The 17th Prix Golay, the design competition sponsored by Golay Buchel of Switzerland, has once again uncovered talented and innovative students of jewelry design. To realize this year’s theme, participants created ornaments to “trigger a smile.” Each student was allowed to create the piece with 13 keshi and freshwater pearls.

Participants are in their final year of professional education and had to produce the piece from rendering through final fabrication.

This year’s grand-prize winner was designed by Fanny Kohler, of Ecole d’Art des Montagnes Neuchâteloises in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The piece was a table-shaped cuff bracelet with pearls mounted like a scoreboard.

The conceptual prize went to Seraina Lea Sonderegger of Schmuckdesign Jürg Brunner, Olten, and Goldschmiedeschule, in Pforzheim. Her piece was a collection of 13 candies with silver, porcelain, cubic zirconia, and pearls. A bayonet link makes the candies interchangeable on a ring, to match the wearer’s wardrobe.

The technical prize went to Marisa Hollenstein of Goldschmiede Wipf at Gewerbliche Berufsschule in St. Gallen. Her piece was a ring that closes like a squid or opens like a flower, depending on its position.

Finally, the special prize of the jury went to Paul Murith of Ecole des Arts Décoratifs, in Geneva. Murith’s piece was a necklace of 13 little people, each one different in shape and size, with movable arms, legs, and pearl head.