Guess what medium was used in the piece that won the top award at the Schmuck (German for jewelry) exhibit during the world’s top international contemporary jewelry event. You are looking at Jelizaveta (Liza) Suska’s Frozen Moment brooch made of polymer and crushed marble powder.

It’s the winner of the top prize at the Munich exhibit and was chosen among 700 applicants. The field was whittled down to 66 designers from 21 countries and took place during Munich’s Jewelry Week. The judges were intrigued at how the brooch resembles an unpolished gemstone. Translucent polymer has captivated us for years. With Liza’s vision and skill, it’s gaining wider recognition.

Liza, 26, is a Latvian who lives in Sweden. Read about her in the New York Times, her site, on Facebook and on Pinterest.

I hope Liza doesn’t mind our basking in the glow of her prize. The polymer community will happily latch onto the coattails of this talented young jeweler. The prize was brought to our attention by Kathleen Dustin who agrees that it marks a big step forward.

Another step forward

PolymerArt’s Sage Bray announces the April 14 publication of Polymer Journeys 2016 with 30% off the cover price until March 30. The book (in paper and digital formats) covers recent works of hundreds of artists.

Sage included my input about how the community has progressed and where we’re headed. Whether you’ve been a polymer artist for 10 days or 10 years, you’ll find something useful and inspirational in this book to keep you moving forward.