This blogpost contains SPOILERS, please watch the episode first.
This is the BIG one! The Final episode. Soon we will know who will be Britain's next jewellery star.
Will it be Tamara, or Hugo or Dan?
But first, as always, the Bestseller challenge:
The jewellers had to design and make a pair of Pearl drop earrings. A very big classic. But the jewellers were instructed to steer clear of traditional pearl drop designs.
They were each given 12grams of their choice of 9ct gold colour, small stones, and also their choice of pearls.
Dan opted for round and white pearls, Hugo decided on champagne coloured round pearls with smaller cognac coloured stones. Tamara as always was different in her choice of baroque (irregular shape) pearls, with small blue sapphires as embellishment
Hugo's angular sharp designs contrasted beautifully with the smooth, creamy pearl. He paid extra attention to his smaller stone setwork, and the judges were impressed! He should have just made a pin earring finding with a butterfly - his pearl had loads of movement anyway.
Dan went with his smooth curves to compliment the smooth pearl, and he also paid special attention to his small stone setwork. Very professional finish.
Tamara's take on the pearl drop was well, Tamara. Different, creative and textured, but I am still not impressed with her finishing skills...
Lights off .... NO ONE?!. Clever way of leveling the playing field. No favourites, no underdogs.
The bespoke challenge.
Design and make Indian wedding jewellery - Maang tikka. It is traditionally worn over the forehead. The jewellery is a gift from a brother to a sister to show his appreciation for her support during his long hours as a doctor during the pandemic.
9ct yellow gold, any stones of contestants choice. Must be lavish and grand but light enough to wear the whole day.
Tamara had a very thought out design, incorporating a lot of emotion and symbolism. She decided on a central piece of Mother of pearl and added a Topaz dangle. Hugo had a simple flower design with some stones for added glamour and a pearl dangle. Dan decided to go for a delicate curve detail throughout, using mostly the metal as focus point, with pearl drop dangles.
I must confess my heart stopped when Hugo broke the corner of the stone he was setting. He made a very wise decision to leave it out of the final piece, as it would have made it not suitable to give to a client.
In the end Hugo's piece was victorious and chosen by the client!
Tamara, Hugo and Dan have each been jeweller of the week twice now - very, very hard to predict who will be the winner.
It was great to see the people involved in each of the contestants' lives. Dan's lovely wife, Tamara's very supportive partner, and Hugo's Mom - proudly speaking of her son. Then seeing all the past contestants back in the workshop and hearing who they are cheering on and rooting for.
To sum it up:
Dan has consistently delivered quality pieces with exceptional technical skill. Tamara has been creative with every single piece and pushed all the boundaries in technique and design. Hugo has surprised and delighted with his designs and on point technical execution.
The judges chose:
A jeweller who came to the workshop with drive, energy and passion: HUGO
Well, at least part of my earlier prediction came true :)
Well done to all the contestants who kept us on the edges of our seats, entertained us, stopped our hearts and showed us what being creative with your mind and working with your hands is all about.
I am very sure Tamara and Dan will have years of work, commissions and interviews coming out of this TV series, so don't feel too bad for them. They have become mini celebs in their own right.
Even the contestants voted out earlier - I have spotted 1 interview and 1 podcast already, featuring Nicole.
Let me know how you feel about the winner and runners up in the comments below.
Thanks for joining me on this exciting journey, putting the spotlight on the mostly behind the scenes magicians;
The Jewellers.
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