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Niche Awards announces jewelry winners
Niche magazine has named the winners of its 2014 awards for excellence in fine craft, which includes various categories for jewelry design.
Adel Chefridi of Woodstock, N.Y., won in the Wedding jewelry category of the Niche Awards for his “Shimmer” band with diamond and sapphires.
Philadelphia--Niche magazine has named the winners of its 2014 awards for excellence in fine craft, which includes various categories for jewelry design.
The winners were announced at a ceremony on Jan. 18 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, in conjunction with the Buyers Market of American Craft.
The professional division for jewelry covered seven categories: Alternative Materials, Fashion, Fine, Gold with Stones, Silver, Silver with Stones, and Wedding.
The judges were Michael Higdon, museum shop manager at the National Building Museum in Washington; Dana Singer, former executive director of the Society of North American Goldsmiths; Erin Fergusson, senior manager of merchandising at UncommonGoods in New York; and Stan and Judy Gillis, owners of The Real Mother Goose store in Portland, Ore.
In the student categories, Laura Mapes from the Oregon College of Art and Craft won for her “Nasca Sunflower” piece in the Fashion category, and Makiko Maeda from the Fashion Institute of Technology won in the Fine category for his “Samurai” piece.
Sponsored by Niche magazine, a trade publication for retailers of artist-made and American-made products, the Niche Awards began in 1989 to celebrate excellence and innovation in American and Canadian fine craft.
In addition to jewelry, other categories in the Niche Awards include fashion accessories, furniture, home furnishings, wood, metal and recycled materials.
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