Indeed, opposites attract
Last week I was invited to the 3rd Hiyas Jewelry Design Competition at the Gallery of Greenbelt 5. The competition delved into the realm of opposites as exemplified by the philosophy of the yin and yang, i.e., light/dark/, male/female, fire/ice, positive/negative. Thus the theme “Opposites Attract,” challenged the contending designers to create contemporary design that speaks of the harmony in opposites. Hiyas is considered the premier jewelry design competition in the Philippines. It has gained popularity among students from top universities in Manila even making it as part of their curriculum.
The design competition has two categories: Precious Metals and Traditional Components Category (ex: gold, silver with gemstones) and Precious Metals and Non-Traditional Components Category (ex: gold, copper, gemstones, feathers, slate rock). The yearly competition is open to professional and non professional designers, students, graduates, teachers, jewelers, goldsmiths, schools, companies and organizations based in the Philippines. There is no restriction to the number of designs submitted per person. Each entry must be accompanied with an entry form. The rationale of the Guild of Philippine Designers in holding the competition is to develop the jewelry industry in our country. It is a good industry for the Philippine government to support for the following reasons:
The Philippines has abundant reserves of gold and silver which are the main raw materials for fine jewelry.
The industry is not capital intensive — good equipment to provide components for 300 employees can be set up for less than $100,000.
The working capital requirements of the industry can be high because of the raw materials involved (gold, precious stones) — however, it is global industry practice that buyers provide deposits amounting to the gems and metals costs.
Design is a major element of the industry and Filipinos are very creative and excel in this field.
Filipinos can easily be trained to do factory work and this has been proven many times in the past.
Thus the development of the jewelry industry can generate jobs for those unable to undertake tertiary or higher education.
This year’s winner in the Precious Metals and Traditional Components category is Charmaine Anne Ignacio for her piece, “Man vs. Nature.” The bangle, which was manufactured by Mercelles Corporation, is made of silver and gemstones. It shows the contrast between artificial and natural art through the combination of two different pieces into one fine piece.
Ericson Manansala won the Precious Metals and Non Traditional Components Category for his piece, “Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak,” manufactured by 7 Castles. The idea for this necklace was derived from the famous Filipino quote meaning never or forever. The black feathers represent the uwak (crow) and the white feathers represent the tagak (heron). Manansala was also the winner of the guild’s previous design competition with the theme “Joie de Vivre” or “Joy of Life.” He worked as a jewelry designer in Dubai when a jewelry store contacted the guild looking for talented designers.
Other finalists of this year’s contest are Richmond Velayo, Cris Jan Banaag, Pauline Millar, Percival Cruz and Georgina Teng. The movers of the industry include Mia Faustman, who was president for three consecutive years (2007-2009) Mia Florencio, president of the guild this year, with Suzette Ayson as vice president.
It was very heartwarming to witness the success of this design competition. Apart from the dazzling glitter of the gems and the materials employed, the designs truly showcased the talent of Filipino designers proving once again that they are at par with top international designers. More power to the members of the Guild of Philippine Jewelers Inc. as they continue their endeavor to put the Philippines on the world map in the field of jewelry design.
