Career in gems shines for Nattawat

Silpakorn University design student Nattawat Srinoon has topped nearly 300 other entrants to win this year’s GIA Thailand Jewellery Design Contest with a delicate piece called “You Clothe Me” that incorporates hand-woven fabric.
Nattawat, who’s now studying decorative arts, will now see his jewellery produced for the market by Fadamas, one of the five Thai brands that co-hosted the competition with GIA. The winners were announced last Tuesday at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.
GIA’s 20th anniversary this year ensured that the contest was bigger than ever, drawing support from Beauty Gems, Blue River 1977, Mouawad and Sette as well as Fadamas. The theme was “Create Your Own Legacy” and entrants – both students and professionals – had to demonstrate creativity along with knowledge of gemstones and commercial design. The entries had to be practical in terms of mass production as well as beautiful.
“The contest was initiated to promote the new generation of Thai jewellery designers and attracted young talents from across the nation,” said Kenneth Scarratt, managing director of GIA Southeast Asia and director of the GIA Laboratory in Bangkok.
Two other young entrants won chances to work for top brands and designers like James W Currens, whose latest piece drew the highest bid at Christie’s Hong Kong. And Mouawad chose another winning entry to be one of its 10 “masterpieces” at a wedding fair in Bahrain this month.
The five-month competition attracted 298 entries, of which judges selected 21 semi-finalists. Their creators then participated in a three-day gem workshop before making adjustments to their pieces for the final round.
Nattawat’s use of “local wisdom” passed down through the generations – traditional Thai weaving – caught the judges’ eyes.
“I want to preserve that wisdom,” he said, “and here I combined it with the modern look of graphic design. The process of transforming an idea into actual jewellery was the most difficult
 part. Now I’ve learned the entire process involved in making jewellery, which will be very useful.”
Sutattar Chanrungrojne of Burapha University Chantaburi was first runner-up with “Bai Tong”, inspired by the “unsophisticated” yet highly versatile banana leaf, signifying inner beauty and good value. Rojarin Nanthavisuttiwong, a product designer turning his hand to jewellery, was second runner-up with “The Ratchaphuek Collection”, based on the national flower and its eye-catching chandelier-like form.
Supparanun Kanchanakul’s “Mangrove Forest”, taking its cue from the mangrove root, and Songsak Sirimartpornchai’s “Fan Fantastic (Revolution)”, which drew on the sacred meaning of the talipot fan used by monks, earned honourable mentions. Weerat Rungruengwitchakul’s “Magnificent Galaxy” and Kanpong Thongkam’s “Harmony” won popular-vote prizes.
Executives of the jewellery brands involved serves as judges – Suriyon Sriorathaikul of Beauty Gems, Prasit Wachiraksasawakul of Fadamas, Fred Mouawad of Mouawad, Peeraphan Sanguanpiyapan of Sette Peccati and Nitchaya Ekaraphanich of Blue River. Joining them on the panel were design experts Duang Poshyanonda of Designer, Kultirat Meesaiyati of Gavang, Supattra Srisook from the government’s Department of International Trade Promotion and GIA consultants Associate Professor Dr Kanjana Chookruwong and Sriurai Prijasilpa.