Hawaii Jewelers Association 2008 design stars

The Hawaii Jewelers Association announced the winners of its 2008 Jewelry Design Competition Saturday night. The sparkling creations were judged in three categories, on criteria weighted toward overall design while also considering marketability, wearability/practicality and craftsmanship.

The most coveted prize, the Designer of the Year Award, went to Michael Ly of Maui Divers Jewelry on the strength of three designs, including “Kane Paddler,” a diamond-and-gold medallion illustrating one of the most powerful images of Hawaii, the canoe paddler. The design took first-place honors in the Hawaiian-themed jewelry competition.

Also chosen in each of the categories were People’s Choice winners.

Here are the winners:

Jewelry under $3,500

» First: “Color My World,” by Jaime Ciletti, Windward Jewelers. Earrings created by Hella Meek in 14-karat gold with amethyst, peridot and blue topaz gems.

» Second: “Dazzling Anthurium,” by Michael Ly, Maui Divers Jewelry. An elegant handmade diamond-accented anthurium motif brooch.

» Third: “Honey Bee,” by Denny Wong of Denny Wong Designs. A Tahitian black circle pearl is the perfect fit for this clever pendant/brooch bee design of yellow and white gold citrine cabochon and tsavorite garnets.

» People’s choice: “Mana,” by Mark Meador, Goldsmiths Kauai. A bright South Sea pearl, diamonds and striking black onyx carving with 18-karat gold had the power to capture the people’s prize.

Jewelry over $3,500

» First: “Christmas Suite,” by Tom Wheeler and Eric Gold, Opal Fields. A pendant and earring ensemble is set with a rare suite of boulder black opals with a Christmas light, color display.

» Second: “Sugar & Spice,” by Hella Allerstorfer Meek, Windward Jewelers. These handmade hanger-style earrings feature a choice of large fancy yellow diamonds or drop south sea pearls.

» Third: “Golden Tornado,” by Michael Ly, Maui Divers. A white-and-yellow gold pendant holds a rich golden south sea pearl in a tornado of diamonds.

» People’s choice: “Eve’s Temptation,” by David Fairclough, Topaz Goldsmith & Gallery. This serpent necklace comprises supple gold links set with black diamonds and yellow sapphires.

Hawaiian Theme Jewelry

» First: “Kane Paddler,” by Michael Ly, Maui Divers

» Second: “Sunset on the Beach,” by Jane Chen, Opal Fields. A pendant depicting the setting sun on a palm tree-laden beach with a sky and ocean of blue-green boulder black opal in white gold.

» Third: “Sacred Honu,” by Dana Romsdal, Goldsmiths Kauai. The green sea turtle is hand carved of yellow and white gold.

» People’s choice: “Hawaiian Sea Life,” by John Nyugen, Maui Divers Jewelry. A white gold pendant set with a south sea pearl and diamonds captures Hawaii’s sea creatures playfully swimming in an ocean of blue enamel.

Jewelry connects with culture

Silver kakau pendants

If you recall the dentist’s chair from “Little Shop of Horrors” or the barber’s chair in “Sweeney Todd,” you might understand Sonny Ching’s position when approached to, of all things, start a jewelry line.

As Linda Ueda explains, her brother is the kumu hula’s dentist and popped the question “when he was in his chair, his mouth open. In that position, he could only say ‘yes,'” she said, with a laugh.

“It was kind of strange,” Ching said.

That was about two years ago, and the result of their collaboration can be seen at Nohea Gallery at Ward Warehouse, where Ching will appear during a meet-the-artist session Saturday.

Ueda and her daughter Akemi were already enjoying success with their Paradisus line of Asian and flora-inspired collection of jewelry, which launched in 2005. To follow up, Ueda, a longtime Hawaii interior designer who now resides in the Bay Area, said, “I was looking for a way to express Hawaiian culture and Hawaii visual art.”

In Ching, she said she found someone “with great credentials as a kumu hula, who knows the Hawaiian language, and who has studied Hawaiian lore.”

Ching, who was conducting a hula workshop in New York over the weekend, said by phone, “When she approached me, I thought about it and had my own ideas of what I wanted the collection to be and what I didn’t want it to be. I didn’t want to do florals, I didn’t want to do quilt designs. I didn’t want to do anything that’s been done.

Kumu hula Sonny Ching

“Through the jewelry, I want to connect people to the Hawaiian culture, and try to bring in a modern-day sensibility, leaving it open enough for people to create their own connections.”

He brought up the idea of incorporating the imagery of the kakau, or Hawaiian tattoo, and Ueda agreed.

“It was an area she was thinking of going into, but she didn’t know the symbolism behind the kakau. That’s where I came in,” he said.

Ching found Ueda’s initial designs to be beautiful, “but empty,” he said. “They were just designs with no meaning. It bothered me and I think it bothered her also, and I was happy she felt that way. I like people like that, who have integrity. We didn’t want to take from the culture, or use the designs in a wrong way.”

It was important for him to focus on the designs beyond their surface beauty, so each piece comes with a story behind the symbolism to help wearers to understand more about the culture.

Since then, it’s been a long-distance collaboration, the same way Ueda works with Akemi, who also lives in Hawaii. Through e-mails, they share sketches and ideas. Right now, having already produced sterling-silver jewelry lines inspired by kakau and ‘ohe kapala, the stamp designs applied to kapa, Ching is working on a series of demigod pieces, revamping a vision of kamapuaa because Ueda rejected an earlier one.

“We go back and forth with designs. I tell her things like why a triangle should face a certain way, why it should point up instead of down.

“I have a leg tattoo from hip to ankle, and anyone who knows the Hawaiian kakau can look at my leg and can tell exactly where my family comes from. It’s a genealogy,” he said.