More Than 350 Entries Reviewed — Estela Soler of Santa Ana Wins with “Firebird Phoenix”
After reviewing and evaluating more than 350 designs from applicants across the country, Olertis has concluded the selection process for its national custom jewelry design contest.
We are thrilled to introduce you to the winner: Ms. Estela Soler of Santa Ana, California, whose Firebird Phoenix concept will now begin its journey toward becoming a one-of-a-kind high jewelry necklace.
Soler’s design incorporates characteristics of both a swan and a peacock to create a unique representation of a flying bird. The design, although large and well-detailed, presents itself as a fluid composition rather than a cumbersome, weighty piece of jewelry.
In the unbiased evaluation of the submitted concepts, the choice of the winner was made jointly by Olertis’ expert panel and the necklace’s future owner. Alongside aesthetic considerations (i.e., artistry), the expert panel evaluated the feasibility of turning each submitted concept into a wearable piece of high jewelry.
While the individual aspects of each submitted design were carefully considered, our primary focus was the visual identity of the necklace. At this stage, creative vision took precedence over technical perfection and those concepts that were fundamentally unrealistic to produce were eliminated.
Estela’s $5,000 award has already been deposited into her bank account.
An interesting aspect of this year’s competition was the variety of creative tools employed by the contestants. Approximately 80% of all submitted designs were created using current artificial intelligence technology. Smaller numbers of entrants employed pencil drawings, 3D jewelry design software or vector graphics.
To us, the method was inconsequential. What we cared about was the idea behind it, its uniqueness and potential to result in exceptional jewelry.
Turning ‘Firebird Phoenix’ Into a High Jewelry Necklace
Although the competition is now complete, there remains much work to do before the Firebird Phoenix becomes a reality as a custom necklace.
Soler’s winning entry represents a concept rather than a fully realized technical design. Some components of her design will now be developed and articulated in 3D by Olertis’ 3D designers, CAD specialists, engineers and jewelers. Other components will need to be engineered for greater flexibility and movement.
And this is where an artistic concept meets real-world jewelry making. The finished Firebird Phoenix necklace must embody the visual essence of Soler’s design while being structurally viable, aesthetically pleasing and wearable as a custom jewelry piece.
Olertis intends to utilize lab-grown rubies, natural garnets and natural citrines for this project. The piece will feature natural F-color, VS-clarity diamonds.
Our team is now excited to transform the idea created for a competition into a unique physical object through CAD engineering, jewelry fabrication, stone-setting and hand-craftsmanship.
Additionally, we are currently considering three major jewelry exhibitions:
- JCK Show – Las Vegas
- COUTURE Show – Las Vegas
- The Winter Show – New York
We expect to make a final decision during the production process and announce the location where the finished necklace will be presented upon confirmation of all show arrangements.
When the Firebird Phoenix necklace is produced, Estela Soler will join Olertis at either the JCK Show – Las Vegas, COUTURE Show – Las Vegas or The Winter Show – New York and will be present throughout all exhibition days. She will be able to view her winning concept not simply as an illustration, but as a completed high jewelry creation.
Following the exhibition, the Firebird Phoenix necklace will be shipped directly to its owner. Due to the client’s personal wishes for anonymity, their name will not be revealed.
The Winning Design and Its Charitable Purpose
From inception, this competition was designed with more than merely jewelry as its goal.
One hundred percent of all funds generated from this project will be donated to charity. At present, Olertis is reviewing three charitable organizations operating within the United States:
- Feeding America
- Direct Relief
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
During the production of the necklace, we will determine which organization will receive the proceeds and announce our decision publicly. If determining which organization should benefit proves unworkable, then funds collected will be evenly distributed amongst all three organizations.
We are no less thankful to every person who participated in this competition. Many of the submissions were genuinely captivating, combining remarkable detail, imagination, and unique approaches to the bird theme. Ultimately, choosing one winning concept did nothing to diminish the creative value embodied by the many other submitted designs.
Olertis would like to clearly communicate their intentions concerning any non-winning submissions: they will not use, reproduce, develop, publish or otherwise exploit any non-winning concept without receiving written authorization from its designer — regardless of whether such a design was created by hand, with 3D software, through vector graphics, or entirely with artificial intelligence technology.
More than 350 concepts started this journey.
Now, Firebird Phoenix by Estela Soler moves forward onto its next phase – from a creative vision to a real high jewelry necklace created by the Olertis team with a charitable intent at its core.
