Michelis celebrates the creativity of Filipino jewelry designers

MANILA, Philippines - Michelis celebrates the creative spirit of Filipino jewelry designers in the first Hiyas Awards of the Guild of Philippine Jewelers, Inc. With this year’s theme, “Opposites Attract,” young designers explored the duality of nature and different harmonies. This is an annual competition and was last year christened Hiyas Awards by the guild.

“We wanted to give our full support to the jewelry industry and recognize the creative genius of our local designers,” explained Sanya Faustmann, creative director of Michelis.

The design competition was open to amateur and professional designers with Michelis as major sponsor of the event. Its mother company, 7 Castles, Inc. sponsored and manufactured five of the finalist pieces.

Michelis pieces were modeled at the start of the jewelry fashion show, along with the best of the guild’s member-jewelers.

Among the pieces that made the final cut for the Precious Metal and Traditional Components category were Yinnie and Yannie: Rings of Harmony and The Revolving Gauntlet of Fire and Ice by Richmond P. Velayo; Nature of Yin and Yang Transposed into Puto at Dinuguan by Cris Jan Banaag; Fountain of Life by Percival Cruz; and the winning design, Man vs. Nature by Charmaine Anne Ignacio.

The winning piece for this category, Man vs. Nature, made with gold and white sapphires, sees the culmination of the beauty of the earth with the workmanship of man combined. It was designed by Charmaine Anne Ignacio and manufactured and sponsored by Mercelles Jewellers.

For the Non-traditional Category, finalists made use of precious metals and gemstones with materials such as feathers, slate rock, wood and other materials that give a modern and artful finish. Entries that made the final five were Angels and Demons and the winning design Pag-puti ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak by Ericson Manansala, Sedimentary by Pauline Millar, The Ajna Crown by Richmond Velayo, and Duality by Georgina Teng. A long necklace that combined the precious metals gold, silver, and copper with gemstones and feathers, the Pag-puti ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak took home the trophy for the second category. 

For more information, visit www.michelisjewellery.com or Michelis branches at Greenbelt 5, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Atrium SM Megamall, The Podium, The Block-SM City North EDSA, Northwing SM City Cebu, and Rustan’s Ermita, Rustan’s Alabang Town Center, Rustan’s Tower Shangri-la Plaza. Michelis is also available at Rosti Fine Jewellery, Silk Coccoon, and online at Filfgifts.com.