Winners of the Preziosa Young Design Competition 2026

2026 Travelling exhibition
The four artists will embark on an ambitious travelling exhibition circuit spanning three countries and four prestigious venues.    
The journey begins at MIDA (International Handicrafts Exhibition) in Florence from April 25 to May 3, 2026, at the Polveriera pavilion—a space dedicated entirely to Le Arti Orafe. From there, the exhibition moves to Berlin's SCHMUCKE Galerie by Petra Brenner (May 23–June 13), continues to Galerie Door by Doreen Timmers in Nijmegen, the Netherlands (July 11–August 1), and concludes at Thereza Pedrosa Gallery in Asolo, Italy (November 7–29). Additional dates are currently being finalized.


Special recognitions from the project partners
The competition partners have awarded several special prizes to the selected artists. 
- Lois Lo received the INHORGENTA PRIZE by Irina Probst, securing a coveted free exhibition space at the 2027 edition of the Munich fair—a significant opportunity for international exposure.
- Jiangling Wang was honoured with the LOST IN JEWELLERY MAGAZINE PRIZE by Laura Helena Aureli, which includes five days of advertising and promotion across social media platforms and a dedicated feature on the "A Room with a View" page of the LIJM website.
- Lulu Tian distinguished herself by winning two prizes: the MYBAYBYDAYGALLERY PRIZE awarded by Laura Helena Aureli, offering five days of promotional visibility and a dedicated page on the Gallery's website, and the JOURNAL DES BIJOUX PRIZE by Laura Astrologo Porché, featuring posts on Instagram @journaldesbijoux and LinkedIn Laura Journal des Bijoux.


International Jury
The selection was made by an exceptional jury representing field experts and influential voices in the world of contemporary jewellery, who evaluated participants based on quality of design and manufacture, contemporary use of materials, and conceptual and technical innovation.

The panel was led by Giò Carbone, Founder and Director of Le Arti Orafe and coordinator of both PREZIOSA and PREZIOSA YOUNG as part of the Florence Jewellery Week project.
The jury brought together diverse expertise: 
- Alice Rendon, Art historian and Curator of PY;
- Maria Laura La Mantia, Jewellery historian;
- Laura Helena Aureli, Founder of Lost In Jewellery Magazine and MyDayByDay Gallery in Rome;
- Farieda Nazier, Artist and Curator from the University of Johannesburg's FADA Gallery;
- Irina Probst, Exhibition Manager at INHORGENTA Munich; 
- Laura Astrologo Porché, Jewellery Journalist and Founder of Journal des Bijoux;
- Gallery directors: Thereza Pedrosa (Asolo), Doreen Timmers (Nijmegen), and Petra Brenner (Berlin);
- Bryna Pomp, Director of MAD About Jewelry at Museum of Arts and Design, NY;
- Zhipeng Wang, Jewellery artist, himself among the winners of 2021 PREZIOSA YOUNG edition.

PREZIOSA YOUNG continues to cement its reputation as a vital launching pad for emerging talent in contemporary jewellery, offering selected artists not just exhibition opportunities but meaningful connections with galleries, publications, and industry leaders across the international jewellery community.


About the projects submitted by the winning artists

Lois Lo
My practice is informed by architectural elements that mediate light, space, and perception—specifically bricks, blinds, and windows. These structures create distinct atmospheres through rhythm and spatial framing. The work of Tadao Ando, with its disciplined minimalism and precise orchestration of light and shadow, forms a central point of reference and provides the conceptual framework for this collection.
Translating these architectural principles into contemporary jewellery, this body of work employs an experimental stone-setting method developed and refined through my master’s research. The technique is highly meticulous and time-consuming, requiring each gemstone to be individually carved to accommodate its own setting. By integrating the setting directly into the stone, the process redefines the traditional hierarchy between metal and gemstone, positioning the stone as both structural and aesthetic foundation. This self-innovated approach challenges established conventions in lapidary and metalwork, offering new possibilities for how gemstones can be presented and experienced. The collection showcases the interplay of smoky quartz and white topaz, exploring their material and optical qualities. I have extended this exploration through heat-treating smoky quartz to create a subtle gradient effect, evoking the way light filters through blinds or reflects off windows at dawn or dusk. To secure these stones with structural integrity yet minimal visual disturbance, I use advanced laser-welded stainless steel for a precise and stable setting. This collection articulates a narrative of architectural rhythm and temporal light. By combining self- innovated setting techniques with material experimentation, the pieces serve as miniature spatial interventions—evoking the quiet transformation of light at different hours of the day. 

Nga Ching Ko 
Excessive production, usage, and disposal by people have put tremendous pressure on the environment caused by textiles. Second-hand stores are filled with clothes, and even donating them does not alleviate the burden efficiently. In reality, it is not easy for old clothes to be selected in the second-hand market. The clothes need to be liked by someone, fit someone, and be in good condition or have few flaws. The Replay series uses second-hand clothes collected from second-hand stores or garbage dumps and reinterprets them through craftsmanship. The remaining good parts of the old clothes are extracted and developed into artworks. The second-hand clothes are re-worn in the form of jewelry. As these second-hand clothes transform from finished products into raw materials, they also grant the creators the privilege to imagine the past of these clothes. The process of observing the details is like replaying snippets of the previous owners' lives. These observations of second-hand clothes become the inspiration for creation, where the patterns and colours of the textiles lead to different forms. In the production of the works, the handling of fabric and the material in Japanese craft Kimekomi (木目 込み人形)" was referenced. This technique allows the fabric, as a material, to be presented in a stable and firm manner rather than in a light and fluttering state. 

Lulu Tian
When The Ocean Left Its Dead Alive. My project explores the intersection of jewellery, biomaterials, and the marine cycle, using fish scale bioplastic—a biodegradable material I developed from discarded fish scales. By transforming this overlooked waste product into a versatile medium, my work redefines jewellery materials while highlighting ecological responsibility in design. The core concept is nature reclaiming the body: jewellery as a wearable extension of the ocean. Inspired by marine organisms, each piece is conceived as something that drifts, grows, and eventually returns to its origin. I look to life forms such as seaweed undulating in currents, plankton moving in collective rhythms, and coral polyps layering over time. These natural growth patterns inform a modular construction system, allowing pieces to visually expand and flow across the body, as if ocean life is taking over. The bioplastic is coloured using natural dyes extracted from plants and fruits, including brazilwood, weld (Reseda luteola), walnut, and pomegranate. These pigments enhance the material’s organic qualities while echoing the vibrancy and fragility of marine ecosystems. Each jewellery form is built through a modular system: flat sheets of bioplastic are laser cut into individual units, which are then slotted together to create intricate three-dimensional shapes. This construction method eliminates adhesives, minimises waste, and preserves the purity and adaptability of the material. Some pieces are adjustable, with components that can be taken apart and reassembled to fit different sizes, making the designs versatile and inclusive. The use of biodegradable material ensures that the jewellery will naturally degrade over time, mirroring the cycles of marine life. This impermanence invites reflection on the transient nature of beauty and our relationship with the objects we wear. Once discarded, the pieces return to the earth, completing both a material and conceptual cycle. Ultimately, When The Ocean Left Its Dead Alive envisions jewellery as a living entity—an organism that drifts, evolves, and dissolves back into the sea. By turning waste into a poetic material, the project offers an alternative narrative of adornment: one rooted in the rhythms of the ocean, in transformation, and in quiet ecological resilience. 


Jiangling Wang
The CANG 藏 series draws inspiration from textile craftsmanship, exploring the interaction between tools, techniques, and materials in the formation of jewellery structures. Silver serves as the primary medium, hand-twisted into various wire forms, then woven, assembled, and reconstructed to examine the flow and rhythm between lines.    
A distinctive aspect of the project lies in the self-made tools, which act as "co-creators" in the making process. Through resistance, form, rhythm, and tactility, the tools directly influence the structure and language of each piece. This "tool-product symbiosis" method broadens the possibilities of design and emphasises the embodied knowledge and cultural value of handcraft. Through refined and fluid forms, Wang seeks to convey a quiet inner strength, engaging with ongoing dialogues on material language and sustainable practice in contemporary design. The meaning of “藏” (CANG) is similar to "hide" or "conceal" in English. In Chinese culture, the character “藏” carries rich meanings such as to store, to hide, to preserve, or to guard. It symbolizes inner strength, restrained beauty, and the quiet depth of wisdom. Within my project, “藏” reflects not only the refined and subtle visual language of the pieces, but also the tension and power embedded within their structures. It celebrates the cultural depth of craftsmanship, conveying a sense of quiet resilience and emotional intensity through intricate weaving and form-building processes.