserStar Technologies
Honors entries in which the design relied upon the use of a laser and any technical challenges that were overcome to take the piece from concept to completion.
Responsible Practices Distinction:
Sponsored by Richline Group and LeachGarner
Honors designs that use responsibly sourced materials, including recycled metals and fair-trade gems, and were created using environmentally sensitive manufacturing processes.
ELIGIBILITY
1. All professional Distinction categories are open to independent or company-employed U.S. and international jewelry designers.
2. The Future of the Industry Award is open to any student enrolled in an art, design, or jewelry-related program at a college, university, or a proprietary technical school.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
All professional designs must be new, original, unavailable for sale at time of submission, and completely finished, and they cannot have won any previous competitions prior to the deadline date of April 2. Winners agree to have their names, photos, and designs used and displayed in conjunction with MJSA Expo 2020 and any publicity generated by MJSA. Winners must have jewelry entries available by March 2020 if at all possible, for display at MJSA Expo, the exception being Custom Design Winners where the piece is already in the owner’s hands, or if the piece has been sold.
All entries are considered for Professional Design Excellence. Any piece entered into a specific distinction category, with the exception of Custom Design, will automatically be entered into the Professional Excellence category.
Note: For Future of the Industry (students) ONLY: renderings or photographic concept images are accepted. Description or name should not appear on any of the images submitted.
All entries must be accompanied by the following:
* Please DO NOT send the actual finished piece
* A profile/biography and artist’s statement.
* Entry fee. MJSA members: $100 for up to three submissions. Non-members: $225 for up to three submissions. Maximum 6 entries per designer. Students: Free. All entry fees include a one-year subscription to MJSA Journal, MJSA’s monthly magazine.
* A detailed description of the design as well as the technique(s) and materials used.
* For Laser Distinction: To be considered for the Laser Distinction, a detailed explanation of the technical or design challenges encountered and how laser technologies were used to craft the finished product. This category also honors exceptional laser engraving.
* For Custom Design Distinction: To be considered for the Custom Design Distinction a detailed explanation of how the design met a client’s requests. Include any challenges encountered during the design process and how they were overcome, as well as the contributions of specific technologies (e.g., CAD/CAM). Note: Entries for this category are exempt from the criteria of being new or unsold—designs must have already been created for a client—but they must be the entrant’s original work and currently unavailable for sale, and they cannot have won any previous competitions.
* For Responsible Practices Distinction: To be considered for this Distinction, entries MUST include the following information in the design description:
1. Please list all of the materials included in this piece that were responsibly sourced (e.g., recycled metals, responsibly mined gemstones).
2. What percentage of the materials in your entry comprises responsible materials?
3. What environmentally responsible design and manufacturing processes do you employ? Please be specific, including any measurable outcomes (e.g., energy savings, toxic waste reductions, etc.)
For information on the awards and submission guidelines, please visit: mjsa.org/eventsprograms/mjsa_vision_awards/entry_guidelines
The Retail Jeweler is a proud media sponsor of the MJSA Vision Awards
