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Essemgé won an award at the GCDC Competition 2022

Essemgé won an award at the GCDC Competition 2022

Essemgé won an award at the GCDC Competition 2022. It was an afternoon earlier this month when I opened a letter and was stunned…

Essemgé won an award at the GCDC Competition 2022.

It was an afternoon earlier this month when I opened a letter and was stunned with surprise and delight. A massive wave of excitement, exhilaration, ecstatic joyfulness, pure happiness engulfed me! Even the neighbours must have realised that something special was happening!

I am proud and honoured to share with you that Essemgé has won an award at the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council (GCDC) Awards 2022, aka UK’s Jewellery Oscars!

Want to know a little bit more about this and my journey? Read on…

Essemgé Designer Jeweller awarded at the Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Council Awards 2022 - invitation to the official ceremony.
Essemgé invitation to the GDCD Awards 2022 ceremony.

What are the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council (GCDC) Awards?

The GCDC Awards are regarded as the most prestigious UK annual competition, embracing every aspect of craft and design activity in British jewellery, goldsmithing, silversmithing and allied trades.

The competition has 33 categories, split between 2D – or drawings -, and 3D – or finished pieces.

Each category has its own brief set by a patron / sponsor in partnership with the Council. The submissions are anonymous and judged by skilled and experienced practitioners across the industry to the highest standards, thus validating the status and quality of these awards.

Why did I do it?

For you! You, lovely people and valued customers, who have supported me on my journey so far.

You have inspired me to enter the competition. It was a challenge both personal and professional that helped me grow. I stretched myself, put my practice under peer inspection and scrutiny, learnt new things, opened my mind to new horizons.

Such industry accolade and recognition mean that you, my friend, have the assurance that I work to the highest possible standards, both in my creations and in my processes. Whether you fall in love with one of my ready-to-wear pieces, have a project that you would like to commission or an heirloom that needs repairing, you know that you can trust and rely on me every time.

What did I do?

You may recall that I regularly share my love of drawing and jewellery rendering. That plus this year’s smallworkers category brief proposed by Champagne Gosset in partnership with the GCDC, I could not resist but enter!

The brief was to ‘design an intriguing silver box titled “Gosset Heritage & Hidden Treasures’’.

You could argue that as a French national, Champagne runs in my veins 🙂 but no! I had to research it, like anyone else. Such an fascinating industry too, steep in history and traditions.

Jewellery rendering is usually done by hand, using gouache painting on a light grey paper. For this particular competition I have mixed the techniques. I first sketched my ideas by hand (above), then created the outline on the computer. This allowed me to play with the layout and presentation more easily. I finally finished the artwork by hand with translucent markers, colour pencils and gouache highlights.

You have an idea of the final submission below. The actual artwork was framed in a mountboard and had some text with the inspiration, concept and how the piece could be realised.

“So, tell me!” I hear you say

The results will be announced at the official ceremony on 28th February. Want to find out whether Essemgé got Bronze, Silver or Gold? Then keep an eye out for the report of the evening on Instagram (@essemgejewellery) and in the next newsletter.

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