"Jewellery for the Queen"

For many centuries customs and traditions have been changing, but human’s love and interest to natural minerals and adornments made of it, were unaffected. For each historical period certain jewellery fashion was typical. Different events of social and cultural life and even particular persons influenced establishing of new fashion trends that stimulated development of advanced technologies and usage of unconventional materials in jewellery art.

In the times of Ancient Egypt adornments with emeralds, turquoises, malachite and lasurite were very popular. Romans valued amber and sapphires above all. And again sapphires, along with topazes and rubies came into fashion of Renascence and Baroque. Glance of brilliants jeweled ladies and cavaliers of Rococo epoch. Vogue of a latter period gave preference to the beauty of semi-precious stones: opals, garnets, aquamarines and chrysolites.

References on amber as a material used for creation of luxurious items especially adornments frequently occurred during the whole story of its long-term relations with humankind. It is known, that Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen had a crown with insert of Gold of North – it was the title of amber in ancient times.

Emperor Nero was also a great admirer of the sunstone. Even in far China cherry amber adornments were worn by members of imperial family obligatory. Amber became extraordinarily popular in 17 – 18 centuries, when amber treatment art reached its highest prosperity.

But if we concentrate on the history of our region, image of “the most beautiful woman of Europe” according to Napoleon Bonaparte – Prussian Queen Louise appears, who’s name still is kept by Kaliningrad land – the most outstanding and closest to us example of bringing sunstone into fashion.

Queen Louise felt love to amber adornments.

Unfortunately amber isn’t that popular today and almost the whole production of it is meant for the taste and bag of middle class. To change the situation for the better, it is necessary to draw attention of fashion-mongers of nowadays to the beauty and sunshine of amber. What can serve this purpose better than jewelry? The regional competition is aimed on search of jewellery, which meets requirements of current vogue, and at the same time is capable of deserving a queen, adornments that will draw delight as among our contemporary, so ancestors. Let’s insert our time in the history of jewellery and carving art as another period of Baltic gem popularity originated due to talent and skill of Kaliningrad artists.

Purposes and objectives of the competition:

1. Assistances in creation of amber production of brand new quality level – high status adornments of high class;
2. development of new directions of artistic amber treatment in Kaliningrad region;
3. revelation and support of gifted young people in amber art;

Terms and conditions of the competition:

In all presented for the competition works only natural amber should be used. It can be combined with other precious and semi-precious stones, metal, ivory, wood and other noble materials. Ways of amber treatment are not limited.

Artistic articles made only in 2011-2012 will be admitted to the competition. Works should be property of an author or a company (firm), where he\she works.

To participate in the competition it is necessary to afford the application form in the form given in the appendix to Conditions of the competition.

An author can present not more than three works. A composition consisted of some items is considered to be one work.

All works received by the Organizing Committee should be marked with a label, which includes:

1. title of the work;
2. year of its creation;
3. material;
4. technique;
5. nomination;
6. thought out by the owner individual six-figured code, which consists of figures and letters.

First and last name of an artist should be printed on the sheet of paper and given to the Organizing Committee at the same time with a work in a sealed envelope marked with the same six-figured code.

Deadline of affording the works and application forms is 10 May 2012..

The Organizing Committee has the right of preselection of presented for the competition works.

Results of the competitions are conducted by the competent jury. Jury members can’t be participants of the competitions.

Competitive works will be exposed in Kaliningrad Amber Museum from 31 May until 19 August 2012.

Works are given back to authors only after the exhibition.

Procedure of the competition:

The competition is conducted in following nominations:

1. Author works
2. Serial production
3. Debut

Awards:

1. Jury diploma in each nomination:

1. "For creation skill"
2. "Classic perfection"
3. "Brilliance of modernity"
4. "Image sophistication"

2. Prize winners of the competition in nomination “Author works” will became participants of the First All-Russian Competition of Author Jewellery, which will be hold from 8 June until 19 August 2012.

Results of the competition:

According to results of the competition a coloured illustrated bilingual catalogue will be published in Russian and English.

Each participant of the competition and Jury member will get catalogue free.

Works marked by the Jury can be bought by Kaliningrad Amber Museum for its collection. The Museum receives presents from artists, making them part of the state collection.

e-mail: expo@ambermuseum.ru