Where Great Ideas Become Extraordinary Jewelry
Olertis is proud to announce an open nationwide design competition for an extraordinary women’s High Jewelry necklace. This is more than a search for a beautiful sketch. It is a search for talented people with the vision to create a High Jewelry concept worthy of becoming a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
The winning concept will become a handcrafted custom necklace made from solid 18K gold, clear diamonds, rubies, and, if the design calls for them, other precious gemstones.
The central theme of the competition is the bird. It may appear as a realistic sculpture, a stylized interpretation, an abstract form, or through symbolic elements such as wings, feathers, flight, or silhouette. Throughout history, birds have represented freedom, hope, imagination, and limitless creativity—qualities that perfectly reflect the spirit of this project.
Olertis welcomes professional jewelry designers, artists, illustrators, and jewelers, as well as talented creators who use artificial intelligence to visualize their ideas. What matters most is not the tool you use, but the originality, artistic value, and strength of your vision.
The winning concept will not remain a sketch or an AI-generated image. Olertis’ team of experienced jewelers, engineers, and CAD specialists will transform it into a Custom Jewelry creation. Every detail will be refined through precision CAD engineering, where Olertis’ designers and engineers will carefully adapt the winning concept, refining every detail to ensure the necklace is not only visually stunning, but also structurally sound, comfortable to wear, and ready for real-world craftsmanship.
But this necklace is being created for more than the sake of art.
It has a much greater purpose.
When Luxury Becomes a Force for Good
Olertis believes that exceptional craftsmanship should create more than beautiful jewelry—it should create a positive impact. This project was launched to demonstrate that Custom Jewelry can unite artistic excellence with meaningful charitable giving.
The winning concept will begin its journey as an idea, then become a handcrafted High Jewelry necklace created by Olertis’ master jewelers. After completion, the necklace is planned to be exhibited at one or more of America’s most prestigious jewelry events, including:
- JCK Show (Las Vegas)
- COUTURE Show (Las Vegas)
- The Winter Show (New York)
These exhibitions are recognized among the most respected events in the American jewelry industry, attracting leading luxury brands, designers, collectors, and industry professionals from around the world.
Following its exhibition tour, the necklace will be delivered to its owner.
The defining feature of this project is the union of High Jewelry and philanthropy. As part of Olertis’ charitable initiative, 100% of the proceeds from this commissioned necklace will be donated to one of three highly respected U.S. charitable organizations: Feeding America, Direct Relief, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The selected organization will be announced before the competition concludes.
Thanks to the competition winner’s creativity, a single design concept will become not only an extraordinary High Jewelry masterpiece, but also meaningful support for people in need.
Download the complete Official Contest Guidelines as a PDF, or expand the section below to view them online.
Eligibility
The competition is open to any U.S. resident who is legally authorized to reside in the United States.
Design Concept
Participants must create the design of an exclusive women’s High Jewelry necklace.
The design must incorporate the theme of a bird, either as a realistic figure, a stylized interpretation, an abstract composition, or through recognizable bird-inspired elements.
Necklace Size Reference
Required Materials
Every concept must be designed around:
- Solid 18K gold
- Clear diamonds
- Rubies
Additional precious gemstones may be included if they strengthen the artistic concept.
Accepted Design Methods
Submissions may be created using:
- Hand sketches
- Digital illustration
- 3D concepts
- AI-generated visualizations
- Mixed techniques
Manufacturability Requirements
Designs must be realistically manufacturable.
Participants should consider:
- The physical properties of 18K gold
- Secure gemstone settings
- Structural integrity
- Ergonomics and comfortable wearability
Concepts that are impossible to manufacture or exist only as artistic concepts or AI-generated visualizations will not be considered.
Submission Package
Each submission must include:
- High-resolution images
- A brief description of the concept
- An explanation of the symbolism and inspiration
- The participant’s contact information
Accepted File Formats
- JPG
- JPEG
- PNG
- TIFF
- PSD
- AI (Adobe Illustrator)
A maximum of six files may be submitted for one design concept.
The total attachment size must not exceed 25 MB.
How to Submit
Email your submission to:
Subject line: Contest – Your First and Last Name
Competition Schedule
- Competition opens: August 1
- Submission deadline: September 15
- Evaluation begins immediately after the submission period closes.
Winner Selection
The winning design will be selected following a joint review by the Olertis expert panel and the future owner of the necklace.
The final decision will be based on the published judging criteria to ensure a fair and transparent selection process.
At the future owner’s request, their identity will remain confidential.
Judging Criteria
Entries will be evaluated on:
- Originality
- Artistic value
- Relevance to the competition theme
- Manufacturability
- Overall aesthetic quality
Winner’s Award
The winner will receive:
- A $5,000 cash prize
- An all-expenses-paid trip, including airfare and hotel accommodations, to one of the premier jewelry exhibitions in the United States.
- Official recognition in the documentation accompanying the finished necklace as the competition winner whose design concept was selected for production. Whether the winning submission was created by hand, digitally, or with the assistance of artificial intelligence, the winner will receive official recognition for the selected design concept.
- The opportunity to collaborate with Olertis on future exclusive custom jewelry projects
Intellectual Property
All copyrights and intellectual property rights remain the exclusive property of their respective creators.
If a submission is not selected, Olertis will not publish, distribute, reproduce, or use the design, in whole or in part, without the creator’s prior written consent.
Important Rule
Only one design concept may be submitted per participant.
Submitting two or more concepts, whether in one or separate emails, will result in immediate disqualification from the competition.
We Look Forward to Seeing Your Vision
If you believe your creativity can inspire a masterpiece that combines artistic excellence with a meaningful charitable mission, we invite you to share your vision with us.
One idea can become extraordinary jewelry. The right idea can also change lives. We hope it will be yours.
The competition has now concluded, and on September 17, 2026, Olertis announced the winner. Discover the winning design and learn what happens next as the concept moves toward becoming a one-of-a-kind High Jewelry necklace. Read the Full Story →
