Register to get free articles
Want unlimited access? View Plans
Already have an account? Sign in
Nicolle Gavin, a 2017 graduate in Jewellery and Silversmithing from Glasgow School of Art, has won the Weston Beamor prize for the best use of CAD combined with casting and hand-finishing techniques at the New Designers Exhibition.
Gavin’s work, ‘Order in Chaos’, drew on inspiration from the aesthetics of crystal structures and patterns of growth.
She uses CAD to digitally manipulate a stair-stepped structure to create unusual and multi-dimensional designs which are then 3D-printed, cast and finished by hand.
The result is a collection of intricate pieces in silver, gold and precious stones.
Gavin won a cheque for £250 and a week of work experience at Weston Beamor.
She said: “It is obviously very exciting to have won and I am delighted that my work has been recognised. I think some people believe that CAD and 3D printing are an easy option but this is very far from being the case and Weston Beamor understand just what my work involves, how hard it is and what I have achieved.”
Glen Day, business development manager at Weston Beamor, added: “Nicolle’s work demonstrates a thorough grasp of CAD. We were also impressed to discover that she had done her own casting.
“Her designs are beautifully finished and commercially viable. From our point of view she simply ticked all the boxes and is a very worthy winner.”
