John Calleija, from Gold Coast-based Calleija Jewellers, took home two big awards at last month’s Harper’s Bazaar Diamond Guild Australia 2009 Jewellery Awards.
The internationally renowned jeweller won the Diamond Solitaire Award for ‘Pure Zen’, an 18 carat white gold ring featuring a 2.33ct pear shaped, solitaire diamond with a reclining enamel inlayed band, and the Gent’s Diamond Jewellery Award for ‘Matrix’ (pictured above), an 18 carat white and rose gold ring featuring baguette and carre cut white diamonds and blue diamonds.
The other big winners were Sydney’s Mondial Neuman Jewellers, Sydney’s Varoujan Jewellers and Brisbane’s McKim’s Jewellery Design.
Nadia Neuman and Robert Opat from Mondial Neuman Jewellers won the Fancy Fancy Diamond Award for a wrist cuff featuring four detachable panels set with a spectrum of fancy coloured diamonds.
Varoujan Djevahirdjian from Varoujan Jewellers won the Red Carpet Award for ‘Ballerina’, a ring emblazoned with 69 diamonds weighing 17.04 carats to form “a ballerina skirt”.
Craig McKim from McKim’s Jewellery Design won the Diamond Jewellery Reinvention Award for a remodelled engagement and wedding ring which “took the original heart-shaped solitaire diamond and furthered the concept, combining the traditional wedding, engagement and eternity ring into one”.
According to Diamond Guild Australia chairman Robert Musson, the Harper’s Bazaar Diamond Guild Australia 2009 Jewellery Awards recognise “the very best in Australian jewellery design talent and showcase the outstanding innovation and style of our designers”.
He said that winning one of the prestigious awards catapults the jeweller’s standing in the industry and their reputation among discerning jewellery buyers.
“The judging panel featured a mix of leading fashion and jewellery identities so the recognition of their designs is an enormous honour.”
Full details of all winners are featured in this month’s issue of Harpers Bazaar.