THE GOLDEN NOVA

Michael Jahr | Head of Gold- und Silberschmied-Innung und Juweliere Frankfurt

Michael Jahr completed his training as a goldsmith with Uhren Weiss in Rüsselsheim. After three years, he decided to further his education by training to become a state-certified jewellery designer in Idar-Oberstein. During his training, he also became a master goldsmith at the Chamber of Crafts in Koblenz. In July 1992, Michael Jahr turned to self-employment running his own goldsmith’s studio in Rüsselsheim. He is head of the guild Gold- und Silberschmiede-Innung sowie Juweliere in Frankfurt am Main. He has won the FBZ Ahlen international design competition and sat on the jury of the 16^th Hessian Design Prize.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hensel | University of Pforzheim

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hensel studied philosophy, art history, classical archaeology and business management in Hamburg, Munich and Vallendar. He is a winner of the Aby M. Warburg Prize awarded by the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg. In 2013, he was appointed Professor of Art and Design Theory at the School of Design at the University of Pforzheim. He is also a member of the Faculty of Danube University Krems, Director of the Institute for Human Engineering & Empathic Design in Pforzheim (HEED) and exhibition curator. His main research areas are media history and the history of knowledge and science in art science (especially Aby Warburg), game studies, Old German painting and drawing (esp. Albrecht Dürer and the Danube School) and design history and theory (esp. Bauhaus and Ulm School of Design).

Dr. Christianne Weber-Stöber | Head of Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus | Managing Director of Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst

Dr. Christianne Weber-Stöber, art historian and jewellery scientist, numerous publications to contemporary jewellery and hollow- and flatware design. Publications to jewellery, fashion, silverware, focal point  20^th/21^st century. Since 1989 general manager of the Association for Goldsmiths’ Art in Hanau, a non-profit association promoting gold- and silverware design on national and international rank. Priority has the promotion of young artists by competitions, exhibitions and publications. Since 2006 director of the German Goldsmiths’ House, whose exhibition emphasis is the contemporary jewellery and hollow- and flatware design.

Axel Henselder | Editor-in-chief of the goldsmiths’ newspaper, GZ Goldschmiede Zeitung

Axel Henselder is a qualified publisher and graduate in business administration who has been editor-in-chief of the leading industry journal, GZ Goldschmiede Zeitung, since 2004. As such, he has been a member of the jury panel or assessor for several well-known awards, including selections for the Talents Area at the Tendence trade fair in Frankfurt, the German Jewellery and Gemstone Prize in Idar-Oberstein and the Tahitian Pearl Trophy. He was previously responsible for special interest and trade titles at Frankfurt-based publishers Umschau Zeitschriftenverlag and for the corporate communication publications service at Hoechst AG.

• The contest is aimed at new talent. In this context, all university and college students, apprentices, young designers, startups and new entrants, including those starting afresh from other backgrounds, are invited to enter the GOLDENE NOVA competition.
• Those already working in the trade must have been doing so for no more than a year. Age and jewellery category are no barrier to entry.
• Each participant and each company can enter only one finished piece of jewellery into the competition. Designs, drawings and unfinished items of jewellery cannot be accepted; nor can jewellery sets (except a pair of earrings).
• Previous entrants for the GOLDENE NOVA may compete again for GOLDENE NOVA 2023 as long as they meet the above criteria. In such cases, the item of jewellery must be a new piece that conforms to the current theme.
• Those who belong to one of the companies exhibiting in the INOVA COLLECTION 2023 may enter as long as they meet the above criteria.

Aylin Yurtseven | Goldschmiede Willeke

My piece for the theme ‘In a Frenzy of Colour’ shows how the white light from a diamond fractures into its spectral colours and flows downwards. This is illustrated by the molten caps at the top and bottom of the glass tube.
The pendant is intended to enhance the individual colour spectrum of the wearer and to bring joyousness. Even on dark days, it emits its radiant colours and casts the world in an encouraging light.

Lichtspiel | Halsschmuck
Lightplay | Necklace
585/000 yellow gold | 0.25 ct diamond, two 0.03 ct diamonds, one citrine drop, one peridot drop, zirconia of various colours

Paula Böddeker | Firma Dülfer

The necklace that I’ve created symbolises the ultimate frenzy of colour. A silver plate with stones dissolving into rainbow colours revolves in a frame. The stones are arranged in a spiral from the inside to the outside.
The resulting impression is a hypnotising disc in rainbow colours. A ball bearing is fitted beneath the silver to allow it to rotate.

Femme bleue | Necklace
Sterling silver 925 | sapphire, citrine, amethyst, garnet, peridot, rhodolith

Megan Holzfuss | Herbert Giloy & Söhne GmbH & Co KG

In a frenzy of colour, I allowed nature to inspire me and decided on the octopus.
It can change its colour in a matter of seconds so its varying form provided plenty of inspiration for jewellery ideas. On the basis of this attribute, which is inherent to the ‘creatura abyssi’, I produced this one in the process of changing colour. Turning from an inconspicuous shade of brown for camouflage to a gleaming yellow for frightening off possible enemies.

Creatura Abyssi | Bracelet
925 silver

Amelie Osswald | Atelier Amelie Osswald

Grandma’s Garden 1996: a paradise of fresh soft fruit, a greenhouse and shady chestnut tree await me in a meadow of brightly coloured flowers. I blink at the sunlight before carefully putting my humming top on the ground and pushing the lever down firmly into the top.
It starts spinning straight away and the pictures on its body blur into infinity. What a glorious frenzy of colour.

Grandma’s Garden 1996 | Necklace (pendant)
925/- silver (c. 16 g), diamonds 0.395 ct, fancy sapphire c. 0.35 ct, rhodoliths c. 0.27 ct, tanzanite c. 0.35 ct

Kurt Soucek | Vice President, Zentralverband der Deutschen Goldschmiede, Silberschmiede und Juweliere e. V. 

Kurt Soucek is a second-generation master gold- and silversmith and has been self-employed since 1982 – initially in Luxembourg, and later in Frankfurt and Hofheim. He has been guild master of the guild of gold- and silversmiths in Frankfurt am Main (Gold-und Silberschmiede Innung Frankfurt am Main) for the past 25 years and was appointed managing director several years ago. Kurt Soucek is also a member of the plenum for the region’s chamber of craft (Handwerkskammer Frankfurt Rhein-Main) and a member of its vocational training committee. As an expert in international cooperation (international master), a member of the board of trustees at Zeichenakademie Hanau (for 8 years) and a board member of Gebrüder Grimm Akademie in Hanau, Kurt Soucek has accumulated a wealth of expertise in his field. He has been on the executive committee of the German Confederation of Goldsmiths, Silversmiths and Jewellers (Zentralverband der Deutschen Goldschmiede, Silberschmiede und Juweliere e. V.) since 2000, as well as vice-president for the past 8 years.

Michael Jahr | Head of Gold- und Silberschmied-Innung und Juweliere Frankfurt

Michael Jahr completed his training as a goldsmith with Uhren Weiss in Rüsselsheim. After three years, he decided to further his education by training to become a state-certified jewellery designer in Idar-Oberstein. During his training, he also became a master goldsmith at the Chamber of Crafts in Koblenz. In July 1992, Michael Jahr turned to self-employment running his own goldsmith’s studio in Rüsselsheim. He is head of the guild Gold- und Silberschmiede-Innung sowie Juweliere in Frankfurt am Main. He has won the FBZ Ahlen international design competition and sat on the jury of the 16^th Hessian Design Prize.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hensel | University of Pforzheim

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hensel studied philosophy, art history, classical archaeology and business management in Hamburg, Munich and Vallendar. He is a winner of the Aby M. Warburg Prize awarded by the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg. In 2013, he was appointed Professor of Art and Design Theory at the School of Design at the University of Pforzheim. He is also a member of the Faculty of Danube University Krems, Director of the Institute for Human Engineering & Empathic Design in Pforzheim (HEED) and exhibition curator. His main research areas are media history and the history of knowledge and science in art science (especially Aby Warburg), game studies, Old German painting and drawing (esp. Albrecht Dürer and the Danube School) and design history and theory (esp. Bauhaus and Ulm School of Design).

Dr. Christianne Weber-Stöber | Head of Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus | Managing Director of Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst

Dr. Christianne Weber-Stöber, art historian and jewellery scientist, numerous publications to contemporary jewellery and hollow- and flatware design. Publications to jewellery, fashion, silverware, focal point  20^th/21^st century. Since 1989 general manager of the Association for Goldsmiths’ Art in Hanau, a non-profit association promoting gold- and silverware design on national and international rank. Priority has the promotion of young artists by competitions, exhibitions and publications. Since 2006 director of the German Goldsmiths’ House, whose exhibition emphasis is the contemporary jewellery and hollow- and flatware design.

Axel Henselder | Editor-in-chief of the goldsmiths’ newspaper, GZ Goldschmiede Zeitung

Axel Henselder is a qualified publisher and graduate in business administration who has been editor-in-chief of the leading industry journal, GZ Goldschmiede Zeitung, since 2004. As such, he has been a member of the jury panel or assessor for several well-known awards, including selections for the Talents Area at the Tendence trade fair in Frankfurt, the German Jewellery and Gemstone Prize in Idar-Oberstein and the Tahitian Pearl Trophy. He was previously responsible for special interest and trade titles at Frankfurt-based publishers Umschau Zeitschriftenverlag and for the corporate communication publications service at Hoechst AG.