University News Last updated 11 December 2012
Birmingham City University jewellery students past and present turned out to the annual Charles Green awards last week.
The competition - organised in partnership with Birmingham City University and Birmingham-based jeweller, Charles Green – gives students the opportunity to work on a real life design project - the brief this year being to create a cocktail ring, based around a gemstone donated by Charles Green.
The competition was open to all third-year students on the BA Jewellery and Silversmithing Design for Industry course. 24-year-old Nathalia Guarascio was crowned winner of the competition and was praised by Charles Green chairman, Tom Green for creating a truly original design.
Nathalia was awarded a £250 prize, which was presented to her by former BBC Midlands Today presenter, Kay Alexander. Nathalia was also awarded a week’s work placement at Charles Green next year.
Nathalia said: “I was not at all expecting to win. There were so many other amazing designs so it was a complete surprise and I am so happy to have achieved first place and the opportunity to build on my skills with work experience at Charles Green next year.”
Now in its fifth year, the competition was not only a chance for current students to put their skills into practice but for former student and Marketing and Design Manager at Charles Green, Phillip Beale, to pass on his knowledge and expertise to current students at the University’s School of Jewellery.
Phillip graduated from the University in 2003 after studying the BA Jewellery and Silversmithing course. After working in the jewellery trade for a few years, he decided that he would like to give something back to the University he studied at and help current students and future jewellery designers.
Together with Birmingham City University tutor Claire Price, Phillip devised a ‘real world’ project to help advance students business acumen along with their creativity and design skills.
Phillip said: “It has been a fantastic experience over the last five years working with the students, I am learning from them all the time, I just hope they learn just as much from me.
“On a personal level it is great to work with both the future of the trade in the UK and Birmingham, and also to work with the School of jewellery again, a place where I had many happy memories.”