The four students short-listed to win Weston Beamor’s annual competition for students at the School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University have been announced and the ultimate winner will be revealed in a prize-giving ceremony to take place on the company’s stand at The Jewellery & Watch Show Birmingham.

The four students in the running for the top prize are Aaron Cumbers, Suzannah Key, Milena Vizuete-Courtes and Lucy Whitehouse. All of whom are in their 2nd year of study for a Higher National Diploma in Jewellery & Silversmithing.

The brief this year was to design a solitaire engagement ring with a matching wedding band in platinum or 18ct gold to include a 1ct diamond and embellished, if desired, with smaller precious stones. 

“We were absolutely knocked out by the standard of the entries we received – so much so that we have decided to make four awards this year rather than three; not only are the winning designs highly original in their concepts they are also strongly commercial,” said Glen Day, Head Of Business Development at Weston Beamor.

The designs are certainly all very different. Aaron Cumbers opted for a sleek, contemporary look in platinum featuring a marquise stone with a minimalist setting. Suzannah Key created a four-piece suite of bold, architecturally-styled stacking rings featuring a princess cut diamond and three accent stones while Milena Vizuete-Courtes, whose design includes a round brilliant stone and a highly unusual textured effect, opted for a mixture of white and highly-fashionable rose gold. The final contender, Lucy Whitehouse, also used a round brilliant diamond to create an unusual vintage-style engagement ring with feature claws and a cleverly shaped band incorporating five small stones.

All four pieces are currently in production at Weston Beamor and will be on show on the company’s stand at The Jewellery & Watch Show Birmingham.

Speaking for the School of Jewellery, Acting HND Course Director Jo Pond said: “This competition provides a fantastic opportunity for our second year students. The ‘Live Project’ enables them to work alongside a commercial enterprise and teaches them a great deal about jewellery design and production.  It also offers the lucky winner the chance to do a week of work experience with Weston Beamor which is an invaluable experience.”

In addition to the work experience at Weston Beamor, the winner also receives a £500 prize with £250 for the student who comes second and £100 for third place.

The prizes will be awarded at The Jewellery & Watch Show Birmingham on Tuesday 3rd February at 2.00pm on stand P40/Q41, Hall 17.

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