The Jewellery of the Year in Finland celebrates the artisans of the industry

The Jewelry of the Year in Finland competition showcases Finnish jewellery design and industry expertise. The ten finalists for 2022 announced represent the diverse expertise in the field and also the wide variety of jewellery available for consumers. This year the finalist pieces celebrates different kinds of stones and bring to the forefront also pearls and amber. The winner is chosen by the audience vote. So what is the competitions all about?

The competition was founded to give a voice to independent jewellery designers

The Jewellery of the Year in Finland competition was born from the passion to showcase Finnish jewellery designers as consumers in Finland have not been able to get acquainted with smaller brands and have lost touch to artisans as more and more imported and mass-produced products enter the markets. The establishment of the competition also ignited a mission to dispel stereotypes and misconceptions towards the industry and its experts.

The purpose of The Jewellery of the Year is to highlight the magnificent Finnish jewellery design and know-how, and to increase awareness of the variety and scope of what the industry offers. The aim of the competition is to raise awareness of the diversity of the jewellery, and to encourage designers to innovate and be creative. The competition will also feature showy, bold and more special jewellery that speaks with its skillful design language and have recognizable and unique design. An important part of the competition is the usability as well as combining the jewellery with style and outfits. The competition is now being held for the fourth time. The first two rounds were implemented as invitational. Last year the first open-entry round was held and the same time the collaboration with Finnish Goldsmiths Association and The Finnish Museum of Horology and Jewellery began.

What kind of jewellery are eligible to enter

A designer sends a jewellery set as his or her nominee. The set must consist at least two different pieces of jewellery which can be targeted to women or men, be a unisex collection or contain jewellery for both women and men. Only Finnish made jewellery are eligible and the main material should be precious metal or stainless steel, titanium, or zirconium.

In the evaluation the jury reflects the set as a whole. The assessment of the competition entries also emphasizes the usability and comfort of the use, both in everyday life and at celebratory occasions. The jury also considers how the jewellery and the story behind it touches and how the jewellery expresses its story and message as jewellery are not just physical items – they also ignite feeling and create emotional bond.

When selecting the finalists, the jury hopes to see the designers to show creative courage without fear of showiness. The jury also warmly welcomes jewellery that have creative or new ways to wear them, like multifunctionality.

Announcing finalists for 2022

The techniques and modifiable uses of the competition entries aroused the delight of the jury when selecting the top ten finalist jewellery sets. The finalists pieces hold for example completely new technique working with silver and special master-class stone setting techniques. Natural stone and freshwater pearls as well as amber are also interesting materials in the finalist jewellery sets.

THE 10 FINALISTS
Name of the jewellery collection (names translated to English), the name of the designer

ATOMI II (Atom II), Susana Corneh
CHAMPAGNE, Anastasia Filatova
JYVÄ (Grain), Petri Eklöf
LIGHT ALWAYS WINS, Hanna Korhonen
LOVI (Notch), Jenni Rutonen
MUOTO (Shape), Reetta Tuohi
POLKUJA (Paths), Mari Syrén
PORTTI 22 (Gate 22), Meira Rauta
VÄREILYÄ (Ripples), Kati Ahola ja Markku Lehto
WIRE, Olga Schulman

On the webpage of the competition, the Finnish public has various opportunities to get acquainted with the know-how of the Finnish jewellery design industry, as well as to learn more about various jewellery making techniques, materials, and surface finishes. As a novelty this year, the public can also virtually try on the finalist jewellery with their mobiles.

The winner will be chosen by audience votes. The competition culminates in next February with the awards ceremony. The winner of the competition, among other things, will have their winning jewellery on display in an exhibition in The Finnish Museum of Horology and Jewellery in 2022.