MJSA seeks entries for 2008 Vision Awards

PROVIDENCE – The Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America is accepting entries for its 17th annual MJSA Vision Awards design competition.
The contest is divided into two categories:
• Professional, open to independent and company-employed jewelry designers, who will compete for cash prizes of $1,000 for first place and $500 for second place.
• Student, open to anyone enrolled in a college, university or technical school’s art, design or jewelry-related program, who will vie for cash prizes of $250 for first place and $100 for second.
Entries from professional designers also may qualify for any of several professional distinction awards, each offering cash awards of $500 for first place and $250 for second place:
• The new Enamel Distinction, sponsored by Rio Grande.
• The Platinum Distinction, sponsored by Platinum Guild International.
• The Natural Color Diamond Distinction, sponsored by Natural Color Diamond Association.
• The CAD/CAM Distinction, sponsored by Roland.
• The Palladium Distinction, sponsored by Hoover & Strong.
• The Laser Distinction, sponsored by Crafford–LaserStar Technologies.
• The Mokumé-gane Distinction, sponsored by Reactive Metals Studio and Shining Wave Metals (Mokumé-gane – literally, “wood-eye metal” – is a lamination process developed in 17th-century Japan that uses two or more metals to produce moiré-like patterns).
• The Reactive Metals Distinction, sponsored by sponsored by Reactive Metals Studio and Cabot Supermetals.
The winners will be honored in a ceremony April 13 at the MJSA Expo New York, the nation’s largest and oldest trade show dedicated to jewelry manufacturing and design. In addition, they will receive free publicity including the MJSA’s display of winning entries at the April 13 to 15 expo, an online exhibit at www.MJSA.org, promotion in the trade group’s electronic newsletters, and a news article in the MJSA Journal.
“An MJSA Vision Award is one of the most highly regarded honors a jewelry designer can receive,” 2007 CAD/CAM Distinction winner Olga Baranova of Ol.b Design in Brookline, Mass., said in a statement. “Each year, the competition has become more intense and the talent display more impressive.”
To obtain submission guidelines or other information about the 2008 MJSA Vision Awards, or to request an entry form, call 1 (800) 444-6572, e-mail info@mjsa.org or visit www.MJSA.org.
The Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) sponsors several trade shows and other events each year, including its flagship MJSA Expo New York; publishes the monthly MJSA Journal and MJSA e-newsletter, as well as the influential MJSA Buyers’ Guide and other MJSA Press books and directories; presents a wide range of general and customized training through its MJSA Jewelry Academy; and works closely with the National Association of Manufacturers to represent its members on public-policy issues.