Young Designers Corner Award 2025: these are the finalists

The Munich Show is once again organising the Young Designers Corner Award for young talents this year. The finalists have now been chosen and will present their creations during the four days of the fair in Munich. The jewellery pieces with which the five finalists impressed the jury can already be seen here.

The Young Designers Corner Award

The Young Designers Corner Award was launched by the Munich Show in 2012 to give young creatives from the jewellery industry the chance to present themselves on an international stage and demonstrate their skills. A high-calibre jury selects five finalists who are allowed to present their designs during the four days of the fair. 

Not only pieces of jewellery, but also watches are judged according to the factors of innovation, suitability for everyday use and technical and artistic realisation. The special thing about the spotlight at the trade fair is that it is not just trade visitors and industry experts - the trade fair is also open to private visitors at the weekend - so the competition gives artists the chance to present their creations directly to potential customers and get feedback on them.

What you can win

Of course, the trade fair also awards attractive prizes for first, second and third place for the commitment of the young creatives.

• 1st place: prize money in the amount of 1,500 euros
• 2nd place: prize money in the amount of 1,000 euros
• 3rd place: prize money in the amount of 500 euros

Each of these three places will also receive their own stand for the Munich Show 2026 to present the creations once again in a professional setting.

These are the finalists

The finalists present their design in their own words, explaining what they wanted to achieve with the jewellery and what influences inspired them in their design. You can read more details about the award and the thoughts of the young talents at https://munichshow.com/de/highlights/2025/finalisten-young-designers-corner-2025

Anna Kalawrytinos: Ceramic ring

"Silver is one of the easiest precious metals to work with and has been used by goldsmiths for thousands of years. Silver also forms a strong contrast to the dark grey colour of the ceramic. The ceramic I use for the ring was originally used in aerospace technology. It is light, heat-resistant and very durable. In combination with silver, it protects it from scratches and makes the ring robust and suitable for everyday wear.

In industry, aluminium oxide/titanium dioxide is considered to be very wear-resistant and resistant to chemical influences.

For the motif, I focussed on the shape of the circle. The ring directly reflects this shape and the chosen pattern also picks up on the theme. The circle symbolises perfection, eternity and harmony. It also stands for the reconciliation of opposites."

Antonia Simon: Silver bangle

"The bangle is inspired by the design language of the sea - in particular the octopus and its suction cups. The octopus symbolises changeability, skill and strength. Its tentacles with suction cups are stylised in the bangle and taken up by the settings and gemstones. This piece of jewellery thus combines the idea of nature with the clear precision of goldsmithing.
The choice of gemstones - topaz, amethyst and spinel - sets colour accents in shades of blue and violet. These colours are reminiscent of the depths of the ocean and reinforce the maritime reference."

Marcel Gebert: "Spirit of the Ocean" necklace

"Spirit of the ocean" is a piece of jewellery that symbolises the diversity of the sea. The calm, movement and endless blue.

Inspired by my travels to Ibiza, it reflects the constant crashing of the waves, which are never the same and always in motion.

The design follows the rhythm of the swell. Curved silver parts rise and fall like waves that roll onto the shore at different heights. The unusually shaped eyelet blends smoothly into the course and symbolises the soul, which is invisible in the sea but always connected to you.

Two smooth-cut aquamarines in the shape of drops symbolise drops of water with their colourful and luminous shapes and cuts. The blue colour of the gemstones is reminiscent of the freshness and purity of the sea. A starfish created from wax rests above one of the aquamarines. It symbolises life in the sea, the diversity and constancy of the marine world.

83 brilliant-cut diamonds give the piece of jewellery a subtle sparkle. They are set in pavé surfaces and reflect the light like rays of sunshine dancing across the surface of the water."

Valeria Fernandez-Restrepo: "Treasured Calm" ring

"The idea for my "Treasured Calm" ring arose from my desire to try out modelling techniques from other disciplines that do not originate from jewellery. I wanted to see how I could interpret the look, processing patterns and advantages of such techniques in a piece of jewellery.

The technique I focussed on was forming spirals, which is often used in ceramics. I decided to work with modelling wax, this material behaves like clay, is easy to shape and allowed me to use the same working process as when forming spirals in ceramics. This gave the production the same meditative qualities as the construction of a clay pot, in which the spirals slowly but surely lead to its final form. I wanted to achieve the same calming effect with my idea."

Patrik Scharf: Ring in red gold

"The basic idea for the design of the piece of jewellery was not to use stones. It is often conveyed that the design of jewellery revolves around a stone, i.e. that the stone is there first and the piece of jewellery is designed around the stone. The problem with this concept is that it sets a framework in advance, which often ensures that the piece of jewellery only becomes a means to an end, namely to present or hold the stone in some way, so that the sum of the whole is no more than the individual parts."