A jewelry competition with many facets

Gallun Fine Jewelry is kicking off its third Facets Jewelry Design Competition, which invites Cedarburg High School students studying jewelry design to create a piece the Cedarburg-based jeweler will create and sell.

But the competition is about more than just conceiving and making a beautiful piece of jewelry. It’s also about attracting students to the business of jewelry making and, more specifically, goldsmithing, Patty Gallun Hansen, the second-generation owner of the business, said.

“We would like to raise awareness that there is a career path of goldsmiths,” Gallun Hansen said. “I don’t think most high school students know about it, but there’s a huge shortage of goldsmiths.”

As a matter of fact, the shortage caused a shift in the competition. It was originally going to be held every semester, but last year they couldn’t get a goldsmith to cast the winning piece at the end of the first semester, which also coincides with the busy holiday season. So from now on, she said, it will be held during the second semester, a more relaxing time when a goldsmith is more likely to be available.

The Facets competition was the brainchild of Gallun Hansen and Jack Henke of Henke and Associates, and this year it is being sponsored by Port Washington State Bank, which will provide the prize money and fund the Meet the Artist event that ends the competition.

Gallun Hansen said that they came up with the slogan “Love has Many Facets” before they came up with the idea for the competition.

“I said ‘we have to do something with it,’” she said. And given the fact there are many types of love other than romantic love, the duo decided on a competition that would showcase the many forms love takes — although they are focusing on one type in particular.

“We’re teaching kids about love for community,” Gallun Hansen said, noting the competition has been embraced in many ways by the community.

The competition is open to students in Cedarburg High School’s jewelry making class with the help of teacher Deb Mortl. Students in the class don’t have to participate, Gallun Hansen said, although they are encouraged to do so.

The first year there were more than 20 participants who were asked to create a ring, and the second year 15 students designed a necklace for the competition. This year, she said, there are about 20 students designing a necklace or pendant using an abstract design.

The first competition was won by Stella Weber, who created a ring with a curved design intended to represent a wave or the wind, Gallun Hansen said. The second winner was Olivia Karrels, who created a lotus pendant — a lotus rises from the mud and muck and represents rebirth and resiliency.

There’s more that goes into the design than just how it looks, Gallun Hansen said.

“There’s a lot of problem solving that goes into it,” she said. “Does it hang right? If it doesn’t, the student has to think about ‘how do I make it work?’ A ring has to sit right on the finger. If it isn’t practical to wear, they have to consider how to transform it into something that’s wearable.”

The designs created by the students are evaluated by Gallun Hansen and Mortl on criteria that includes not only the appearance of the piece but also if it is something that’s likely to sell, she said. They determine the contest finalists, she said, adding there’s no set number of finalists — there were six the first year and seven last year.

    “If it’s good, it’s good,” she said.

Then the community is asked to weigh in on the designs and select the winners. Gallun Hansen noted that the first year 300 people voted on the design, and last year 600 people cast votes.

“That kind of community involvement speaks volumes to the kids,” she said.

    This year, class members began working to carve their designs in wax on Monday. The finalists will be selected on Feb. 23 and voting begins on Feb. 26 and runs through March 29. The designs will be featured at the Arts in the Burg event on March 16, and while in the past they were also displayed at the Cedarburg Library, this year they may be displayed at Port State Bank’s Cedarburg office, Gallun Hansen said.

The winner of the competition receives $500 and their piece is cast in sterling silver accented with a .10-carat lab-created diamond. The student gets the first piece off the production line, Gallun Hansen said. They are also feted at the Meet the Artist event.

Gallun Hansen sells the student’s jewelry at her Cedarburg studio, in her Etsy shop and her webpage, with Cedarburg High receiving half the profits through September to be used to acquire equipment for its jewelry-making class.

After September, the student, who owns the design, can decide what to do with it.

“They can take their mold back or leave it with me and I will make the pieces and try to sell them” Gallun Hansen said. At that point, she added, the student, not the high school, will receive half the profits.

    Both past winners have opted to leave their mold with her, she added.

The program, Gallun Hansen said, allows students to dip their toes into the world of jewelry making in a way that classroom teaching alone can’t.

“They learn a little about the business and a little bit about marketing,” she said. “It teaches them you don’t just make something and everyone comes running to buy it.”

And it shows students how much the community supports them, Gallun Hansen said, noting this is apparent not only through their votes but also by the number of people who attend the Meet the Artist event, some with gifts for the students.

“It strengthens the bonds of the community and shows we’re all in this together and we’re all supporting you,” she asked. “They get to see their design come to life. How cool is that? And the parents, the look of pride for their children is  heartwarming.”

Gallun Hansen said she’s excited about the competition and what it could bring to her profession.

“We’re excited about this,” she said. “We’d love to see this stretch out to more schools. We want to do more because we want to see the smiles on their faces. We’re so proud of this. It’s a labor of love.”