Charlotte Metcalf is the Editor of Great British Brands and the co-presenter of Break Out Culture, a weekly podcast with former Minister of Culture, Lord Vaizey. She is also a film-maker, author and journalist. She reports regularly for Thomas Lyte on cultural events, exhibitions, fairs and publications that are of interest to the communities of craftsmen we represent and celebrate, with a particular focus on goldsmiths and silversmiths.
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Thomas Lyte was proud to sponsor and participate in this year’s GC&DC Awards at Goldsmiths’ Hall, supporting innovation and skill in their craft, celebrating their industry’s most talented craftspeople and fostering a future of excellence and commercial viability.
One of the crucial reasons that Kevin Baker founded Thomas Lyte was to restore a true sense of pride and mission to British silversmiths, goldsmiths and talented craftspeople in general. He was dismayed to see gold and silver objects increasingly manufactured overseas in bulk, to the detriment of their quality. His determination to do something about that exodus and his passion for restoring a true sense of proven excellence are mirrored by the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council (GC&DC), an institution determined to preserve, encourage and promote the integrity of British skills and craftsmanship. It’s why Thomas Lyte was so delighted to sponsor and help judge a prize at the GC&DC’s Awards in March.
The Council was formed as a non-profit organisation in 1908 and today presents prizes in more than 30 categories across the jewellery industry and allied trades to recognise and reward the highest levels of excellence, achievement and innovation, while spotlighting the talents of upcoming young designers. So recognised are the awards that they are sponsored by global jewellers like Cartier, Garrard and Boodles among others.
This year Thomas Lyte sponsored the Precious Jewellery category, in which The Thomas Lyte Award was won by Martina Grumitt for her ‘Firework Sautoir’. Handcrafted from 18ct yellow gold and platinum with diamonds and pearls, the piece has a striking en tremblant feature that moves when worn, mimicking a firework.
(Above image: Martina Grumitt’s ‘Firework Sautoir’)
Liam Malorey-Vibert, Head of Marketing and Brand at Thomas Lyte, took part in the judging process and said that the piece, ‘stood out for its kinetic beauty, superior diamond settings and innovative clasp design, offering versatility as it transforms from a necklace with a pendant to bracelet and brooch.’
Other pieces receiving GC&DC Awards for ‘remarkable craftsmanship… diverse styles and techniques’ in the Precious Jewellery category included a bejewelled cuff by Janet Barber and a striking ‘Morganite Waterfall’ ring by Pearl Ng.
The Fine Commercial Jewellery section was sponsored by Beaverbrooks to celebrate contemporary creative jewellery or accessory designs deemed to be commercially viable and desirable gifts. Yuqing Wu’s White Crystal Necklace with Diamonds won the Beaverbrooks Gold Award for responding to the brief for commerciality and for having the potential to develop further ranges. Lorna Haddon, Head of Diamonds and Wedding Rings at Beaverbrooks, explained how the awards ‘are a wonderful way to encourage jewellery designers to think about commerciality, which will really help and progress their careers as they go forward outside of design school.’
There were many other categories that attracted richly deserved awards, like The Jewellers Craft section, sponsored by fine jewellery manufacturer Brown & Newirth and the Jewellers Craft Senior section. These alongside the Precious Jewellery categories celebrated one-of-a-kind showpieces, while the Ready-to-Wear section also received awards in recognition of those talented craftspeople not just designing beautiful demi-fine jewellery but also achieving commercial viability in a crowded and competitive marketplace.
The NAJ (National Association of Jewellers) was one of the sponsors of the Ready-to-Wear awards and its chair Heather Callaway explained, ‘By supporting the Ready-to-Wear category, we applaud designs that exhibit both distinctiveness and marketability.’
(Above image: Thomas Lyte Goldsmiths Apprentices Daniel Bollard and Idris Tetlow also won awards for their work. Read their recent interview on their experience of being an apprentice at the Thomas Lyte workshop.)
Overall, more than 120 judges were involved in the selection process for the Awards. GC&DC Chair, Anne-Marie Reeves, stressed that the Awards are not just important for championing excellence and craft but also to encourage the industry’s future – for example, this year a new AI-supported 2D design category was created.
‘As a company, Thomas Lyte is dedicated to seek out and bring the latest technology to bear upon the best traditional techniques, so we were delighted to support and participate in this year’s Awards,’ concluded Liam Malorey-Vibert. ‘These Awards help keep the jewellery industry buoyant and alive with a vital future-facing perspective that is so important for all craftspeople working in our industry today.’
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Images courtesy of Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council.
Read about our press mentions and awards for the project
We have selected a number of case studies that demonstrate the broad range of our capabilities designing and making in precious metals.
