Tom Rucker claims Cartier Award at GC&DA 2020

Jewellery designer Tom Rucker has been awarded the Jacques Cartier Memorial award at the 2020 Goldsmiths’ Craftsmanship and Design Awards ceremony held on Monday (24 February).

The award was presented to Rucker for his suite of coloured platinum jewellery, and is given at the discretion of the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council (GC&DC) for “exceptional and outstanding craftsmanship”.

It is only awarded when, in the council’s judgement, an entry achieves a “standard to justify the honour”.

The annual event welcomed over 300 guests, including world-renowned jewellery houses, notable sponsors, industry associations, leading designers and the UK jewellery press.

The competition “rewards excellence” in technical skills and creative design in precious metals and related materials. The GC&DC, which operates the competition, said it “actively encourages” established craftspersons and designers in the industry, as well as apprentices and students, to enter their work.

GC&DC chairman Peter Crump, said: “We kickstart the 2020s with another stellar year for the Goldsmiths’ Craftsmanship and Design Awards. Across the competition’s 31 categories, we have this year awarded outstanding new and established craftspersons, once again proving the brilliance – and future – of UK jewellery, silversmithing and the allied trades.

“From the presentation of the Cartier Award to Tom Rucker, a craftsman that we have nurtured through these awards, to seeing emerging talent such as Alexander Wood receive both the Theo Fennell Apprentice and Master Award and the Paul Podolsky Award, the Council is pleased to celebrate and promote all of our winners’ successes today and long into the future.”

Other key highlights from the 2020 awards included:

• 138 winners were honoured in 31 categories with 42 gold awards, 49 silver awards and 47 bronze awards. This was the most gold awards for a number of years.
• A slight increase in entries in 2020 with 641 single entries which increased to over 1100 from multiple entries.
• The College Trophy was presented to Birmingham City University for the fourth year running. This trophy is awarded to the College or University that has achieved the highest total of points accumulated from any gold, silver and bronze prizes in the competition.
• Over 75 industry patrons, sponsors and contributors supported the awards in 2020.
• 120 industry judges, experts in their respective fields, assessed this year’s entries.
• Over 20 patron and special awards given in 2020.