The winners of the 18th annual PlatAfrica 2017 jewellery design and manufacturing competition were announced last night, during a ceremony hosted by Anglo American Platinum at Theatre on the Track in Kyalami. The competition was presented in association with Platinum Guild International (PGI) India and Metal Concentrators.
Anglo American Platinum is proud to announce the winners in both the professional and student & apprentice categories.
Ulandie Jonas from Uwe Koetter Jewellers won the professional category with her piece themed “The Family Bond”; with Nihal Shah from Vijay Shah Jewellery (2nd), Magda Nieman & Abram Mathabatha of Nieman Jewellers (3rd) and Brandon Cloete from BMC Fine Jewellery (4th) were the runners up.
In the student & apprentice category, Anke van der Linden from the Durban University of Technology won first place for her piece “Undulation”. The runners up were Fraser Schenck from Tshwane University of Technology (2nd), Joanne van den Berg from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (3rd) and Craig Welgemoed from Cape Peninsula University (4th).
Anglo American Platinum CEO, Chris Griffith said: “We are ecstatic to announce the winners of this years’ competition and proud to be able to showcase top talent in South Africa. PlatAfrica forms an integral part of our vision of developing and building the platinum jewellery industry, and driving platinum as the jewellery metal of choice.”
“Bold Minimalism” was the overarching theme of the competition and aimed to pair timeless platinum with on-trend design – curated elements, pared down, simplified; each one considered, courageous and meaningful, a simple expression of love. The theme looks to minimalism as a stance against excess, it dares to be bold with designs that stand out from a sea of clutter.
The target market for the 2017 competition was Indian millennials, and this year’s winners will again be invited to India as part of Anglo American Platinum and PGI India’s collaboration to participate in PGI India’s design outsourcing process for pieces for the growing Indian jewellery market.
The judging panel was composed of Kirtikumar Devjee: Kirti Jewellers; Pallavi Sharma: Platinum Guild International, India; Charlotte Crosse: Metal Concentrators; and Thomas Kapo: Akapo Jewels. The panel was drawn from the jewellery trade, academia and design industry who brought their extensive knowledge, enthusiasm and expertise to the process. The jewellery pieces were scored on five criteria: theme, design, originality, wearability and workmanship.
The judging process was managed independently of the management of the awards to ensure a balanced, fair and objective judging assessment, and the judging process was structured to achieve these aims. An internal auditor oversaw the adjudication process to ensure transparency.
About Platinum Guild International:
Platinum Guild International (PGI) is an organisation funded by leading South African platinum producers and refiners. Founded in 1975, PGI has been providing information, sales support and training to all levels of the jewellery trade for almost 40 years. In addition to its headquarters in London, PGI has offices in each of the world’s major jewellery markets – China, India, Japan and the USA.
Pictured: Anke van der Linden from the Durban University of Technology wins first place for her piece “Undulation”.
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