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Where Creativity Meets Craft: Weston Beamor Takes Its Place as Named Patron of the 2026 Creative Innovation Award

Where Creativity Meets Craft: Weston Beamor Takes Its Place as Named Patron of the 2026 Creative Innovation Award

We're delighted to announce that Weston Beamor will again serve as Named Patron for the Creative Innovation Award at the 2026 Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Council (GCDC) Awards. This is more than a title - it's a commitment: a promise to champion the ingenuity, technical mastery, and daring ideas that push our industry forward. For us, this isn't just sponsorship. It's an investment in the heart of jewellery: in the makers, designers, and innovators whose work bridges artistry and engineering. Over decades, Weston Beamor has walked the line between tradition and technology - between hand finishes and laser precision, CAD and craft. By backing this award, we're reinforcing that conviction: that the future of jewellery lies in creative risk, technical rigour, and the courage to ask what's next.

Why Innovation Matters Now More Than Ever

The jewellery world is evolving. Designers ask more of materials, customers expect traceability and sustainability, and manufacturing tools shift almost as quickly as design trends. In such a dynamic environment, innovation isn’t optional - it’s essential. The Creative Innovation Award is a forum for that energy: a space to recognise where design and making collide in unexpected and inspiring ways.

We believe innovation can emerge from any scale - a one-off sculptural piece, a technically ambitious ring, or a micro-mechanical mechanism hidden inside a pendant. What matters is that ingenuity is grounded in sound technique: the intelligent use of tools, materials, and manufacturing logic.

That’s why the GCDC brief sets clear expectations: entrants must list all methods, techniques and technologies used; judges will look for originality and concept, technical challenge, quality of construction, appropriate manufacturing choices, and practical functionality. By spotlighting those criteria explicitly, the award encourages makers to think holistically - not just about “beautiful design,” but about how an idea becomes real.

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Our Role, Our Pride

As a casting house and manufacturing studio with deep roots in the trade, our involvement in this category feels natural. For decades, we have partnered with designers and brands to translate ideas into wearables. From high-resolution CAD and 3D printing to bespoke casting, finishing and hallmarking - we see every stage as an opportunity to innovate, refine, and collaborate. But more than process, we bring conviction. We believe that those doing the boldest work deserve support, recognition, and a platform. By sponsoring this award, we aim to: Celebrate boundary-pushing design and technical courage Encourage emerging voices to think bigger, more deeply Signal to the wider industry that innovation and craft are inseparable Highlight the importance of transparency in manufacturing Create connections: between makers, judges, technologists, and audiences We're honoured to be part of the GCDC Awards in this capacity, and we look forward to meeting many of the entrants, studying their methods, and celebrating their achievements.

From the Director’s Desk: A Word from Naomi Newton-Sherlock

Naomi Newton-Sherlock, Director at Weston Beamor and Domino Jewellery, plays a leading role in shaping the company’s direction and its engagement with the trade. She comments:

“Supporting the Creative Innovation Award is a chance for us to back the daring ideas that often become tomorrow’s standards. We know first-hand how much effort and technical thinking goes into turning bold design into reality. Every time a designer pushes the boundary - experimenting with new alloys, combining additive and subtractive processes, embedding mechanical components or integrating unexpected materials - it enriches our collective craft. We want to celebrate that bravery, and help shine a light on the makers who push us all forward.”

Naomi brings a rare blend of design sensibility and industry leadership. Her roles across Domino, Weston Beamor, and within industry organisations inform a vision rooted in both creative ambition and grounded manufacturing know-how.

What Entrants Should Know

If you plan to enter: List every method, technique, and technology you've used (from CAD to hand finishing, from laser, milling, casting, plating, etc.). Ensure your entry clearly communicates originality of concept, and how your technical approach ties to design. Highlight challenge and achievement: where did you push limits? Did you solve a mechanical, materials, or production issue in a novel way? Show competency in tools and materials - it's not enough to attempt something bold; it needs to be executed with rigour. Demonstrate quality of finish and construction, and explain your manufacturing choices. Emphasise practical or functional features - the piece needs to work, not just wow in photos. Your online submission must include a 200-word (maximum) description that highlights the methods, challenges, and thinking behind your entry. We encourage applicants at all stages - whether you're an established house, an independent maker, or an emerging designer. This award is built to reward ambition, not pedigree.

Behind the Scenes: Judging for Innovation

Weston Beamor is proud not only to patron this award, but to participate in the judging process. A panel of industry experts, dedicated to evaluating Creative Innovation, will assess entries. As a sponsor, we commit to rigorous, transparent, and thoughtful judging - giving each submission the attention it deserves.

In our view, innovation is not about surprises for their own sake, but about meaningful departure. We expect entrants to show how every tool, technique, and decision contributes to concept and craftsmanship. For us, a well-engineered technique that enables new form or function is as laudable as a new visual trope.

Behind the Scenes: Judging for Innovation

What This Means for the Industry

The Creative Innovation Award is a barometer: of where contemporary craft and jewellery is going; of the dialogue between tradition and technology; of how makers solve new constraints (from sustainability to materials scarcity to miniaturisation). By supporting it, Weston Beamor hopes to: Elevate the conversation around craft + tech Encourage makers to document and share their processes Inspire new collaborations and cross-discipline thinking Bridge the gap between speculative design and production reality Acknowledge that innovation often comes from struggle, iteration, and failure - not only final glory When a winner is celebrated, their story becomes a reference point. That ripple effect - across makers, students, brands and audiences - is something we want to nurture.

What’s Next - And How You Can Participate

Entries are now open via the GCDC Awards portal. Watch for “Creative Innovation (CI)” as an option in the application.

Submit early and clearly: clarity in your method list, narrative, and images will serve you well.

Tell your story: technical notes are critical, but so is explaining why your approach matters.

Stay engaged: beyond the award, watch out for spotlight submissions, interviews, and events around innovation in jewellery.

At its core, this announcement is a little like making a promise. A promise we take seriously. We promise to listen, to judge thoughtfully, and to press make on the conversation around innovation in jewellery.

We believe that the makers of today - designers, technologists, artisans, dreamers - are shaping the jewellery of tomorrow. By returning as Named Patron of the Creative Innovation Award, we are saying: your work matters, your risks are worth recognising, and your voice deserves a stage.

We can’t wait to see what you’ll submit - and to stand alongside the community celebrating the next wave of boundary-pushing jewellery.

We'll ask for a few details at a time. Submit what you can now — we'll remember it for next time.

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